In my opinion, neglect, political strife, and malice are not traits that have been historically absent from the American people. Arguably, these traits have reigned since the beginning and are at the foundation of the systems that cyclically abuse the many. But one thing I feel certain of right now is that we as a country are in an empathy crisis.
It feels like the concept of loving thy neighbor feels absolute, as individualism seems to have taken dominant reign, and community feels like it’s being abandoned. I often think that the current state feels at times hopeless and too far gone to grasp. But this hopelessness cannot be embraced. We mustn’t turn our backs on the pursuit of gaining empathy. Under a political majority that I feel is unrepresentative in race, gender, and class, there is a need to educate oneself about the experiences that differ from one’s own.
Throughout my life, film has been my favorite medium to learn about the lives of those who tend to be unheard. My mindset has grown from these films (whether they’ve been in a documentary style or fiction), as even the life of someone “made up” can have identities that are reflective of the experiences of thousands.
In light of my disappointment surrounding this universal lack of empathy, I wanted to put together a list of films that truly opened up perspectives for my friends and loved ones. I asked those in my life who differ in age, gender, race, and other identities to send me films that genuinely shifted their worldview after watching. I feel grateful to have individuals in my life who took the time to reflect on the forms of media that have brought a change within them, and I appreciate their willingness to engage in dialogue surrounding their recommendations.
As a follow-up, I asked them three questions about the films they recommended: Can you elaborate on how this film expanded your worldview? Did your opinions about the groups represented in the film truly expand from watching? And lastly, are the identities represented in the film identities that you would likely interact with on a day-to-day basis? I thought this line of questioning covered the basis of why these films were impactful and whether the films were effective in “growing” empathy. They also recognized the importance of watching media with these identities, as the experiences shown reflect the lives of people one interacts with daily.
Below is a list of quotes from the creators of the recommendation lists that stood out to me.
“At the end of the day, I think we all struggle with living, loving, and being loved. Everyone’s just looking for their own slice of peace, but we all search for it in our own ways. It’s easy to get so wrapped up in our struggle that we don’t fully realize the struggle of others, or we discredit them for having a different kind of struggle than us.” – Liam Humphrey
“Women at this time, and especially African American women, are not talked about today enough in terms of their contributions to society. The film acted as a reminder to me to not just accept the whitewashed history we are given.” – Addison Crawford (talking about the film Hidden Figures)
“As an aspiring teacher, I think it’s crucial for me to be welcoming and respectful of everyone. I would never want to make assumptions about a student that might lead me to treat them in a way that makes them feel incapable. This film serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of maintaining that mindset.” – Hannah Krutz (talking about the film The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, known as Le Scaphandre et Le Papillion in French)
“Not everybody wants what you want, and as I grow further into my 20s, I really am realizing the truth in that. More importantly, that just because someone is on a different life path, that doesn’t mean you can’t still intersect and support them.” – Matthew Eaton (talking about the film Little Women)
“The movie reinforced my belief in freedom of expression. It also broadened my views on sexuality and gender expression.” – Steve Ryan (talking about The Rocky Horror Picture Show)
“I was aware of the injustice that occurs in this country inside of our justice system regarding racial discrimination. However, I never understood the magnitude and volume of this injustice and how pervasive it is. Conversely, the courage, the long-standing commitment, the kindness, and the selflessness of the attorney who led this team that has done this work for over 40 years was so admirable, humbling, and, in many ways, incomprehensible to grasp due to the decades of consistency and never altering good acts.” – Dave Mettille (talking about Just Mercy)
Recommendations
Surrounding Race:
The Pursuit of Happyness
Hidden Figures
Moonlight
Everything Everywhere All at Once
Past Lives
Just Mercy
Fruitvale Station
Surrounding Gender:
Moonlight
Little Women
Surrounding Sexuality:
Moonlight
Everything Everywhere All at Once
I Saw the TV Glow
The Rocky Horror Picture Show
120 BPM
Surrounding Income Inequality:
The Pursuit of Happyness
Parasite
City of God
Everything Everywhere All at Once
The Florida Project
Fruitvale Station
American Honey
Surrounding Disability:
Radio
Sling Blade
CODA
Peanut Butter Falcon
Beautiful Mind
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
Surrounding The Immigrant Experience:
Problemista
Everything Everywhere All at Once
Past Lives
Surrounding Imprisonment:
7 Prisoners
Just Mercy
Fruitvale Station
Orange is the New Black
When They See Us
Surrounding Addiction:
Beautiful Boy
Surrounding The Native Experience:
Wind River
Surrounding Political Persecution:
Life is Beautiful
Surrounding Life In Another Country:
Rwanda
Quand les étoiles rencontrent la mer
Les parapluies de Cherbourg
Again, I thank my friends for their thoughtful responses and appreciate their want to look inside themselves. I believe we must educate ourselves about the lives of the most vulnerable and that film is one of the most beautiful mediums to do that with. I challenge everyone reading this article to expand their worldview by giving one of these films a watch. I also ask for a universal call back to empathy, actively making the choice to consider the life of someone who lives differently than you.