Hello, today, I am writing about a filmmaker, Beeban Kidron.

Beeban Kidron is a British filmmaker, best known for directing Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason (2004). She has also produced documentaries, especially about troubling social issues, as seen in Hookers, Hustlers, Pimps and their Johns (1993) and Sex, Death and the Gods (2011), a film about “devadasi,” or Indian “sacred prostitutes”. Most important of all, Kidron founded FILMCLUB, a charity organisation that allows schools to screen films at no cost, and to discuss and review these films for educational purposes. FILMCLUB uses film as a pedagogical tool for students to explore ideas of community, society and culture. Kidron believes that film has the power to improve millennial students’ learning ability in diverse ways — viscerally, emotionally and intellectually.

In my opinion, the fundamental strength of Kidron’s project lies in her belief that film offers a chance for us to engage in a communal learning experience which we all need in this increasingly divided world. Film momentarily unites an audience through a shared process of watching and learning about other worlds and cultures. Even though films are produced in a variety of languages, it has a unique ability to elicit empathy in the viewer. These features are especially relevant for the younger generation, where movies enlarge their worldviews, heighten their understanding of who they are, and help them make sense of the world. Kidron said: “People have a right to have their lives witnessed. If we coexist with the systems that abuse people, then we have a duty to understand it.”

Kidron’s message made me think about the effectiveness of using film to promote a more international culture in higher education institutions. I think it will be very helpful for an international university like Columbia, which can do a lot more to create opportunities for minority representation and cultural interaction among students. Similar to Angelica’s blog post on “Chimamanda’s Danger of a Single Story”, I think it is important to expose students to a range of cultural narratives and stories. Film is perhaps the best way to promoting and publicising unity across cultural differences because it is financially low in cost (anyone with an iPhone can start filming) and is easily disseminated.

What do you think? As a SIPA student, I also want to question how much you feel belonged to Columbia? Do you feel that the school can do more to foster a communal or international identity among students?

Here is the link to her TED talk: