International Cinema

Note: I wrote this over the weekend and totally thought I posted it when I ran out the door last minute, but it turns out I only saved it....so it's a little delayed.

So on Friday I went with some friends to go see International Cinema on BYU campus. The movie was a Japanese film called "Megane". It's about a stressed-out career woman who goes to stay at an almost empty resort where she has no cell phone reception. At first she finds the resort to be really strange and the people very quirky. She also finds herself to be pretty bored and rethinking her decision to come. All anyone does all day is sit on the beach and the occasional yoga-like exercises outdoors. After a while, however, she beings to appreciate the simplistic lifestyle.

Now to be honest, this movie didn't have much plot and was kinda a boring film as far as entertainment goes. There was a lot of scenery shots and not much dialogue. But despite not being a very upbeat or entertaining movie, I actually thought some of the subtle messages in the film were kind of profound. You really get to see the difference between the woman who arrives at the resort and goes into shock when disconnected from the outside world and the woman she later becomes who has found peace and enjoyment in the simplicity of everyday living, uncomplicated from the outside world or the media.

This film really caused me to think about my own life. With all of today's technology, media, etc. life is pretty complicated and can be somewhat overwhelming at times. Despite this, however, we become somewhat dependent on the stressful business. It's almost like we are so over stimulated it causes us stress...but when the stimulation goes away we freak out and go into shock. But what ever happened to finding joys in the simplicity of living?...Enjoying things like just sitting on the beach and pondering, or just enjoying something as simple as a bowl of shaved ice (something done regularly in the movie). Do we really need our cell phones? Would it really be that big of a deal if we become disconnected with the outside world? Sometimes I actually think it would be something both freeing and liberating. Hmmm...maybe I should try a media fast or go live in the middle of no where for a while.