When I was in middle school, I started watching foreign films, particularly those from Asia. I'd like to think that, at the time, my choice in movies reflected a perspective independent from other teens my age. As I grew older and continued to enjoy watching Bollywood and anime flicks, then relatively unknown to US audiences, I persisted in viewing the world through an independent lens. For instance, I am now a vegetarian and refuse to shop at large corporations known to exploit their workers and/or use sweatshops, like Wal-mart and Forever 21. These movies literally opened up new worlds to me. And knowing that there were other cultures out there, other ways of seeing the world, other ways of telling a story, be it romantic or horrific, helped me see the alternatives available to me in my own life.

Hollywood movies, on the other hand, are predictable and boring and present a bleak view of an alternate reality. Frankly, I’m tired of happy endings and distasteful romantic comedies because while they might provide an ideal version of real life, it’s a fantasy that’s been played over too many times. One can view Hollywood’s peddling of bland fare as a kind of censorship. While we have a lot of economic opportunities in the United States, we can’t necessarily freely express ourselves through mass media. Hollywood films don’t allow people to imagine worlds outside the confines of its narrowly defined standards.

While some cinematographers beautifully frame the images in Hollywood films, there’s not much diversity in the content. One thing I’ve noticed among foreign films is that they play more with the conventions of various genres. They can be both a musical and a thought-provoking documentary at the same time. One of the first foreign films I saw was the Bollywood movie "Asoka," which combined the genres of historical drama and romance. It is a fictional account of the Indian emperor Ashoka the Great, who ruled much of South Asia from 273 BCE to 232 BCE. I thought it was interesting that the main characters, Asoka and his beloved, never once touch each other, yet love each other intensely. I found this version of romance to be refreshing because it wasn’t just about sex; it was about emotions as well.

And even within one genre, there is variety. For instance, the Japanese film "Battle Royale" is about as unpredictable as a horror film can get. You won’t see any girls running through the woods and getting killed by the lakeshore. This movie is about a school in which every year, fifty junior high students are isolated so they can fight each other to the death until one student remains. And the students can’t escape. Their movements are restricted by metal collars around their necks which contain tracking and listening devices; if any student should attempt to escape the school, a bomb will be detonated in the collar, killing the wearer. If no student dies in any 24-hour period, all collars will be detonated simultaneously. To encourage the students to be creative in their killing, the teachers provide them with knapsacks filled with random objects. It’s clear that the plot has been designed to fully exploit the graphic potential of the movie. But, I think the more interesting aspect of the film is how it depicts what people would do if they had both the liberty and imperative to kill. It’s like a social experiment. And it’s definitely more thought-provoking than empty plots of dumb teenagers who are completely blind to their surroundings and get mindlessly murdered by some freakish killer.

Now, as Asian films become more mainstream, especially with the recent success of Danny Boyle's Bollywood-inspired hit, "Slumdog Millionaire," I’m wondering whether these films, and more importantly, the viewers of these films, will retain an independent viewpoint. When something goes from independent to popular, I feel like it’s no longer special. It’s not that the films themselves become lower quality. It’s just that I’m not sure that everyone who watches them really understands, appreciates, and learns from them.

Keep up with the latest from Youth Radio. Follow @youthradio on Twitter. Live your digital life on Facebook? Become a fan of YMI-Youth Media International and get updates delivered right to your page.