English Language Fellow Shaheed Sabrin implemented the first-ever movie review month at the University of Malaysia in Kelantan.
Every month, Sabrin and his students watch a film and discuss it. The students rate the film and explore the movie’s main themes while relating them to American culture. The first films they watched were Rebel Without a Cause (1955) and Catch Me If You Can (2002). About 40 students attended the movie showings and enjoyed pizza, popcorn, apple cider, and fresh fruit.
The students enjoyed relating the film’s concepts to global issues of acceptance, bullying, and adolescent challenges. Critical thinking was a key factor in exploring the mentality of the characters in round-table discussions after viewing. Sabrin emphasizes that, “This initiative is extremely important, since there are no movie theatres in Kelantan. It gives students a safe environment to discuss taboo issues in the conservative and rural city of Kota Bharu.”