Cinema is one of the most widespread art forms in the world. The idea of ​​using films to draw attention to important social and political conversations is a common theme across all fields and cinematic cultures. In Portuguese cinema, particularly in the films "Saint George" and "One Thousand and One Nights", we immerse ourselves in one of the most important events in recent Portuguese history. The financial crisis of 2011-2015 was an important part of the plot of both films. Each film shared stories of people who struggled during this financial crisis and subtly highlighted areas of government that need improvement. We say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Did these films make a difference in the Portuguese political community? Being one of the first of its kind, the film "One Thousand and One Nights" is part of a trilogy that mixes fiction and non-fiction events. The film is dark and depressing and truly shows the effects of a financial crisis. The subtitle of this film, "The Restless One", parallels the restless emotions and seemingly hopeless events and situations that occur throughout the story. Specifically, the film places emphasis on the ideals underlying the story. In a sense, this was a call to the public and government to listen to their people and the stories they had to share. Arabian Nights was full of stories of people who lived through horrible times. The end of the film is filled with "testimonies" from multiple people. The story of the first man seemed similar to current events around the world today. He worked for a company for 14 years and helped raise a large amount of money for this company. When they fired him due to financial depression, he understood and felt helpless. He didn't feel the need to blame the company, but he didn't know what to do. He ended his story by wondering who he really was and wondered why we needed to fit ourselves into a box for employers while looking for a new job. You can tell he is tired and exhausted by this thought. This scene is cinematically well done. The camera angle during this scene is shot in one frame and slowly approaches the man giving his testimony. This shooting style is used in documentaries and intense films to slowly show the passion and anguish on a person's face. As I learn more about this film, I believe the goal of these testimonials is to share a real life and match a real face to those original "fictional" stories. The entire film up to this point has felt fictional, but those testimonies are what ties the film together. 'One Thousand and One Nights' is also an old man's story about geniuses and desires. It has always been said that a genie will grant three wishes. The many stories of real people seem like those three "desires". Those people were vulnerable in sharing their lives in the hope that it would impact their community and government. Arabian Nights used a wide variety of shooting techniques and analogies in their fictional stories. While it may have been difficult for some viewers to understand, the film captured audiences' attention with how strange it was. This is exactly what the director intended and knew he was doing throughout the entire film. The use of narration is a common theme in many films around the world. In fact, it has become a core skill in the industry. Over the past decade, cinema and media have become the main avenue for information and knowledge. Newspapers and books are notno longer as widespread as they once were. Because of this, the impact that film and media creators have on their communities and the world is much greater. In an article written by Timothy Wijaya, a film student, he explains that the film industry has focused more on special effects than actual content. However, in the movie 'One Thousand and One Nights', we can see the raw storytelling skills used. The director pushed the boundaries of creativity. It is a direct reflection of using fiction to explain and validate a non-fiction scenario. The film "St. George" is also set in the years of Portugal's financial crisis. A family is caught up in real-life poverty and drama. His father was a boxer who decided to become a tax collector to provide for his family. Debt collectors are not well-liked people and during an economic crisis they are, honestly, feared by the public. Indeed, Jorge, the father, struggles with the morality of his work. As time goes by, he loses sight of who he is as a man and what he truly values. He understands what it's like to have no money and be in those difficult situations. Simply put, he had this feeling of loss of identity and self-confusion. This theme is common in any financial crisis or depression that might occur around the world. There is a specific scene in this film that involves Jorge and his family sitting around the dinner table having a conversation about their financial burdens. This is a direct correlation to the conversations the Portuguese would like the government to hear. What better way to start a political conversation than to show a family's struggles in a fictional but real setting? Saint George shows the caring culture of the Portuguese even in difficult circumstances. The film was simple to understand and contained many small details that made the film feel like a true story. The director knew that by putting the main character in an uncomfortable situation, he would show the true struggle of the debt collectors and hopefully the audience would see what they were doing to the communities around them. To give an example, in 2011 in Portugal there were more than 1.8 million indebted families and companies. More than 60 debt collection agencies have engaged in "unethical" activities to intimidate people into paying their debts even though they have virtually nothing left. Therefore, the life Jorge lived was a real reality for many Portuguese families. The director of this film knew that the impact it would have would help a community of people feel important and heard. After the financial crisis, Portugal is now in a “thriving” economic situation and this reflects the many realities addressed in the film. The director made this film not only to inform, but also to remember. In an interview Marco Martins states: "What often happens, especially in the media, is that when we talk about crises we resort to statistics, we stop talking about people." When a tragedy occurs, we should not focus on the goals of “corporate” and “economic” leaders, but rather focus on our compassion and loneliness for our people. The political impact that these two films were able to create in the Portuguese community is small but powerful. Not only did people pay attention to the goals of these films, but they also started a hard conversation. For many who lived a life similar to that seen in the films, a sense of empowerment was felt. After the release of Arabian Nights, a review was written about the film by the New York Times. They said: 'According to British scholar Marina Warner, who wrote about “Arabian Nights” in her book “Stranger Magic,” “Stories do not obey internal rules about characters, motives,on the verisimilitude or structure of the plot; they do not fit easily into existing theories of narrative, history, or psychology. The same could be said of those in the film “Arabian Nights” by Gomes”. The way director Gomes told his story used a very different plot structure and left viewers to use their own imagination and mind. The complexity of this form of storytelling is that it may not connect with every viewer and limit possible understanding and may even cause misinterpretation. As for the film "St. George", it uses emotion and satire to connect with the viewer. In a certain sense, the director used pity to draw attention to his film and the reality of the many situations. This may have brought attention to his film, but it also brought him unprecedented fame. At the Portuguese Film Academy awards in 2018, 'Saint George' won more than twenty awards. This shows the effect the film had on its viewers and the popularity it gained because of it. Storytelling is a theme throughout Portuguese culture and is used intelligently in both films. There was a scene in Arabian Nights where an older man said, “telling stories is how we connect the past with the future.” Both of these filmmakers used storytelling to shed light on important issues and share the story with the children and families of the future. As I think about these films and the financial crisis that happened in Portugal, I can't stop to compare it to the current situation in the United States and around the world. A disease has closed virtually all jobs and unemployment rates are horribly high. People lose their jobs every day and there is no stable economy to fall back on. The theme and regularity of kindness and understanding in Portuguese culture is a theme we need to adopt in the United States through all of this. Life is unexpected and will always test you. What matters most is how we treat others during this difficult time. Storytelling will continue for many generations to come, what do we want to tell our future world? What do we want to say about difficult moments? How did we react? We cannot go back to the past to change what happened; however, we can always look to the future with a new mindset and reflect on the lessons we have learned. As the director of "One Thousand and One Nights" said, "There is reality and then there is reality to face." Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Specifically, I cannot say that these two films have changed the lives of millions of people and solved problems within the government system, as this is seemingly impossible. However, the attention that these films brought to the issues at hand is the most important and positive result of these films and their effect on the Portuguese community. The use of narrative, unique filmmaking and real-life relatability were all aspects that both directors focused on. These films present a form of nostalgia regarding the topic of the financial crisis in Portugal. A type of nostalgia we may have to face years from now as we reflect on the current times globally. It also helped tell the stories of the many spectators who lived in these realities. Viewers felt seen in a way they hadn't before. By sharing the truth about the lives of others, you reduce isolation and reduce loneliness. Thus creating a broader, deeper and more supportive community of support in Portugal. While 2016,_132975.