I’ve started a new habit when I travel overseas: I watch foreign films.
It started unintentionally when I was searching for something interesting to watch and came across a title that really pulled me in. It was called Anatomy of a Fall, a French movie but mostly in English because in the film, the husband and wife both speak different languages, and communicate through English. I won’t divulge the plot or ending, but there was something about this film that moved me in a way that American films don’t. Also, certainly due to the fact that I was on my way home from spending time in another country, I had a strong feeling of connectedness to us all being human, no matter the language, the country, or the culture we exist in on a day-to-day basis – a critical byproduct of travel.
Recently I was at a dinner with fellow travel advisors and a visiting supplier from England. We were discussing client stories and one advisor used the term “crickets,” a common term to reference no one answering you…a term that analogizes, “I asked a question and all I hear in response are the crickets chirping in the night.” Apparently this is only a North American phrase that did not translate at all to the British or French person in attendance. We could see the blank look on their faces and were amused to find they were not familiar with what seems like a common term. I love experiencing these small nuances among our world cultures.
I went on to share how much I have been enjoying foreign films on my plane journeys, and one person pointed out how doing so can make one notice the differences between our cultures around the world – but I countered with the fact that no, for me it does the opposite. Watching a movie such as Parasite, a South Korean black comedy, illuminates how much we are all alike; how we all experience comedy, tragedy, romance, and family relations similarly, no matter what country we live in or what language we speak.
A recent favorite of mine is called Casa en Fuego. It is a Spanish movie that touches on divorce, death, love, motherhood, marriage, and family. There are some gut-wrenching moments that, again, made me feel so connected with the characters, and recognize that even though our countries and languages might be different, we, as humans, are very much alike.
One more recommendation comes from India. I was meeting with an Indian representative for an India travel supplier, and he told me about a movie that he feels very accurately reflects the Indian culture. It’s called The Lunch Box. He explained to me that in parts of India, the commutes can be so cramped, that workers don’t bring their lunch boxes with them to save space on the buses. Instead, people on bikes will go to the workers’ homes, pick up the lunch boxes, and deliver them to the place of business. I found this fact alone to be fascinating, a part of the Indian culture I did not know existed. When the lunch boxes get switched by accident, a sweet story unfolds, where I was again drawn to our human similarities.
The only downfall to watching these films, is that when I try to tell my friends about them, and recommend the movies to others, it usually falls on deaf ears. Most people won’t want to sit through a movie watching subtitles (if necessary) or take the time to search for a film that is not easily searchable on our common streaming apps. I’m just as guilty, I suppose, because I only practice this in the air. But I recommend giving it a try on your next flight, where the options are ready and waiting to be discovered.
Tumbleweed 