“THE FOREIGNER” “THE FLORIDA PROJECT,” AND WHAT IT MEANS TO BE THE UNFAMILIAR
These films explore “foreign” as a label.
I saw two very different films recently that made me question what it means to be foreign. “Foreign” applies to those living outside the borders they’re born within, but it’s also used to label the “unfamiliar,” and that can carry a frustratingly negative connotation.Jackie Chan’s latest drama The Foreigner centers around Quan, an Asian immigrant living in Ireland. The part is a departure for Chan, who we’re used to seeing in action comedies, and plays heavily on the juxtaposition of Chan standing out against a predominantly caucasian Ireland.
I had the chance to sit down with Chan, who touched on how the greatest challenge…and, as it turns out, the greatest asset…for him with this role was feeling foreign on set. In spite of being an international megastar, he still experiences feelings of separation (and a language barrier) when working on English-speaking films. But Chan was able to tap into that feeling to drive his performance, and it translates surprisingly clearly on screen.
Meanwhile, The Florida Project from director Sean Baker centers around a group of people who’ve been made to feel foreign in a place they should be considered natives. Baker explores the communities of people who’ve taken up semi-permanent residence in the motels surrounding Disney World following the 2008 housing crash. These are families who should be considered local but are pushed to the fringe of society by virtue of socioeconomic status.
While dramatically different, both films capture what it’s like to deal with being on the outside. They deal with characters who are without resources or a support system and are doing whatever they can to make do with their situation.
A lot can be associated with the word “foreign,” and it’s my hope that films like these help bridge the gap between the unfamiliar and the understood.
I had the chance to sit down with Chan, who touched on how the greatest challenge…and, as it turns out, the greatest asset…for him with this role was feeling foreign on set. In spite of being an international megastar, he still experiences feelings of separation (and a language barrier) when working on English-speaking films. But Chan was able to tap into that feeling to drive his performance, and it translates surprisingly clearly on screen.
Meanwhile, The Florida Project from director Sean Baker centers around a group of people who’ve been made to feel foreign in a place they should be considered natives. Baker explores the communities of people who’ve taken up semi-permanent residence in the motels surrounding Disney World following the 2008 housing crash. These are families who should be considered local but are pushed to the fringe of society by virtue of socioeconomic status.
While dramatically different, both films capture what it’s like to deal with being on the outside. They deal with characters who are without resources or a support system and are doing whatever they can to make do with their situation.
A lot can be associated with the word “foreign,” and it’s my hope that films like these help bridge the gap between the unfamiliar and the understood.
This article originally appeared on KFOG.com on October 13, 2017.
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