When I was 16 I participated in a student exchange to Germany. School hadn’t started yet in the small farming community and some host families worried there wouldn’t be enough interesting events for American teens.
This was untrue. We were always entertained as it was kirmes fair season, the summer Olympics were on television and there was plenty of cheese and bread to sample.
I was delighted when my friends took me to a neighboring town to see “an American film at the cinema.” It sounded so high brow, but I was amused when I learned we were in line for Wayne’s World. I’d already seen it in the states and wondered how well it would translate dubbed in German.
I laughed along with a theater full of German teens when things translated properly.At one point, I was the only one in the room giggling at the Laverne and Shirley charade part way through the movie. It was even funnier when I realized that it didn’t translate culturally. After the credits rolled, German kids I didn’t even know were asking me why that part was so funny.
This was in an age before one could simply pull up a YouTube link to illustrate a point. I tried to explain the show and the characters. As silly as it seems, sharing this movie with those kids was an interesting cultural moment. Film and story can define and illustrate a culture in far reaching ways. I watched a lot of German films that summer to learn more of the language and the culture.
The Bellevue Library invites you to participate in the World Cinema Salon at 2 p.m. every Sunday in October. These events, graciously sponsored by the Bellevue Friends of the Library, will reflect the diverse cultures in Bellevue with films from India, Russia, Mexico and China, each with English subtitles.
The films are for mature audiences due to subject matter.
The first film, from India, is called Kannathil Muthamittal (A Peck on the Cheek) and will be shown Sunday, Oct. 6. Please see flyers within the Bellevue library or call 425-450-1765 for a complete schedule. There will be a short introduction to each film and snacks from each showcased country.
Grab a friend and enjoy a shared cultural experience every Sunday in October. If you want to see Wayne’s World in another language you’ll have to place a hold on the DVD.
Darcy Brixey is the teen services librarian at the Bellevue Library. She’d like to tell you she loves to read, but it’s an expectation of the job.
