International

Watching Norstein's films, and other movies across the span of my 22 years, has made me realize that it is a wonderful medium for communication a message to people that speak different languages. In some cases there are no words, and in others it might be English, Russian, Spanish, French, or something else entirely. Regardless of the language used to communicate, or the lack of one, it seems that everyone can understand what is going on in some of these films. And that is something wonderful to see. There is usually such a barrier through language or cultural differences, so having something that can bridge the gap, such as Hoedeman’s movies or Norstein’s work, is amazing. Duel, which I wrote about previously, is a great example of this. Despite the lack of words, or perhaps because of it, there’s an ease of understanding for everyone involved.

There is always something to be found in these that you can share with others. When I lived in Ukraine we would often watch movies with our friends, and whether they were in English, Russian, or Ukrainian, there was still the ability to understand what was happening, share in the camaraderie and friendship, and have a great time.