Chances are, if you're here, you LOVE film! I get it. It's absolutely magical! Not only does it have the ability to teach us about life and ourselves, but it also comforts us when we're alone, lonely, sad, lost, and confused. Whatever we need, whenever we need it, film has got our backs!
Perspective:
Personally, what I love the most about film, is its ability to teach, and provide new perspectives on life. A few years ago, I wouldn't regularly think about the lonely wanderers of Hong Kong's bustling neon lit streets. Or the heartbroken soul that could be living next door. Empathy is an integral part of storytelling in film. The ability to put yourself in the characters shoes, and to really feel what they're feeling, it's magical. You learn so much from empathising with people, not only about other real people with problems bigger than yours, but also about yourself, because you cannot empathise without self-reflection!
The Meaning Of Life:
When you feel like you're at a crossroads in your life and don't know which path to take, sometimes it helps to watch a movie that can give you some clarity and help you to realise, that nothing matters, except what you choose to matter. Money isn't important. Material things aren't important. Happiness is. Wisdom is. Comfort is. Motivation. Passion. We don't know what comes next, after life, but we know we take nothing with us, so we should make every moment we have in this world, count, by doing things we love, with people we love.
You are the answer to the questions you've been asking, but sometimes it's hard to see that, so watching these films can help... a lot.
Loneliness:
Chances are, everybody reading this right now, has loved and lost. Heartbreak weighs heavy on your soul, so heavy in fact, that you cannot stop yourself from sinking, lower and lower, until you feel there's no potential of ever seeing the light again. Letting go can feel impossible and self defeating, but being free of misery is to be born again, stronger than you ever were before. Films of this ilk can make the transition feel a little easier, and make you feel less alone.
There's something so bittersweet about feeling comfort in watching others who face a similar predicament as the one you may be facing.
Comedy/Laughter:
Laughter is the best medicine! And as much as all us cynics would love to argue otherwise, we know it's true. There's so much ugliness in the world, but there's also just as much beauty, depending on where you look. Comedy is beautiful, because of the infectious joy it spreads, even to those who are quick to reject it.
There has been many a time, where I have been absolutely adamant I'm not going to laugh at anything because I'm wallowing in self pity, but then boom, I'm laughing my ass off, at a couple of nice guys!
Escapism:
Films of this ilk are often a means of numbing ourselves to the real pain and brokenness of the real world. There's so much sh*t going on all the time, that sometimes all you need is a silly film that can help you escape all that, or something so action-packed you don't have time to think about anything else, outside of the moment you're in.
When I want to escape the confines of this bleak world, I tend to dive straight into anything bizarre, outlandish, funny, absurd, and more often than not, all those things work perfectly together. Failing that, I love CHAOS! The more mayhem the better.
Dreaming Big:
Ever since I was a kid, movies have taught me to dream, and to dream BIG! Hollywood wasn't the dark and unforgiving place it becomes when you're an adult. It's all sunshine and rainbows. The innocence within us, sheltered us from all that darkness. We just saw the hero's, the astronauts, and all the magical fantasies they explored, and that was all we needed, to know what and who we wanted to be.
Then you become an adult, and film goes from teaching you how to use your imagination, to self- help therapy.
Human Connection:
Film has the power to connect people all over the world from the comfort of their sofas, and let's face it, we're all seeking a connection with somebody, in some way. I could be sat here, at my house in the UK, all on my lonesome, but then I put on a beautiful, melancholic film set in Tokyo, and suddenly I'm transported to Japan, and I'm surrounded by people, learning a new culture, watching two lonely people in search of their own connection. And afterwards, I find myself talking to people from all across the world, as we share our many different experiences about said magical film.
Mental Health Awareness:
While Mental health is still shrouded in a significant stigma from modern society, it's slowly getting better, and films are proving to be a pivotal driving force in raising awareness, which is slowly hammering away at the wall, leading more people to a different avenue into learning about mental health.
Change needs to happen in society, so we can prevent the spread of pain and suffering, and it all starts with listening. Films of this nature can get people to listen, strike up conversation, and bring about change, and we need more of them.
To Love & To Lose:
Chances are, everybody reading this right now, has loved and lost. Heartbreak weighs heavy on your soul, so heavy in fact, that you cannot stop yourself from sinking, lower and lower, until you feel there's no potential of ever seeing the light again. Letting go can feel impossible and self defeating, but being free of misery is to be born again, stronger than you ever were before. Films of this ilk can make the transition feel a little easier, and make you feel less alone.
There's something so bittersweet about feeling comfort in watching others who face a similar predicament as the one you may be facing.
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