Lost in Translation | Film by Sofia Coppola (writer, director and producer)

Lost in Translation, to summarise the film waaaaay too simply, is about two people (Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson) who don’t particularly want to be in Tokyo… but they’re kinda stuck there. They develop a connection, based on their initial annoyance at being stuck and their subsequent realisation that, actually, they’re having a great time.

Both characters are lost in their personal lives, struggling with relationships. The fact that they’re also lost in an alien culture is, rather than being a further problem, actually a release — they’re able to simply be strangers. This, I think, is a huge part of why many people love to travel — the ability to be a stranger, meeting other strangers. Unlikely friendships develop, like the one between Murray and Johansson.

Along with Into The Wild, one of my favourite films.