Since entering college, I have had more opportunities to watch movies. This is because there were many classes that used movies to deal with different topics. I have always enjoyed watching movies, but my view of movies has changed since I entered university. Before, I used to watch movies just for entertainment. Of course, that is an important way to enjoy movies. However, since becoming a university student, I have been watching movies increasingly more as a learning experience in class. Therefore, I would like to explain what I have learned from movies.

First, through movies, I have been able to learn about the values, history, and social issues of various countries. For example, "Green Book," which I watched in English class, examines the issue of racial discrimination. This movie is a story of two people with different values and skin color who come to know each other through their journey. Prejudice based on differences such as appearance, nationality, or language is a social problem that persists today, and this film made me think about it again.

In addition, "In a Corner of the World," set before and during World War Two, made me keenly aware of the sadness brought about by war. This film depicts not just the tragedy of war, but also the daily lives of people who live through war. It made me think about many things such as what happened then and the historical background of that time.

Many other movies are based on social issues—such as political problems, poverty, crime, inequality—and look at the history of various countries. Of course, it should be noted that some films may contain fictional elements to enhance the story. However, films can help broaden our horizons and give us an opportunity to investigate things we did not know. Also, by watching different films on the same subject matter, you will learn different perspectives, which helps to broaden one's formerly narrow perspective. Thus, I have learned a lot from films.

私は大学に入ってから映画を見る機会が増えた。映画を扱う授業が多かったからだ。もともと映画を見るのは好きであったが、大学に入ってからは映画の見方が変化した。以前までは娯楽として映画を見ていることが多かった。もちろん、それも映画の重要な楽しみ方である。だが、大学生になってからは授業内で「学び」として映画を見ることが増えた。今回は映画から学んだことを紹介していきたいと思う。
まず、映画を通し、さまざまな国の価値観や歴史、社会問題を知ることができた。例えば、英語の授業で見た「グリーンブック」では人種差別の問題が表現されている。この映画は価値観も肌の色も違う2人が旅を通して通じ合っていく物語である。見た目や国籍、言葉などによる偏見は今もなお残る社会問題であり、この映画で改めて考えさせられた。
さらに、戦時中を舞台にした「この世界の片隅に」では戦争がもたらす悲しみを痛感させられた。この映画では戦争の悲惨さではなく、戦争時代を生き抜いた人々の日常が描かれている。何が起こったのかやその時の時代背景など多くのことを考えさせられた。他にも政治、貧困、犯罪、格差などの社会問題や、様々な国の歴史などを題材にした映画が多くある。もちろん、映画によっては物語を盛り上げるためのフェイクが含まれる場合があることに注意しなければならない。だが、映画は視野を広げることに繋がるし、知らなかったことを調べるきっかけになるのだ。また、たとえば、同じ事柄を描いた映画を3つ観るとすると、3つの視点を学べることになる。視野を広げることにも役立つと思う。このように私は映画から多くのことを学んだ。