Films as a tool for learning about culture
Culture is expressed in lots of ways - and one of the richest tool of culture is art. We take a look at films expressing cultural values.
Films are more than just films - they gives voice a rich variety of cultural values, traditions and history. From the global blockbuster movies, such as the Hollywood productions - frequently a celebration of individualism - to the more arty movies such as the Spanish Jamón, Jamón. From the subtle happiness of ordinary people in many modern English films - to the collectivist expressions in Japanese cinema.
World cinema supplies a very special look at different aspects of everyday life in different cultures. And frequently the films around the world gives voice to cultural variables so impressively, that although these films are a blockbuster in their own culture, they are frequently hard to export. Just consider the European film market: Although geographically close, German films usually don't make it to the UK, or even to France. And if they do, then they are frequently a very limited release, available only in independent cinemas. Equally, independent films from the UK export badly into central Europe. One of the reasons why is certainly the culture gap - the problems, the values and the solutions proposed are simply not accessible to people from an other culture. Even so it might be geographically close.
But it is right this expression of cultural values that makes these films so valuable for learning about another culture. With the right amount of curiosity and attention to detail, the viewer can explore the film and it's lead, it's images and symbolism and discover another culture through the eyes of the director.
Take "The Marriage of Maria Braun", a German movie about post W.W.II Germany - which, filmed some 25 years after the war was over, explored everyday life in Germany after W.W.II - and how a country coped with it's past. Take "Jamón, Jamón" - the Spanish movie about honour and masculinity in a small village, loaded with symbolism. Take "Strawberry and Chocolate " for a look at the Cuban society,...
Many intercultural trainers already use - and promote the use of films for learning about another culture. "Films are an excellent tool for learning about other cultures" says Carl Simeon, an intercultural trainer in Paris. "They provide a very good alternative for lectures and documentaries - particularly when the films are watched in a group and discussed after the viewing". But even outside the classroom a trip to the local independent cinema might be a very rewarding trip indeed!
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