Interview: Rambling Cinema on foreign-language films, screenings at The Carousel and more
We chat to Mark Morgan about Nottingham's newest movie group, specialising in 'your favourite films, just not in English'...
Bong Joon-ho famously said “once you overcome the one-inch tall barrier of subtitles, you will be introduced to so many more amazing films”. Does this sum up the ethos of Rambling Cinema?
Absolutely. There are so many incredible films made every year which aren't in English, and for the most part they struggle to find a wide audience. Earlier in the year I saw a Hong Kong film called ‘Twilight of the Warriors’, which is basically a mix between ‘John Wick’ and ‘Dredd’ but filled with epic kung fu fight sequences, and it felt like it would have been a blockbuster if it was in English. That's the kind of film I would like to promote - evidence that not every great film is in English.
Why do you think there's still such a resistance to foreign-language films from Western audiences?
I think it's a perception problem. When I talk to people about watching foreign-language films, I often hear presumptions that they would be boring, hard to concentrate on or too “artsy”. I want to prove that it's not just Hollywood who know how to have fun with a film! There are plenty of great action, horror or comedy films from all over the world which people may not have given a chance before, and I think once you give them that chance you overcome resistance very quickly.
The good news is that people's resistance is challenged more and more these days. It seems like every year now there is one big breakout hit in a foreign language like ‘Parasite’, ‘Squid Game’ or ‘All Quiet on the Western Front’. While it's nice to see those individual success stories, I'm just hoping they can encourage people to seek out other examples of excellent work from outside of America.
“My aim is to show accessible, entertaining films which can provide representation to countries, languages and people which are far too often overlooked”
You've promised to screen “unique films”, with Egyptian sports comedy ‘Voy! Voy! Voy!’ your screening for December. What can people expect from your movies? Will there be a common thread throughout these unique picks?
My aim is to show accessible, entertaining films which can provide representation to countries, languages and people which are far too often overlooked. The great thing about films is that they can expand your understanding of somewhere you might not know much about while still being exciting and fun, so films like this can be uniquely entertaining and informative.
‘Voy! Voy! Voy!’ is a good example of that. The film is about the real 2015 scandal where it turned out fully-sighted people were on the Egyptian blind football team, which they'd done to emigrate to Europe during a tournament. That subject matter of course makes for a really funny sports/crime comedy, but it also taught me about the situation in Egypt which incentivised them to do such a thing and gave me more empathy for people taking extreme measures to migrate. I hope to show more films like that in future - come for the entertainment, stay for the message.
Your screenings will take place at The Carousel. Why was this the right pick for Rambling Cinema to be based?
Carousel is such a varied venue for mixed arts, which made them a perfect place to show films. When you can head down there already for nights of poetry, music or drawing, it's a great opportunity to expand what they're able to offer. It was also something Ben had already considered, and he was really interested in specifically showing foreign-language films to give them a platform through the venue.
“It's great to be able to work with other groups who have a really clear idea about what genre of films they like to screen, because there are fantastic foreign-language selections out there for them, too”
Nottingham's screen scene is full of quality film groups. Will you look to collaborate with any in the future?
Definitely! I am actually meeting up with Emma from Fortune & Glory tomorrow to talk about films, and I've worked with Mammoth, A Climate Action Cinema before. It's great to be able to work with other groups who have a really clear idea about what genre of films they like to screen, because there are fantastic foreign-language selections out there for them, too. That's the beauty of foreign-language cinema - once you get past that one-inch tall barrier of subtitles, it really is for everyone.
‘Voy! Voy! Voy!’ is screening at The Carousel on Tuesday 3rd December.