On A Global Scale: Welcome to Another Round

Welcome to the second first edition of On A Global Scale! This bi-weekly series is a continuation of last year’s series that celebrates the international spirit of the Columbia University film program and the incredible global collaborations coming out of it. Whether this means introducing the diverse and fascinating projects Columbia filmmakers have taken on, or describing specific challenges filmmakers encounter when shooting abroad, or embracing cultural exchange through a cinematic lens, On A Global Scale covers it all. Filmmakers tell us their wildest stories. But what can they tell us this year, during a time when everything has changed?

Let’s face it—setting Bong Joon Ho’s first non-English language Best Picture Oscar win for Parasite aside—it has not been a great year for international productions. Or productions in general. The pandemic put the film world on hold, every project that hadn’t reached the safe haven of post-production by March was washed away and while the carefully optimistic writer of this article has hope for a slow recovery over the next weeks and months, it will be a while before things return to normal and big production can take place again.

Columbia Film students have struggled as well. The pandemic hit at a time where most of us were preparing our 8-12 or our D4 films, set to be shot over the summer, all across the world. Needless to say, this did not happen—even now international shoots are unthinkable.

Many of my classmates left the City for their home states and countries in March and it’s unknown when and if they will return, but (at least to me) as campus opened up and classes commenced, a surprising number of us did return--in whatever capacity we were able, prepared to talk film. We’ve been through a weird summer to say the least, and yet last week many of my classmates (American and international) gathered at the Chelsea Piers for a small “reunion” (outdoors and socially distanced of course), a sign that our Columbia community remains strong.

So what does it mean to go “back to normal”? Is it even something we should strive for?

It’s true there are a lot of unknowns at the moment but for the sake of staying positive let’s take this unknown as a chance to re-think what we have taken for granted until now and see if we can use it to improve our industry from all different kinds of angles. For example, with many festivals switching to virtual screenings (many with Columbia participation) or releasing short-lists of their participating films (like Cannes, also with Columbia participation), how will virtual distribution factor into their planning in the future? How can we use the time away from set to improve its workflows and hierarchies? And can we stop declaring the end of cinema and instead work on ways to reinvent it? After all, we filmmakers are still here, eager to create. 

Just as the industry as a whole, this series is not only interested in bringing back what once was, but also in new strategies moving forward. What does the current situation mean for the future of international collaboration? How will artists deal with the new challenges this pandemic presents,  and where do they see themselves in a year, a few years? Will the willingness to shoot abroad suffer or have the many hours spent at home during quarantine awoken a new desire for stories from afar? 

And still, at its very core, this series will continue to celebrate film, specifically the fantastic Columbia filmmakers who have and continue to create visionary work—no matter what.