The characters in Burning, director Lee Chang-dong’s newest film, exist apart from one another. Even in scenes together they appear to inhabit separate layers of the frame; it’s like they’re superimposed upon one another to create the illusion of proximity while they remain irrevocably isolated.

Private Life is a heartwarming, at times heartbreaking, work that succeeds in uniting stereotypes, tropes, and genres to remind viewers of the power in “dramedy.”

Nevertheless, there is enormous power in Cuarón’s decision to frame an epic-scale narrative about Mexico in transition around an indigenous woman; one who speaks in her native mixteca as well as Spanish, who enacts a coveted cinematic role as central voyeur, who brings the viewer into each of many worlds in collision.

The beauty of this documentary lies in its ability to forefront Cunningham’s impression of himself without pandering to the audience, hungry for anecdotes to establish a sense of closeness to Cunningham—a reluctant celebrity whose work hinges on his ability to disappear into the sidewalk.