The Apollo Program is the subject of numerous documentaries (I wrote about two of my favorites, For All Mankind and In the Shadow of the Moon, here on the blog a few years ago).

Confession: For someone who “doesn’t care about the Oscars,” I actually do care about the Oscars. They serve as a useful snapshot of a given year in film history. What we as moviegoers value often differs from what Academy voters value. Not only that, but what Academy voters value tends to change over time.

Cuba is a country of 11 million people that is roughly the size of Pennsylvania. For being less than 100 miles off of our coast, it’s surprising how little most know about this country and its people. A great way to bridge culture gaps and create greater understanding is through actively watching films from around the globe. If the viewer is lucky, they may just walk away with a tiny glimpse into the beliefs and ideals of another part of the world. As Cuba and the world react to the death of an influential leader, it is important to look past arbitrary lines on a map.

Confession: Sometimes I need a good cry. A sobbing, runny-nose, eyes-swollen, whole-box-of-tissue cry. I’m not sure why or what brings on this sudden urge. I’m never aware of this feeling approaching. It’s not like I can say to myself, “Self, I think you’ll feel like crying tomorrow so you better go buy a new pair of shoes today in hopes of warding it off.” Nope, it never happens like that. All of sudden, it just hits me and there it is – I need to cry. Not just one or two tears, but the open-the-flood-gates kind of cry.