Merely Scratching The Surface

“ Once you overcome the one-inch-tall barrier of subtitles, you will be introduced to so many more amazing films” - Bong Joon-ho One of the greatest achievements to come out of 2020 was the success of the South Korean thriller “Parasite,” directed by Bong Joon-ho, and its victories seen from the Cannes Film Festival, to the Academy Awards and everything in between. This intricate story of class divide made incredible history at the Oscars by winning four awards; one of them being the top prize of the night, Best Picture.

This win was immensely historical, as it was the first time a non-English speaking film won Best Picture in all 92 years of the Academy’s existence. If we examine it even closer, only 11 foreign-language films have earned their spot in that prestigious category.

As we can see from that shocking statistic, international films have barely been considered for Best Picture. Rather, non-English speaking films were sporadically given awards under honorary and special titles up until 1956. Moving forward, they were given their own category, known as the Best Foreign Language Film.

After nearly 64 ceremonies, the Academy decided to change the outdated name to Best International Feature Film in hopes of creating inclusivity within not just the category, but cinema as a whole, as the word “foreign” can be seen as alienating.

There is still plenty of work to be done within the industry, but “Parasite” most definitely puts a precedent in place. This will hopefully yield a heightened number of international films to be nominated for Best Picture and other awards, along with an increased desire among Americans to watch non-English speaking films in the future.

However, one of the main roadblocks in reaching a larger audience can be connected to what subtitles might entail for the viewer. For example, in a survey done by Morning Consult, 54% of individuals who do not favor non-English speaking films say it is because “... it is hard to read subtitles and follow the action of the movie.”

To expand on this dilemma, Penn State Associate Film Production Professor Maura Shea, added, “... nowadays, people tend to multitask while consuming media. You can’t be texting and scrolling through Instagram and following a subtitled film all at the same time … ”

As media is increasingly devouring our screens, it is becoming harder and harder to multitask and retain attention to something. Yet, with finding out what works best for you and learning how to adapt, watching a subtitled film can become second nature. Whether you like to watch these films from the comfort of your home or at a movie theater, the significance is that you are trying something new.

Independent film producer Ira Deutchman shared his opinion on this notion to Morning Consult by saying, “When something does break through the way that ‘Parasite’ is breaking through right now, it actually creates an environment in which people are more open to to try things out again.”

A helpful piece that contributes to building that environment is to emphasize how internationally produced films can be considered spectacular tools to expose oneself to captivating cultures.

Penn State Associate Media Studies Professor Jo Dumas sheds light on this concept by stating, “Films from other countries provide a rich wealth of knowledge about the people and culture of their land, and knowledge growth is empowering.”

“There are very deep reasons why many U.S. people are culturally resistant to difference. This is rooted in historical resistance to our original Indigenous people’s cultures and the cultures of the people kidnapped and brought from nations in Africa. All immigrant populations from diverse cultures have experienced cultural struggle after arrival in the U.S.”

This brings up the issue of xenophobia and how it has become ingrained within all parts of our entertainment industry as we know it. It is important to understand that cinema does not exist in only one part of the world, nor are films only created in one language. As humans, it is essential for us to broaden our cultural scope, and this growth comes from learning about ideas, lifestyles and people that are different from us. Yes of course times are changing, as “Parasite” opened doors for a group of Americans who have never seen a non-English speaking film before, but in order to keep that energy up we must keep discovering all while having open minds and hearts.

If you are wondering how to feed your curiosity, Dumas pointed out how Penn State students have access to many outlets.

“Our PSU Library has many foreign films; many are available through library streaming services,” Dumas says. “Commercial streaming services offer a wide range of foreign-made films now also.”

With all of the platforms and resources of non-English speaking films available, there are thousands of deserving films waiting to be uncovered by the American population — a population that is merely scratching the surface when it comes to cinema.