The first Oscars of the 2020s made history in many different ways. Joaquin Phoenix won his first Oscar for "Joker," Brad Pitt got his first acting Oscar, many great moments happened. However, one moment that no one will ever forget is when the Korean film "Parasite" won Best Picture, making it the first film that was not in the English language to do so.
This raises the question: why are we not watching more international films?
I'll be real: I'd never heard of the movie until I watched the Oscars but after reading the plot summary, I actually want to see it now, not just because it won Oscars, but because it actually sounds like a good story.
So what is stopping people from seeing "Parasite"? It might be because it is in another language, and English-speaking viewers can't understand what is being said. There are subtitles, but people get annoyed by that so it prevents them from watching those amazing films.
Plenty of people watch anime. My fiance and I are watching "Dragonball" right now, and the only option on Hulu is the Japanese version with English subtitles usually. This requires me to pay attention to the TV to know what is going on, which actually does improve my active listening skills and my visual learning too. If people can enjoy anime because it is something very popular that people love, then they can take time and watch a foreign film with a good plot in it.
I see so many films while scrolling on Netflix that look interesting. I read the plot and they sound like they're going to be good stories, but if I see it's in another language, I am initially hesitant to watch it. However, I eventually put it on my watch list because I don't even care if it's in another language. If it looks good, I am going to see it.
One of my favorite films in another language is "A Silent Voice." Yes, it is an anime film, which is in Japanese, but once I got past not understanding the language, I saw the amazing story being told (Seriously, rent it or buy it somewhere, you won't regret it.).
The point I'm trying to make is spice up your life with some international films. You never know what you are missing if you don't watch them. The subtitles are really not that big of a deal once you get used to them. I am currently improving my Spanish by watching some of my favorite shows on Netflix with subtitles, and I want to watch my favorite Disney movies in Spanish too (well at least the ones I know by heart, anyway).
Just remember what was said at the Oscars about international films: "Once you overcome the 1-inch-tall barrier of subtitles, you will be introduced to so many more amazing films." -Bong Joon-Ho, Academy Award-winning director of Parasite.
