The One Simple & Powerful Reason We All Go To The Movies–
AND It’s Not For Entertainment.

One of the main reasons we spend so much time in theaters besides the pure and sheer thrill of entertainment is to learn and be educated about how the world works. Good cinema functions as a mirror of humanity just like a good book; except of course with great acting, cool music and special FX. It is no wonder that I was extremely excited to go to film school. Film school was the experience of all of my favorite stories come to life with amazing action sequences, moody lighting, enticing dialogue and immersing myself in observing stellar actors tell a great story.

In film school the more I watched films the more I learned first-hand, that humans don’t just seek entertainment they also crave subtle learning experiences that help to make sense of the chaos and disorderliness of the world all around us. Imagine that Diego Luna is not just eye candy; he is also a strong and resilient example of why listening to a powerful Hollywood star speak in a Mexican accent is evocative of how strong the Mexican presence is and has always been in the United States. Diego Luna appearing as the star of Rogue One gave voice to so many of us who have been invisible and on the margins in United States of America even though ironically the American Southwest was Mexico prior to 1848.

Researcher, Michelle C. Pautz, an associate professor of political science at the University of Dayton, conducted a study which clearly showed that films can be used to sway an audience’s opinion. In her study Dr. Pautz suggests that films are influential to an audience. Dr. Pautz asked undergraduates at a private Midwestern college to answer questions on a survey regarding their views on government before and after viewing the movies “Argo” and “Zero Dark Thirty.” In her research Dr, Pautz goes on to state that:

Regardless of the content, research demonstrates that film has the power to shape perceptions of its moviegoers on a range of subjects. In this study, two recent films, Argo and Zero Dark Thirty, were chosen as case studies to explore how Hollywood portrays the intelligence community in film and shapes opinions about the government more broadly. This research found that about 25% of viewers of the two films changed their opinion about the government after watching one of the movies. Additionally, many of those changes are reflected in an improvement in the sentiments about the government and its institutions. This exploratory research provokes interesting discussions about the ability of film to influence the perceptions of an audience.

We need films in our lives, period. Not because they have the power to influence lives
and change minds; films provide a means to understand and grasp concepts that we normally wrestle with and have a hard time facing by enveloping us in different worlds. As we go forward into 2017 and the world seems more and more prone to violence, we need films that help to inspire resilience and a deeper sense of courage. This is not my attempt to list the best films, rather critical moments of viewing that were healing and necessary for persons of color who reside in the US and grapple with daily realities of being second class citizens.

Rogue One – In this film Diego Luna speaks beautifully with his native accent although his is speaking in English. It is not common that Mexicans who have family members with accents get to see ourselves as the heroic protagonist–this is the type of movie experience we need to see more often if America has a chance of really providing a truthful cinema that mirrors who we actually are. Some of us who have Mexican dad’s with thick accents, shed a tear when we read this article: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/diego-Luna-star-wars-rogue-one-accent_us_586c8435e4b0de3a08fa2643 .
Moonlight-A beautiful coming of age film that weaves memory and a three-part journey into masculinity, which culminates when the protagonist, Black is able to get out of jail and begin a new life in Miami. What caught my eye is that this isn’t the usual portrayal of macho, hyper-masculine men. Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian describes one scene in the film as, “an array of visually ravishing dream sequences, epiphanic surges, hallucinatory closeups, lush swathes of music. Jenkins is not shy of breaking out Mozart’s Laudate Dominum over a woozy, wordless scene of kids playing.”
13th-“Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime where of the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.”  Ava Duvernay takes us on a journey of exploration into a tiny section of the constitution that allows for modern day slavery. While many of us suffer because we have family members in jail, never has such an eloquent exploration of what modern day slavery has actually entailed been presented so clearly and honestly. This film made me cry in a good way because when artists have the courage to speak up for those who are most marginalized, it is a great symbol of hope which points to justice being on the horizon.
Desierto-Brave men, women and children cross the US/Mexican border in search of a better life. Many of us who have family from Mexico, or Latin America can relate to the plight of the undocumented because we understand the stories of love and devotion that compell parents to immigrate in search for a better life. Yet while they search for a dignified life and to make a living they are often hunted like animals by US Enforcement Agents. Directed and co-written by Jonas Cuaron,starring Gael García Bernal. The film won the Prize of the International Federation of Film Critics where it was shown for the Special Presentations section of the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival and has brought more attention to the issue of invisibility and human rights for those who seek what rights that many in first world countries take for granted.
Fences-It would be difficult to not include this film on this list, since it features two of the best working actors today: Denzel Washington and Viola Davis. Fences is a tale of loss and betrayal and explores what is great and necessary a story about courage. The protagonist attempts to eke out an existence amidsts many hardships that are instantly relatable to those who are working class. Isn’t this really the tale of what it means to live in the US? Set against a backdrop of poverty and racism it is the intersectionality of the characters that allow us to truly appreciate what it means to have courage.