The World of Movies: An Introduction
Written by Rachael Crawley
One of my greatest pleasures is to watch a movie from another country. Discovering a filmmaker I’ve never heard of, hearing an unfamiliar language, learning about day-to-day life in a new place – I’m here for it. Particularly when travel is out of reach, an international movie can be an exciting and fresh experience. When I started planning a series with Films Fatale, I knew immediately that I wanted to write about films from around the world.
Originally, the project seemed simple – every week, I would review one film, from one country, until each one in the world had been covered. This week, Botswana – next week, Brazil – after that, Brunei! It would be a fabulous array of film treats, a list that would enrich us all as film fans and highlight certain movies for a new audience. I couldn’t wait to get started!
When I sat down and started planning the list, I realized that this would be the furthest thing from simple. The very concept brings up some rather large questions. Some countries have produced few or no movies, ever – and gaining access to them would be a process in itself. Others have such large and complex industries that it felt insulting to reduce them to one movie. Then there is the question of what constitutes a country – whose recognition is “official”? Do I leave out a filmmaking community because they don’t have firmly defined borders, or because they exist as a distinct culture within a larger country? What about territories, dependencies, and other regions? The global map has changed significantly since the start of film. Should I ignore certain movies just because their country no longer exists?
After some thought, I decided to continue with this series, but to modify the concept.
Starting next week, I will discuss a different movie, every week, from different regions of the world. Some may be famous, some may be obscure. Perhaps they were blockbusters, or maybe they were screened once for an audience of ten. They may be documentaries or shorts. Film industry awards, like the Oscars or Cannes, may or may not come into play. Perhaps some of these movies – gasp! – may not be brilliant.
I am not averse to returning to a country if an interesting movie comes up – but I will try to space these posts out. On a whole, this list will travel, not hang around in the same place. We will not stick to the rigidity of a list of countries, nor will we worry about what strictly defines a country. These films will, truly, come from around the world.
Let’s spin the globe and get started!
Rachael Crawley holds a Master's Degree in Film and Photography Preservation and Collections Management from Ryerson University, and has worked with film in Canada and in Europe. She adores language and cinema, and how these subjects interact with each other.