Alicja Johnson, Managing Editor

Twitter

From a skeptic’s point of view, movies may seem a peculiarly silly thing to be infatuated with – a pointless little ninety minute story. Say what you will, but films have always been so much more to me.

There are some terrible things that have gone and still are going on in this world. There’s poverty, disease, political corruption, all kinds of abuse, and so many other horrors. While there are doctors, scientists, activists and other types of soldiers fighting life’s atrocities, it can still be easy to become discouraged and lose faith in humanity.

This is where films come in; they can provide a distraction from all the negative stuff that occurs. The surgeon that finally comes home after seeing a patient succumb to the operational risk deserves a break. The social worker who comes home after struggling to find a home for domestic abuse victims deserves a break. Anyone who deals with strife or struggle deserves a break from that cold – getting a laugh out of the latest box-office comedy can be exactly the distraction that person needs. It’s definitely important to acknowledge the problems in the world, but that shouldn’t have to be a twenty-four/seven job for anyone. Everyone deserves a break – whether it be from the world’s troubles or their own. Movies provide that break.

Distraction isn’t the only purpose that movies serve; they can also provide important messages about society. In Bruce Almighty (2003), Shadyac reminds us all of how important it is to be grateful for what we have. Click (2006) teaches us not to wish our lives away. I won’t even get started on all of the lessons Christopher Nolan (one of my favorites) has taught us.

Whether you like movies for their ability to entertain or for the inspirational perspectives they often provide, they are undeniably an important element of our culture.

I love film. So I write about film. That’s my basic story.

Chinmay Chawade, Contributing Writer

Twitter, Cultjer Profile

Many people conceive movies as just an escape from the realities of the world. Although they provide an escape to the people who want to forget their problems for a while by teleporting them into a whole new world, that’s not their sole purpose. To me, movies have always been about connection. A connection with ourselves and with the people around us. They show us the world we live in through the perspective of the individuals that are involved in creating it, which makes every movie a unique experience, a dive into an unknown mysterious world and more importantly, provides a special connection with a whole new reality. That’s what movies are all about and that’s what brings us all closer together, the love for movies.

Movies have the power to bend reality in unimaginable ways. Having lived in the small city of Hyderabad all my life, I can still say that I have traversed the entire galaxy through the magic of movies. I have been to the Middle-Earth, thanks to J. R. R. Tolkien and Peter Jackson, I have been to Tatooine, Naboo and Jaku, thanks to George Lucas and I have been to the fantastically gory, over the top and downright violent world of whatever it’s called, thanks to Quentin Tarantino. They turned me into a traveler and through them, I have seen countless unforgettable sites and hopefully, will see many more as the time passes.

Movies have always been and will always be a huge part of my life.