Ahmad Nawaz Cheema
Film is a form of art and entertainment that uses moving images and sound to create stories, emotions, and experiences. Film is different from other art forms, such as painting, sculpture, music, or literature, because it combines visual, auditory, and narrative elements in a dynamic and interactive way. Film is also different from other entertainment forms, such as games, sports, or amusement parks, because it has a higher degree of artistic expression, creativity, and innovation. Film can be considered as both art and entertainment, depending on the purpose, quality, and impact of the film. Some films are made primarily for artistic reasons, such as exploring a theme, expressing a vision, or challenging a convention. These films are often called art films, and they usually appeal to a smaller, more sophisticated, or more critical audience. Other films are made primarily for entertainment reasons, such as providing fun, excitement, or escapism. These films are often called commercial films, and they usually appeal to a larger, more general, or more casual audience. However, there is no clear-cut distinction between art films and commercial films, as some films can have both artistic and entertainment value or vary in their reception by different audiences. For example, some films that are considered art films by critics and scholars may also be popular and successful among the public. Similarly, some films that are considered commercial films by the industry and the media may also have artistic merit and influence, such as [The Dark Knight]. Therefore, film is a complex and diverse form of art and entertainment that can offer various benefits and pleasures to different audiences.
A film industry is a sector of the economy that produces and distributes films as a form of art and entertainment. The film industry is important for a country in growing globalization for many reasons, such as:
- Culture: Films can reflect and shape the culture of a country, expressing its values, beliefs, and identity. Films can also promote cultural diversity and exchange, exposing audiences to different perspectives and experiences from around the world.
- Economy: Films can generate revenue and employment for a country, both directly and indirectly. Directly, films can create jobs for actors, directors, producers, technicians, and other professionals involved in the production and distribution of films. Indirectly, films can stimulate other sectors of the economy, such as tourism, hospitality, retail, and education, by attracting visitors, customers, and students who are interested in the film industry or the locations featured in films.
- Tourism: Films can showcase the natural beauty, historical heritage, and cultural attractions of a country, enticing tourists to visit and explore. Films can also create new tourist attractions, such as film studios, museums, festivals, and tours, that can enhance the tourist experience and generate income for the local communities.
- Soft image: Films can enhance the soft image of a country, which is the perception of its attractiveness, reputation, and influence in the international arena. Films can portray a positive image of a country, highlighting its achievements, strengths, and values, as well as addressing its challenges, problems, and aspirations. Films can also foster goodwill, trust, and cooperation between countries by facilitating dialogue, understanding, and collaboration on various issues.
- Promotion of aesthetics: Films can promote the aesthetic appreciation and expression of a country by showcasing its artistic talent, creativity, and innovation. Films can also inspire and educate audiences by exposing them to different forms, styles, and genres of film art, as well as the techniques, skills, and tools involved in film production.
- Soft propaganda: Films can serve as a form of soft propaganda, which is the use of persuasive communication to influence the opinions, attitudes, and behaviours of audiences without resorting to coercion or violence. Films can convey messages that support a certain political, ideological, or moral agenda by appealing to the emotions, values, and interests of the audiences. Films can also counter or challenge the propaganda of other countries by exposing their falsehoods, biases, or agendas.
- Image building: Films can help build the image of a country, which is the way it presents itself to the world, both internally and externally. Films can communicate the vision, mission, and goals of a country, as well as its achievements, challenges, and opportunities. Films can also shape the identity and self-esteem of a country by celebrating its history, culture, and people, as well as acknowledging its mistakes, failures, and lessons.
- Transferring of local values: Films can transfer the local values of a country, which are the principles, norms, and beliefs that guide its actions and decisions, both individually and collectively. Films can illustrate the local values of a country by depicting how they are practised, expressed, and transmitted in various contexts and situations. Films can also promote the local values of a country by highlighting their benefits, relevance, and importance for the well-being and development of the country and its people.
- Strengthening of national identity: Films can strengthen the national identity of a country, which is the sense of belonging, attachment, and loyalty that its citizens have towards it. Films can foster the national identity of a country by creating a shared narrative, memory, and culture that connects its past, present, and future. Films can also defend the national identity of a country by resisting or challenging the threats, pressures, and influences that may undermine or erode it.
- Literature: Films can have a significant impact on literature, which is the written or spoken expression of ideas, thoughts, and feelings. Films can adapt literature by transforming literary works, such as novels, poems, plays, and essays, into visual and audio forms that can reach wider and more diverse audiences. Films can also inspire literature by stimulating the imagination, creativity, and expression of writers, who may create new literary works based on or influenced by films.
- Entertainment: Films can provide entertainment, which is the activity of enjoying or being amused by something. Films can offer entertainment by creating stories, characters, and worlds that can captivate, engage, and delight audiences. Films can also enhance entertainment by using various elements, such as sound, music, colour, and special effects, that can enrich, intensify, and diversify the cinematic experience.
Therefore, Pakistan should also develop a functional film industry. The film is the best medium for entertainment and setting the cultural standards of a country.
Please, subscribe to the YouTube channel of republicpolicy.com