An empathy machine

This is how film critic Roger Ebert describes movies: “a machine that generates empathy.”

It´s a perspective that I had never thought about. But now that I´ve heard it from him, it makes perfect sense!

Think about it:

When you see a movie (especially a really good one), for a moment you abandon yourself and in your mind, you impersonate a different character.

This teaches you a little bit more about what it´s like to be a different age, nationality, ethnicity, a different person with different hopes, aspirations, professions, dreams, and fears.

In Ebert´s words, it “helps us to identify with the people who are sharing this journey with us. And that to me is the most noble thing that good movies can do and it´s a reason to encourage them and to support them and to go to them.”

Just beautiful.

I haven´t seen a movie in a long time. Perhaps now is a good moment.

Here´s a playlist of mostly vintage cinema soundtracks that I love. Click here to listen and don´t forget to save it for later.

Have a nice day,

Claudio.