When Oscar season is upon us, I don’t usually pay attention to the International Film Award. Not because I’m against any of them or have never heard of them. They’re just not as recognizable as the other films or documentaries.
While the Oscars have passed and all my predictions were wrong, I decided it was time for me to branch out into the film that won the Best International Film this year: I’m Still Here. The movie was shown at the Askew Student Life Center (ASLC) in collaboration with the Center for Global Engagement. After watching it, I recommend it to everyone I know and encourage all FSU students to go!
Thoughts After Watching a Foreign Film
I understand that some people may not like subtitles, and I get it, but I suffer anyway. At some point, you can get used to them; that’s at least what I had to do. If not, I would suck it up. Even if they’re an annoyance, it’s worth it for the plot, theme, and message of the film.
I’m Still Here is a Brazilian film based on a commentary on the military dictatorship. I don’t consider myself unfamiliar with most of history. However, I didn’t realize the severity of the pain left by that era of Brazilian history. This is one of the reasons I loved the movie; it gave me more perspective and genuinely taught me something about a different culture and environment.
Hollywood vs. International Cinema
Hollywood has, in my opinion, a wide range. While there are frequently used tropes within the industry that directors or screenwriters often play into, there can be a mix. Take yourself out of this culture — there are even more ideas, conflicting cultures, and creative boundaries being broken outside of the city in California.
Internationally, there are different expectations of movies and how one decides to film movies and television. In I’m Still Here, they break the fourth wall. This isn’t a new concept in movies, but the use of a film camera and the direct showcasing of memories to the audience makes us feel more involved in the protagonists’ lives. These ideas in the atmosphere of a film can be shared with all of us and highlight how people truly have a broad spectrum of knowledge.
FSU’s Foreign Films
FSU’s ASLC, which hosts a variety of amazing movies, isn’t new to showing foreign films. From Jan. 30 to Feb. 20, they hosted a Middle Eastern Film Festival that showed four films over four weeks. Though I didn’t have the chance to attend, I hope they do something similar again after being exposed to this different world.
There should be a greater effort to showcase foreign films on campus to enrich students’ cultural awareness, expand their cinematic perspectives, and foster a more globally minded academic environment. This would entail a demand, so here’s my take on why you should attend these movies: International films offer unique storytelling traditions, diverse narratives, and artistic styles that challenge conventional Western perspectives.
FSU’s commitment to diversity and global engagement, by providing access to these films, would not only enhance the university’s cultural offerings but also inspire a deeper appreciation for the richness of global storytelling. If you want to watch more foreign films on your own, however, you now have a list of movies to binge for a chill weekend from this year’s Oscar-nominated Best International Films!
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