WRITING CULTURE 2012: Film, Food & Beyond

-Sapere Aude is a Latin Phrase meaning “dare to be wise/ dare to know”.

One has to obtain information and experience so that conjured thoughts may be as enlightened as possible.

… and by Cerebral World Cinema I mean films that are thought provoking and produced in non-English speaking countries (usually not in English). It is safe to assume that this genre of film will have more artistic quality as well as depth than the commercialized “blockbuster/ Hollywood” style. This is not to discredit those that do come from English speaking countries, as I feel cerebral movies in general are amazing.

These movies are harder to produce and generally don’t render high dividends but they do provoke emotional responses from viewers, even though they require an intellectual understanding first and foremost. This type of film is heavy and therefore tends to turn many people off as the topics are real, strange, graphic, and have a tendency to grab social issues by the throat. The work can be humorous or dark, but regardless, requires attention to detail.

Subtitles and tendency toward dense subject matter causes difficulty in distribution, as many people, after a long week of work and such, enjoy being audience to more simple cinematic styles. I particularly enjoy this type of film because it is visually stimulating and the subject matter is forceful and inspiring. This is not American Pie. As a writer I have found, many times, that the films open me up and get my creativity flowing, translating into many poems and memoirs over the years. Another reason why I like them is because the topics have range and can be unrelated to me, allowing for an open eye, whether of positive or negative opinion, on the subject. It opens a window of experience and learning without always having to encompass personal relevance.

Here are some examples: Some films that have found acclaim, popularity and financial success are:

“Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” series (Swedish Thriller, 2009),

Y Tu Mama Tambien (Mexican Drama, 2001)

Malena (Italian Romantic Drama, 2000)

Amelie (French, 2001)

I present successful films first, specifically to open the door for you and let you choose where to go from there. Two, less “successful”, options are:

Le Violon Rouge (Canadian, 1998)

The Dreamers (Italian, 2003)