At first, I didn't feel that the male protagonist went from France to Spain to study. The culture and language of the two countries are so similar, I don't think it's a big deal. It's like going from one province to another in China.
For a long time, I felt homesickness was something unique to Chinese or Asian students. Because I have long heard that Europeans are not as affectionate as Asians to where they belong. People from EU countries, once they don’t want to stay in their own country, can migrate to another EU country without a visa. The relationship is not as close as the Chinese or Asians, and people are more distant. Unexpectedly, when the male protagonist left France to say goodbye to his family, he cried. At that moment, I realized that in fact, everyone is the same. Knowing that I am going to an unfamiliar environment, I will feel homesick. That scene really touched me. When I first left China, I held back my tears and got on the plane.
I think my family background is very similar to that of the male protagonist. He was supposed to live step by step. Just like me, everything is arranged by my family. If I hadn't gone abroad to study, I would now be living in an ordinary university in China and living step by step. (Study abroad was the only time I made my own choice.) I noticed this when I watched it, and it was touched again.
When he came to the local area, he was not familiar with the place of life. He went door-to-door to find a house for rent and struggled to find a house to rent. He had cultural collisions with his roommates, as well as language differences, and finally got in touch. I have experienced both of these. It took a lot of courage for me to decide to find a roommate to share the rent, and I have very few professional Chinese. I didn't know who I was going to meet before. I also have three roommates, one is a young lady from Colombia, one is a native Australian lady, and the other is an exchange student from Denmark, who is also a young lady. We are all from different countries, and of course there are differences in language and culture, but fortunately, they are all very nice, willing to be friends with me, and willing to help me integrate into Australian society. The young lady from Colombia took good care of me and always encouraged me to speak more English, communicate more, and not to close myself in my own world. It's been a year in college, and the three of them have accompanied me the most. Because of them, I joined two clubs and often went out for activities, and we often played together after the holidays. Because of them, my study pressure is not so serious, especially my dissertation. Every time I see my grammar mistakes, Miss Australia will help me to correct them. The Spanish apartment talks about the collision and run-in between the male protagonist and his roommate. Every moment they get along is ordinary and full of joy. Every culture has its own special features, and each culture has different barriers from other cultures, but when you go out, the barriers may become smaller and smaller. I like the cultural meme in the play very much. The fuc (French, school meaning) that the male protagonist from France said his mother was heard by the British roommate as a foul language! Hahahaha... I inexplicably remembered an embarrassing English conversation with my roommate, Miss Australia.
At the end, the male protagonist has finished reading for a year and is going back to France. Seeing this, I really burst into tears, how much he missed those European friends who accompanied him in foreign countries, those friends who encouraged him to cheer up when he was lonely, but he was the first to leave! He is leaving his friends. How similar is my situation! My roommate, Miss Denmark, is just an exchange student. She has exchanged for a year and is going back to Denmark. Miss Australia and Miss Colombia are graduating from university soon. One is going back to her original city to find a job, and the other is going back to China. I have a very reluctant feeling. After all, it is my roommate who has been with me for almost a year.
Just like in the Spanish apartment, when I came to Spain and experienced everything, the male protagonist discovered how memorable his experiences were. New country, new people, new language, new place to belong. I thought of myself again, and once again found that the experience of studying abroad between two countries from completely different cultures is surprisingly similar! One year after I came to Australia, I actually have a little nostalgia for this slow-paced country. I miss my country and I miss Australia.
A simple film about the joys and sorrows of international students, but it moved me deeply.
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