Educational Value of Films

A film these days has proved to be most popular source of entertainment and education. After a day’s hard work when a person sits before T.V or pays a visit to Cinema for watching film of his choice, he forgets the boredom and fatigue of the day and feels refreshed. The representation of delightful scenes, stories and songs on the screen provided as a person with welcome diversion from failgue of humdrum existence after watching films one has at a time feeling that the time and money spent on film is better used.

The film is pleasant universal teacher. It combines entertainment with instruction. Its share in shaping and educating the public mind in different branches of learning is certainly inestimable. An educationist wrote “As an instrument of teaching. I believe, the cinematography has immense possibilities. It may often make an appeal to children whose interest and imagination are not easily reached by the written or spoken word. Young mind is like photographic plate and I believe the deepest impressions are received by it through the eyes”. There are indeed many educational films. In Pakistan we do not see many of them but in western countries the school going children are shown these films regularly.

Theya re taught many interesting things about natural history, botany, chemistry, geography and other branches of learning in attractive manner. Then there are documentary or topical films that keep us in touch with events of the world in general and those of our country in particulars. Such films increase the scope of our knowledge and broaden the range of our learning. No amount of book of knowledge can enlighten us about foreign ideals and institutions, scenes and sight as does the enjoyment of documentary films. Travelling is costly, hazardous sometimes prohibited by personal reasons but all of us can enjoy this sitting on an arm chair travelling while watching film. Now we are in a street of New York, then in a park of Tokyo, now we see the rolling floods of Mississippi, then the burning sands of sahra, now we have the explosion of atom bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki then the earthquakes of San Francisco.

Films representing foreign life and manners teach us a great truth that despite all the differences of caste, Colour and creed human nature is essentially the same all over the green globe. They elevate our thoughts and promote a healthy spirits of international understanding and co-operation which is so badly needed at present. It has often been said that one of the potent causes of international misunderstanding, hot and cold war is that people of different countries do not have the means to appreciate and understand each other adequately. We are all familiar now a day with the international exchanges of students and professors permanent culture establishments in foreign countries tourists information bureaus and hundreds of good will missions. There can be no wrong that the total effect of all activities in establishment mutual inhalation understanding and paving the way for permanent world peace is very great. But none can be effective as motion pictures. No wonder therefore that all modern states regard the film industry as key industry that has to be preserved and fostered at all costs.

For educative purpose film producers should exploit for film purpose themselves of real adventure and heroism, first rate stories of classical mythology, historical subject and plots from literacy master pieces. Short films on scientific, historical, commercial and literary subjects ought to be produced in large numbers for school going children.