Photo by Rene Asmussen from Pexels
Two Hindi films, Dil Chahta Hai and Lagaan, completed 20 years this year. When they were released in 2001 within a few months of each other, it felt like change was in the air around the Hindi film industry.
Lagaan was released in June of that year. I thought I was the only one, but apparently most people remember the first time they saw Lagaan. This article records the memories of some of them.
Then came Dil Chahta Hai in August. This exceptional oral history of Dil Chahta Hai from those involved in all parts of its inception and production reveals what went into making it so memorable and cinematically significant.
I’m not a Star Trek fan, but I happened to catch an interesting episode that got me thinking about communication. Set in the 24th century, the Star Trek: The Next Generation series follows the adventures of the Starfleet crew of the Federation starship Enterprise-D.
In the episode title Darmok, the crew encounter an alien ship, which does not appear hostile. However, communication between the crew members of both ships is hampered. Though the inhabitants of the alien vessel use English, the structure and content of the sentences are strange. How do the two parties eventually understand each other? Check out the episode (season 5, episode 2) on Netflix.
The BBC podcast Soul Music features songs that form the soundtracks of our lives. On the podcast we hear people narrate what was going on in their lives when they heard a particular song or how an event and a song were forever linked for them.
One of my favourite episodes features the song Wind of Change by the Scorpions. Released in 1991, the ballad is about the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. During the episode, people recount their histories in Germany before and after the fall on the Wall, and their experiences of living in Europe at a time of great transformation. Sometimes history is best understood by listening to the voices of those who lived through it.
It’s impossible not to be touched by at least one Beatles song. You will find joy, melancholy and introspection throughout the Beatles catalogue as well as in the discographies of the individual members.
I’ve been on a bit of a Beatles binge on YouTube lately. I’ve watched a UK countdown show called The Nation’s Favourite Beatles No. 1 and a Grammy tribute concert celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of the Beatles.
There is nothing that unites people like music, in general, and the Beatles, in particular. As we continue to go through difficult and uncertain times, it’s best to remember that John, Paul, George and Ringo were right when they sang, “All you need is love.”
Until next time,
Michelle