A great way to gain an idea about real Spanish life is to check out its film industry. Not only will watching Spanish film help your language skills but it will give you a great insight into the culture of a country which has so much to offer.
Now the summer’s coming to a close and the nights are drawing in, without much enthusiasm for leaving the comfort of your sofa and central heating, you may find yourself wondering how to best take advantage of your time. Well, why not consolidate your language learning by exploring the world of foreign film?
Though Hollywood blockbusters are always tempting to rent – how can you fail to react to the million dollar publicity campaigns they have? – why not, next time you’re looking for a film to watch, consider a Spanish film?
The Spanish film industry is hotter than ever now, with Oscars going to stunning actress Penelope Cruz and critically acclaimed director Pedro Almodóvar and films such as “Vicky Cristina Barcelona” being set in Spanish cities. Most films come with sub-titles and so if your Spanish is not yet fluent, you can still enjoy the film whilst benefiting from the fact you are hearing around 2 hours of spoken Spanish. And surely enjoying a good story is more interesting than reading a grammar book! Another great advantage of watching Spanish films is that you hear the real Spanish – that is, the Spanish that is spoken today, by Spanish people.
Furthermore, by watching these films you will get a fantastic insight into Spanish culture – its music, customs, ways of life…and all from the comfort of your sofa!
Spanish cinema really does have a lot to offer – the industry is breaking the mould of the all-too-sweet cookie cutter films which are bombarding our cinemas nowadays. Even Hollywood has turned to Spain for inspiration – did you know that “Vanilla Skies” is a re-make of the Spanish “Abre los Ojos” or that “The Others”, with Nicole Kidman, has a Spanish director?
The films are original stories, often controversial and always interesting and worthwhile.
Why not take a trip to your video store today…or to the cinema, if your are lucky enough to already be in Spain?
