YOUR HIGHER SELF
FILM REVIEW – WORLD PREMIERE SXSW 2025
A Journey Through the World of Life Coaching
During the 2025 South by Southwest TV & Film Festival, I had the chance to watch an incredibly thought-provoking documentary by Anne St-Pierre. Your Higher Self offers a compelling, fly-on-the-wall perspective on the diverse and often unconventional paths people take toward self-improvement and life coaching.
Exploring the Unconventional
Going into the film, I expected something introspective, and it delivered exactly that. Your Higher Self takes viewers through a series of life coaching sessions—each more unexpected than the last. From leadership lessons in nature to first impression drills, expressive movement exercises, and even group laughter therapy, the documentary reveals just how varied self-improvement can be.
What struck me most was the sheer diversity of these approaches. Some might seem bizarre or even comical at first glance, but the core message is clear: healing looks different for everyone. As long as a method isn’t causing harm, who’s to say what’s valid?
The Capitalist Influence on Self-Optimization
During the post-screening Q&A, St-Pierre referenced a striking line from the film: "The obsession with self-optimization has turned us into constant laborers." This resonated deeply, highlighting how capitalism has shaped not just our work lives, but also our personal quests for self-improvement. We’ve internalized the belief that we must always be working on ourselves—always striving, always optimizing, rarely just being.
The documentary challenges the conventional notion that healing means sifting through the past, often in isolation. Instead, it presents life coaching as an alternative: a collective, present-focused approach to personal growth. It’s about working together in real-time rather than endlessly analyzing old wounds.
Final Thoughts
This film left a lasting impression on me. It reminded me that people will go to great lengths to feel better, and sometimes their methods seem strange from the outside. But in the end, isn’t that what we all want? To feel better? To live fuller lives? If someone finds healing in an unconventional way that harms no one, does it really matter how it looks?
Your Higher Self is a fascinating and eye-opening look at modern self-improvement. I walked out of the theater with a new appreciation for the many ways people seek meaning, healing, and connection in their lives.
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