A few of the movies I have really enjoyed over the years are:
The Killing Fields, Ghandi, Cry Freedom, The Color Purple, Silkwood, Comeback, Ghost, Erin Brockovich, Uprising,
Dead Poets Society, Schindler's List, Stand and Deliver,
Good Will Hunting, Chocolate, Shawshank Redemption,
Paradise Road, David, The Missing Years, Mermaids,
The Last of the Mohicans, Sister Act, Earth, Stand By Me, PatchAdams, Silence of the Lambs, Contact, The Accused, ........well I could go on and on I guess....but I won't *smile*.
Yes I will... (it's a woman's prerogative to change her mind I believe).
I recently saw Rabbit Proof Fence, and that definitely deserves a mention here, especially given my experience of "The Stolen Generation" in our country.
Along with Rabbit Proof Fence, three of these movies had a pretty big impact on me.
When I saw The Killing Fields, it was between a split shift, where I had a few hours spare in the middle of the day. The majority of the audience were Cambodian, and it was obviously a very real portrayal of what was their own experience in their beloved homeland. Their tears and distress were evident, as we watched the movie , and I left with a heavy heart, and tears in my own eyes, for those who had lost so much. The other was Ghandi. This time the WHOLE theatre did not stir from their seats when the movie finished - everyone just sat there profoundly moved by what we'd seen. The technician turned the lights up, then dimmed them about three times before anyone rose to leave. Sure, the life of Ghandi is an inspiration, and moving, in and of itself, but for me, the impact was just as much the feeling of shame I had - shame for being white, shame for having British ancestors who treated the Indian people with so much brutality.
In saying this, I know there will be those who read this page who do not agree with the feelings of shame that I experienced, and who would seek to challenge me, but feelings are feelings, and they belong to the one who experiences them, and therefore are to be respected for what they are - simply feelings. Just as I respect everyone's right to experience life and emotions as they come, I hope you'll be able to respect mine.
Another movie that had a personal impact on me was
"Cry Freedom". I guess I could relate that to the Aboriginal Deaths in Custody here in Australia, as far as the ridiculous "cause of death" statements made at the end of the movie.
I also had dear South African friends who had attended Steve Biko's funeral and knew him personally, and would talk often of him and his courage. Even though I never met him, I felt like I knew him well, and when the movie came out, I went to see it.
Again, it was with horror and shame that I watched this movie.
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