By Laura Kuzmicz
It’s 2020, the eerie silence and emptiness of spring was felt all around me. It was certainly a spring like no other, where growth and rebirth was replaced with uncertainty and disturbing threats of illness and death. The COVID-19 pandemic was and still is a period of time where people across the globe learned things about themselves in isolation, and discovered hidden interests and hobbies. That was indeed, one fascinating outcome this pandemic brought upon society.
It was one cool and dewey spring night within the month of April that ignited some form of curiosity in me to watch films that were often overlooked in my culture. Within quarantine, it oddly enough brought me closer to the world around me, the internet became an encyclopedia playground full of topics itching to be researched, and cultures ready to be introduced by one of the oldest forms of entertainment: storytelling.
I was never one for practical textbook readings of stories and myth, instead I had the intense desire to experience it, which is why I’m so incredibly drawn to the outlet of film, it provides visualization and more clarity when it comes to telling the story. That very April I began to explore the realm of Asian cinema. The way messages are portrayed in Asian cinema differ from American almost entirely, but it’s amusing to see how these two different cultures take inspiration from one another. Some titles that were incredibly enjoyable to me were Perfect Blue (1997), Fallen Angels (1995), Farewell My Concubine (1992), 3-Iron (2004), and Parasite (2019). I believe taking that first leap and introducing myself to something foreign was an incredibly important decision as a writer and as a young person living in America. It showed me the uniqueness and artistic expressions humans across the world have to offer, and storytelling told in a specific format that is new to me.
As spring evolved into an slow and isolating summer I continued to broaden my film palette and explore the world of European cinema, and was surprised and delighted to discover more and more interesting stories being told that didn’t seem to shoehorn any oversaturated Hollywood tropes, it felt pretty refreshing, and also insightful. In both European and Asian cinema, there are forms of hyper specific cultural norms that Americans don’t normally see in their daily lives, and in a way, you can feel connected to these stories and characters even though they might navigate life in a completely different manner than you. That’s the beauty of watching many of these foreign films, you feel a sense of connection and wonder in the differences. Some of my top European films are The Worst Person In The World (2021), The Hunt (2012), The Zone Of Interest (2023), Portrait Of A Lady On Fire (2019), and Another Round (2020).
With the creation of the internet and the suddenness of the COVID-19 pandemic, things seem so far away, especially human interaction. Through the difficult period of quarantine I was able to at least feel some sort of connection to humanity by watching these films, and it was a great experience for me to understand the world is much bigger, broader, and doesn’t solely revolve around only American cinema.
I advise you to try to watch something with subtitles, it could be a foreign movie or even a foreign TV show. It’s absolutely amazing how many wonderful stories can be discovered again and again when one takes the risk, and it will introduce you to different lives and narratives you never thought would exist.
The Saint 