“Isn’t Everything We Do In Life A Way To Be Loved A Little More?”
Dear Cinema,
Your presence has seeped into me. The empathy and hope your stories offer have changed how I see the world and how I engage with it. From childhood you whispered reasons to dream and believe. As I grew, you offered reassurance—proof that other people felt what I felt, that my anxieties were both unique and shared, that I was part of a larger human story.
I can trace parts of my life through the films I’ve loved: comedies that made me laugh in public, powerful dramas that left me walking home in the rain with tears on my face, superhero spectacles that once held my wonder and later taught me about growing tastes. Films like Interstellar gave me perspective during fragile moments; tender works like Call Me By Your Name helped unravel expectations and opened spaces to question norms.
More than that, cinema has brought friends together. Shared jokes, assigned “our lines,” and repeated viewings of a silly action parody have become touchstones in long friendships. Those shared screenings and the laughter that followed are woven into my fondest memories.
Cinema taught me that kindness and love can exist even in dark places; that goodness can persist despite adversity; that stories can reshape beliefs, challenge comfort zones, and help people become more themselves. You continue to astound me—provoking tears, laughter and thought in equal measure.
Through your history and the chapters we share, I love you.
Happy Valentine’s Day.
Love, Joseph