As a young person, I can say I am always creating. As an artist, I can say I am always imagining. Everything in my surroundings allows me to think of something new or different.

Movies are the source of imagination for every person. When watching a movie, we imagine ourselves in the protagonist’s position, or we hope for the film to be our reality. When I encounter something new, I always think about what I wish for, or what I would change. I believe that’s automatically what every person does; we all imagine what we would change, not only in life but in movies. As humans, we are never satisfied with the information given to us, so we hope or we try to change it.

When I watch a new movie, I often think to myself, “what if I changed this…?”, and that is already a way of criticizing something. Every person engages in it, but we don’t realize it.

I think to increase interest in film criticism among young people, we need to allow people’s minds to flow. Writing your real thoughts about someone else’s work can be difficult, mainly when you are translating what you see on the screen to what you think in words. My mind flows because I am not afraid of being judged or saying the wrong thing; I am given the freedom to express my thoughts without feeling as if I would be criticized for my critique. I think that’s the main thing people need to encourage: a safe platform.

No matter the field, a safe platform for voicing opinion is the primary necessity. All parties must be respectful about thoughts expressed so young people can feel safe with their words.