The Bridge Between Us: A Love Letter To Arrival

Directed by Dennis Villeneuve, Arrival is a film about extraterrestrial beings attempting to communicate with humans, which are subsequently in a panic trying to communicate back.  The movie illustrates a society attempting to collaborate and work as a collective to understand what the “aliens” want from them, proving to be difficult due to the dissonance between their languages and the frustration of trying to understand the unknown.  

Go up to a person and wave hello or flash a smile; what message is conveyed?  Small gestures and moments can mean everything to the right person, even though it may not seem like much.  Communication is ingrained in almost every facet of life, and being able to feel safe and understood in it is just as important.

Bilingual para-educator Mrs. Afif comments on her experiences with language and how she immerses herself in different environments with the knowledge and ability to communicate with others, asserting that “I believe there are a lot of advantages of speaking other languages.  It makes you open to the world; wherever you go you can manage yourself around other people and communicate with others.  It’s easier to connect (through speaking) rather than constantly trying to filter what you say through translation apps.”

San Dimas High School has a multitude of students from varying backgrounds, creating a distinction from one student to another when attempting to communicate.  It can be a very isolating feeling to be in a place that is familiar, but being surrounded by unfamiliar people and words, and thus struggling to find a place in that.  Perhaps it’s difficult to talk and understand each other due to a language barrier, but there is ultimately nothing in the way of still trying.  Communication is not just limited to speaking and it’s a freeing experience to be able to share exchanges and small pieces of each other in their own personal way.  Arrival is a beautiful representation of how humans can connect despite the disconnect between languages, and making peace with those differences.