The best way to deal with a child's curiosity is by feeding it, and while you are at it, feed them right with wholesome and rich and not just junk. With schools shut, access to outside-time restricted, and 'friendly'- talk about what's happening around the world close to none; giving your child access to world cinema can open up new avenues to meet and greet new terrains, cultures, people, and languages.
And while most parents would agree that commercial news watching isn't for kids, child-appropriate foreign films that highlight global conflicts can also be a subtle way of introducing those growing minds to what is happening around the world.
International Business Times recommends a compilation of five such films that would ensure that your subscription to over-the-top platforms isn't for nothing.
All the films listed below are available on Netflix.
1. The Trader (Sovdagiri)
Country - Georgia, Tbilisi
Set in rural Georgia, this short documentary focuses on the life of a man and his van who buys clothes, shoes, stationery, and other necessities from a nearby town and sells them in remote villages in barter of potatoes. In these rural setups, potatoes that are widely grown are equal to currency lari and while some families have as much as 10 kgs to spare at a time, a few aging villagers don't have any. Directed by Tamta Gabrichidze, the film introduces its audiences to the plight of villagers who dreamt big while young but due to lack of access to education and farmlands to tend to, there was no escape from reality. The trader who is a 'friend' that every villager looks forward to seeing is the only connection that the villagers have to city life and buying these fancy commodities makes them feel one with invisible city-dwellers. The film ends with the merchant selling all those potatoes in the city for money and also revealing the fact that the items sold by him are used and second-hand, putting in light the archetypal mindset of a businessman for whom making a profit stands above all.
2. Lorena
Country - Mexico, Chihuahua
Lorena, light-footed woman opens with the visual of a woman dressed in traditional Mexican attire wearing strapped-on sandals running through the difficult terrain of a rustic Mexico alongside other men and women. The 28-minute documentary directed by Juan Carlos Rulfo is the story of Lorena Ramirez's life, a Raramuri woman from the pastoral Chihuahua region of Mexico. What makes her stand out from the other villagers is her impressive love for running, specifically in grueling ultramarathons, as long as 100 km. Lorena, not much of a talker, trains under her father (also an ultramarathon winner) goes about her daily chores and life in the countryside, and isn't bothered much about success and selfies in the city. Lorena draws her strength and training from the fact that she has walked all her life (sometimes 3-4 hours to get groceries) and is not very used to the concept of public transport. She has been gifted shoes on several occasions, yet she is not comfortable with the idea of running with those.
3. The Present
Country - Palestine, West Bank
The Palestine-Israel conflict has been recorded and represented through several mediums on screen. The Present is another such attempt to highlight the problems faced by Palestinians living on the West bank, crossing check posts to fulfill their daily basic needs; at times, even detained for just being who they are. Directed by Farah Nabulsi who is also a co-writer, The Present is the story of a housewife who is fed up with her dysfunctional refrigerator and how her husband along with their daughter go about presenting her a new one on their anniversary. If only, it was so easy. Every morning, hundreds of Palestinians cross over check posts at the crack of dawn to reach their place of work or just get home. The highlight of the film is its climax, also a message in disguise.
4. The boy who harnessed the wind
Country - Malawi, Kasungu
Based on the memoir by William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer and directed by Chiwetel Ejiofor, the film revolves around the life of Will, a young schoolboy from a family of farmers. What makes the boy special is his interest in fixing and savaging electronics often dumped off in the village by towners. Due to drought and failed crops, after a point, Will's father is no longer able to pay tuition and Will finds other means to feed his curiosity in physics. The film also highlights the political situation in the country and how a young boy goes to invent a windmill that eventually helps the entire village dig water for the crops ending the years-long famine situation.
5. Wadjda
Country - Saudi Arabia
Set in the capital city of Riyadh in the 2000s, it's the story of a 10-year-old girl's quest to be a bicycler in her town where the sport is only for the boys and how she gets on to the journey of getting herself the green cycle. Wadjda, the protagonist, begins to earn the money herself by selling mixtapes, hand-braiding bracelets for classmates, and acting as a go-between for an older student eventually participating in a Quran recital at school to earn herself the prize money. Directed by Haifaa al-Mansour, Saudi Arabia's first female filmmaker, the film throws light on many feminist issues prevalent in the region.
