Movies Make It Easy To See The Differences

Culture Movies

Let’s continue on from yesterday’s thoughts on becoming aware of personal barriers to effective cross-cultural communication. Sometimes there are very strong reasons why we see things differently. Where we stand makes it difficult to see another person’s point of view.

Last night I started watching the Steven Spielberg movie Amistad. This is the true story of what happened to the slaves on the 19th-century boat called La Amistad.

There is a court scene in the movie where four different parties with four different opinions claimed to be the rightful owners. Where the Africans the property of:

• The boat captains that rescued the Amistad
• Queen Isabella II of Spain
• The ship owner who lived in Cuba

Or, were the Africans free because in 1839 the transportation of slaves was prohibited in the United States.

This scene makes it easy to see the four different points of view.

In real life situations it is not always easy to acknowledge the presence of different points of view.  It is easier to stay self-focused.  But the first step towards a real cross-cultural connection is the ability to recognize the differences.

Stories About Race

Physical differences are the first obvious differences.  Here are some more examples of movies with an African-American story line:

• Amistad
• Do the Right Thing
• Ghosts of Mississippi
• Glory
• Malcolm X
• Mississippi Burning
• The Color Purple
• The Long Walk Home

Let me know if you have any other other movies to add to this list.

More on Culture Films:

• Watch Movies To Pick Up Cross-Cultural Communication Tips

1. How To Choose Movies To Watch And Improve Your Cross-Cultural Skills
2. Movies For Cultural Insights
3. Movies To See Life Through A Different Lens
4. Movies To Work Through Personal Barriers
5. Movies Make It Easy To See The Differences
6. Movies Take You Different Places
7. Movies To Understand The History Behind Culture
8. Movies To Build Empathy
9. Movies For Different Perspectives
10. Movies To Understand Cultural Differences
11. Movies On Adapting To Different Cultures

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Tagged as: cultural barriers, cultural differences, culture movies