Movies are a mental nourishment for patients.

Asahi Shimbun Morning Edition – August 28, 1999

A young woman battling mental illness recommended the film Cool Runnings (1992) to me, saying it was excellent. I promptly rented the video.

The movie tells an incredible yet true story of a team from Jamaica—a tropical island famous for reggae—competing in the bobsled event at the Winter Olympics. It conveyed the message that even if something seems impossible, there is value in trying. This is an example of how movies can serve as nourishment for the heart.

There is a line in the Italian film Cinema Paradiso (1988) that goes, "Life is not like the movies you have seen. Life is much more difficult." This is spoken by a projectionist who had worked at the only movie theater in his village since the silent film era, learning almost everything about life through cinema.

He says this to a young man who had been coming to the projection room since childhood, encouraging him to leave the village.

This was not a rejection of cinema. In fact, Cinema Paradiso is filled with classic masterpieces like The Lower Depths, La Terra Trema, and Ulysses. I believe this line was meant to encourage the young man to navigate between reality and the world of film. Above all, this was a film made by someone who truly loved cinema—an ode to the art of film.

The history of cinema spans only about a century, yet there are over 150,000 films. Watching two films a day would take more than 20 years to see them all. I have probably seen around 2,000, but as a clinician, I often watch films with a perspective of how they might help patients find the wisdom, courage, and confidence to fight illness.

Because films incorporate visuals, dialogue, and music, they appeal to the five senses more directly than printed words. Some of the films I have introduced in this column were actually recommended by patients. I have often been impressed by their keen sensitivity.

With the intention of contributing to treatment, I summarize interesting films to my patients, saying, "It was a great movie." While embracing the dreams that cinema offers, I want to continue cheering them on.