Culture and variety: Why more people are giving world cinema a chance

What is it about films that make them the perfect source of entertainment? They offer a form of escapism, the opportunity for people to escape their own lives and immerse themselves in the characters and lives that are played out on screen. They allow you to engage with different types of people and situations and experience something, which may or may not be possible. They allow you to use your imagination to be thrilled, scared or awash with feelings of romance and adoration.

The film industry is simply so popular because of what it offers the audience. We all have a preferred genre of film, whether it’s horror or comedy, and there are plenty of titles on the market to satisfy our needs. Movies are a big part of life and we often turn to films to kill periods of boredom or to allow our minds to be distracted. The way we watch films is changing and evolving thanks to the advances in modern technology. Rather than making regular trips to the cinema, we are now far more likely to turn to a computer or tablet to fulfil our viewing desires.

Online film distributors have also granted us access to a greater number of titles and variety of film. IMVBox, for example, specialises in Iranian films, opening up a new type of film category to us, and offering an insight into a different culture and lifestyle.

The fact we are able to download titles from the Internet allows us to use technology to its full capacity. We are also able to access hundreds of thousands of different titles within every niche imaginable. This has opened up our minds to consider new forms of entertainment and most importantly the type of films we watch.

Because the way we watch films has changed, so have the types of films we want to engage with. The usual action thriller or chick flick doesn’t always cut it and with so many different film formats available, curiosity takes hold. Rather than sticking with what you know, more people are branching out into the unknown and adding variety into their entertainment needs.

There is no shame in having a handful of films that are watched repeatedly to evoke the same feelings, time and again, but there is something to be said about satisfying entertainment needs with something new and different and exciting.

Apocalypto was a film directed by actor Mel Gibson and really broke the mould of the current film format. The entirety of the film was subtitled yet the plot was easy to follow through the involved character portrayals. It allowed people to gain an education on a different culture whilst inviting them to try something different in terms of the films they watch. It truly is a remarkable film and has inspired many to be more receptive to different types of film.

World Cinema can portray the same issues and experiences as British and American films but in an entirely different way. This is something the audience is finally becoming accepting of thanks, to the introduction of technology and the changing needs of the viewer.

Amanda Walters