Family-Friendly Foreign Films

Family-Friendly Foreign Films

http://www.pbs.org/parents/childrenandmedia/article-family-friendly-foreign-films.html

 Tavangar, H. (n.d.). Family-Friendly Foreign Films. Retrieved December 12, 2014, from http://www.pbs.org/parents/childrenandmedia/article-family-friendly-foreign-films.html

A father finds that the key to gaining the most benefits from social media is to watch family-friend foreign films. The culture, combined with the adventures of the films provide an incredible experience for viewers that one cannot receive from watching only American films written in English. He feels that children can expand their knowledge greatly by watching foreign films and can increase their interest to learn.

"Good movies help transport audiences to places and experiences we might never have imagined. Foreign films can take us even farther—with an added benefit: we begin to appreciate and care about other cultures when we see them. The more we "see," the more we are likely to care. When our children view cultures through foreign films, they more naturally relate to the wider world and are transported to exotic locales—without even possessing a passport."

This article discusses the importance of foreign film and why it's important to "start early". Kids that starting watching foreign films that are kid friendly in early ages are more likely to be accepting of other cultures, which is an important aspect of staying culturally aware. 

Is Foreign Film the New Endangered Species?

Kaufman, A. (2006, January 22). Is Foreign Film the New Endangered Species? Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/22/movies/22kauf.html?_r=0

- This article talks about how recently, foreign films have become less popular than before. When Ang Lee's Chinese martial arts blockbuster "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" scooped up 10 Oscar nominations in 2001, the future seemed hopeful for the barrier between Americans and foreign films. However, film industry insiders are warning audiences that the wall between Americans and foreign films is growing due to a decreasing amount of media attention. The article goes on to give examples of all the foreign films that have done well worldwide, but not as well inside the US.  

- "What's changed and what's regrettable is that there are fewer successful foreign-language films than in the past," said Michael Barker, a co-president of Sony Pictures Classics, which distributed both "Kung Fu Hustle" and "House of Flying Daggers" in the United States.

- Foreign movies are generally regarded as more dependent on reviews and publicity than domestic ones, and Mark Urman, head of theatrical releasing for the art-house distributor ThinkFilm, blames the lack of media attention on dwindling audience interest. "Nobody's writing about them, because nobody cares, and nobody cares because they don't penetrate the culture," he said. "It's a vicious cycle."

- "Subtitled films and home-viewing are not ideally suited to each other," Mr. Urman said. "The smaller the screen, the more problematic it is that you're looking at subtitles."

- The argument made in this article is that foreign films, that used to be popular in previous years, are now losing American audiences. The article argues that this is happening due to a dwindling number of successful foreign films, decreasing media attention, and the fact that audiences sometimes don't want to bother with subtitles. As a lover of foreign films, this article depicts what I know to be happening. Less and less foreign films are appearing in big theaters, and the only place to really find them is on Netflix and select theaters.