For the First Time

Starring: N/A
Directed by: Octavio Cortazar
Rating: Not rated
Genre: Documentary, Short
Length: 9 minutes
1967

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A traveling film projection crew brings Charlie Chaplin's Modern Times to a remote village populated with people who have never seen a movie before.

Review:

Tim: I enjoyed For the First Time, a 1967 short film from Cuba. It made me reflect on the power and influence of movies in my own life. The film follows a projection crew who travels to a remote village in Cuba. Most of the inhabitants have never seen a movie. It follows their expectations, as well as the viewing itself.

For someone like me, it feels unheard of to see someone who has never seen a movie. I found the early scenes poignant, as people discussed what they thought of it. What struck me the most was the people who wanted to see a movie, mainly for the experience- so they would know what it was like. It might be easy to dismiss such remote people as simple, but they have the same desire to experience the world as everyone else. I loved seeing their anticipation. It was cute to see the younger inhabitants and what they thought of it as well. For me, though, it was the adults who recognized they were about to have an experience for the first time that mattered the most.

This short made me think about the influence of movies on my life. I've been obsessed with tracking my films for 19 years now, but movies have always played an important role in my life. I've heard how to be a human being from the movies. I've experienced so many others' lives for a brief moment through the power of film. This short causes you to reflect on that. Watching so many movies may have some downsides, but it's been one of the most important focuses of my life.

I loved the scenes where the people were watching the movie. The choice to show Charlie Chaplin's Modern Times was a good one. It has a lot of universal appeal. It was uplifting to see the laughs and fun that the audience had watching his antics. It was a good reminder of the power movies have- to influence our own lives and to build a sense of community when we watch them together.

This is a good short and it's fairly unique- there's not a lot of people left anymore who've never seen a film. I enjoyed the movie and the reflecting it caused me to do.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: N/A



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Modern Times, The Rink