Cinema and Cultural Identity: How Films Shape Our Understanding of Diversity

Cinema and Cultural Identity: How Films Shape Our Understanding of Diversity

Films are one of the most powerful tools to convey stories, ideas, and messages. They offer a unique approach to storytelling, allowing viewers to experience different cultures, worlds, and perspectives. Cinema not only illuminates the differences in our unique cultures, but also forces us to identify common threads woven into the fabric of our humanity. Through the lenses of diverse filmmakers and varied cinematic genres, we can explore the concept of cultural identity and how it affects our understanding of diversity.

Cultural identity is a complex concept that shapes the way we see the world, ourselves, and others. Our cultural identity is defined by a variety of factors including our heritage, traditions, customs, language, beliefs, and values. These factors help to develop a sense of identity and belonging. Cinema plays a significant role in shaping the way we perceive and understand cultural identity. Through films, we can explore and appreciate various cultural nuances.

Cinema offers varied perspectives on cultural identity across different regions. For instance, Indian cinema showcases a diverse range of cultures and traditions within the country. The cinema primarily focuses on Indian culture, society, and its people, whether it be in a rural or urban setting. Whereas, the Japanese cinema offers a window into a complex and intricate set of customs, traditions, and social norms unique to Japan. Similarly, African cinema portrays the continent’s traumatic and transformative colonial history and the expression of African identity post-colonialism.

Hollywood cinema is a leading source that showcases how diverse identities can interact. The films showcase different races, ethnicities, and cultural backgrounds that influence characters’ decisions. The 2018 Oscar-winning film ‘Black Panther’ showed an African kingdom full of pride, technology, and tradition. This film showed a different perspective on African culture than the stereotypical way it is portrayed in Hollywood. Another Hollywood film that championed the theme of diversity is ‘Crazy Rich Asians.’ Based on Kevin Kwan’s bestselling novel of the same name, this movie showcases the elegant culture of Singapore’s elite. It highlights the differences of living abroad and not belonging to the country’s culture and tradition.

Filmmakers use cinema as a central opportunity to provide meaningful insights into diverse cultures. From local artists to international giants such as Pedro Almodovar, Wong Kar-wai, Satyajit Ray, Sergio Leone, Spike Lee, Ang Lee, and Bong Joon-ho, they present unique ways of how we can perceive cultural diversity through their artistic vision.

In conclusion, cinema has immense potential in shaping our understanding of cultural identity. It provides the opportunity to experience, explore, and appreciate different cultures and ways of life. The media has the power to expose us to exciting and unfamiliar concepts, reduce our biasness and help us to celebrate humanity in all its diversity. Whether from Hollywood, Bollywood, Nollywood, or any other corner of the world, cinema can be a significant influencing force in promoting cultural diversity and awareness.

Speech tips:

Please note that any statements involving politics will not be approved.