Skip to Main Content
New York University's independent student newspaper, established in 1973.

Washington Square News

New York University's independent student newspaper, established in 1973.

Washington Square News

New York University's independent student newspaper, established in 1973.

Washington Square News

All content by Sawyer Gouw Ranzetta
A woman wearing a blindfold holding a piece of paperwork over her head.

Review: ‘The Seed of the Sacred Fig’ distills national tensions into a suspenseful family drama

Director Mohammad Rasoulof crafted a masterful reflection on the Iranian “Woman, Life, Freedom” movement entirely in secret.
Sawyer Gouw Ranzetta, Staff Writer December 6, 2024

A man drops bullets on a table, one by one. In the opening scene of “The Seed of the Sacred Fig,” Iman (Missagh Zareh) receives a gun as part of a promotion to investigative...

Two people stand on a stage with their hands on a table, looking at each other.

Broke People Play Festival expands to uplift more student artists

The student-led festival showcases one-act and full-length plays that are written, directed and performed by NYU students.
Sawyer Gouw Ranzetta, Staff Writer December 5, 2024

Twenty-somethings trapped in a cave discover a creature who takes on the appearance of LGBTQ+ icons. A spelling bee champion navigates her relationship with her crisis counselor....

A person in a black shirt and white collar standing in front of a pink background.

Beyond awareness: Jane Schoenbrun’s radical trans future

This Transgender Awareness Week, let’s consider a more expansive definition of what trans art can be.
Sawyer Gouw Ranzetta, Staff Writer November 15, 2024

In a 2014 cover story, Time Magazine declared that we reached the “Transgender Tipping Point.” Transgender awareness was increasing, and we were moving toward progress. Ten...

A blonde woman with bedazzled hoop earrings and a rose-patterned top stands in a room lit with neon red and blue lights.

Review: ‘Emilia Pérez’ takes big risks with little payoff

Despite its genre-blending ambition, the Cannes award-winning film is less than the sum of its parts.
Sawyer Gouw Ranzetta, Contributing Writer November 13, 2024

“Emilia Pérez” is a unicorn of a film. It’s a Spanish-language piece written and directed by a French artist, Jacques Audiard. It stars some of Hollywood’s biggest names...

A man wearing a white poncho stands in a hallway. People behind him hold “no guns” signs and are also dressed in white.

Review: ‘English Teacher’ is in on the joke

Brian Jordan Alvarez’s new series broaches the serious topic of homophobia in schools with refreshing irreverence.
Sawyer Gouw Ranzetta, Contributing Writer October 29, 2024

The new FX show “English Teacher” follows a gay Latino teacher in a Texas suburb who has to navigate a changing social landscape. In a country where schools are a cultural...

An illustration of a still from a film depicts a dark-haired man wearing sunglasses lying down. He smokes a cigarette while a woman in a blue shirt and a woman in a hat laugh in the background.

Off the Radar: The queer malaise of ‘Totally F***ed Up’

Off the Radar is a column surveying overlooked films available to students for free via NYU’s streaming partnerships. "Totally F***ed Up" is available to stream on Kanopy.
Sawyer Gouw Ranzetta, Contributing Writer October 8, 2024

Even 30 years later, watching a Gregg Araki movie feels subversive. Despite being fixtures of the New Queer Cinema movement, Araki’s films have historically been difficult to...