Beyond Subtitles: The Rich Tapestry of Multilingual Cinema in the 21st Century

While teaching the seminar “Unlocking the Multilingual Multiverse: Mastering the Power of Language Skills” this past semester, I dedicated one week to the topic of Multilingualism in the Media. With my students, I learned great stories behind many languages in movies. We are lucky to live in an era where global storytelling is more accessible than ever. Multilingual films have moved from the margins to the mainstream of cinema.

While multilingual elements in film date back to the early days of cinema, the past two decades have witnessed an unprecedented embrace of linguistic diversity. Bong Joon-ho's "Parasite" (2019) made history as the first non-English language film to win the Academy Award for Best Picture, paving the way for greater acceptance of multilingual storytelling. This breakthrough followed earlier influential works like González Iñárritu's "Babel" (2006), which masterfully wove together narratives in Japanese, Spanish, Arabic, and English to explore the complexities of global interconnectedness.

Recent successes like "Everything Everywhere All at Once" (2022), which seamlessly blends Mandarin, Cantonese, and English, embraces multiple voices and linguistic identities. We watched clips from this specific movie in class, and the discussions were incredibly rich. Similarly, Lulu Wang's "The Farewell" (2019) navigates between English and Mandarin to explore cultural identity. Alfonso Cuarón's "Roma" (2018) exemplifies this approach, mixing Spanish and Mixtec to represent Mexico City's social fabric authentically. Similarly, Sofia Coppola's "Lost in Translation" (2003) uses the language barrier as a narrative device, exploring themes of isolation and connection.

We also discussed how the streaming era has further democratized access to multilingual content. Netflix reports that 97% of their US subscribers watched at least one non-English title in 2022, with viewing hours of non-English content increasing by 71% yearly. This trend makes us believe that linguistic diversity becomes a marker of authentic storytelling rather than a barrier to audience engagement.

The success of these films challenges the long-held industry assumption that audiences resist subtitled or multilingual content. The rise of multilingual cinema represents more than just a trend; it reflects our increasingly interconnected world. As audiences become more sophisticated and globally connected, films that embrace multiple languages offer entertainment and real windows into the authentic human experience of navigating our multilingual world. The next time I encounter a film that makes me read subtitles or challenges me to follow multiple languages, I will remember that I’m participating in a form of cultural exchange that has the power to broaden perspectives and deepen our understanding of human communication in all its varied forms. Will you do the same?

Films to watch:

1. Babel (2006). Directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu.
2. Parasite (2019). Directed by Bong Joon-ho.
3. Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022). Directed by Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert.
4. Roma (2018). Directed by Alfonso Cuarón.
5. The Farewell (2019). Directed by Lulu Wang.
6. Lost in Translation (2003). Directed by Sofia Coppola.