I discovered Disney movies whilst living in Tripoli, Libya. One of my British neighbours cleverly converted part of his living room into a VCR library. The villas we lived in were quite large and probably too big for a single person to live in so he used his space efficiently. If you are reading this and you don't know what VCR is then you are too young. Well there is no such thing as too young, it just means you are really young and that's ok. Being young is cool.
Let's recap on what VCR is. Long before DVD's and CD's came along, VCR is what the average human used to watch movies. They were these large cassette looking objects that you insert into the VCR device to play them. Please see photo below:
Once I discovered that my neighbour had this service, I used to go there every weekend to rent two movies so I can watch them throughout the week only to return on the following weekend to get two new movies. While visiting his place, he usually entertained guests. Many of them also British. I used to eavesdrop on their conversations. That was the time of my life when I was first starting to learn English so I didn't quite catch everything and honestly, their accents were quite difficult to comprehend.
I learnt that my neighbour was once married and now divorced and moved to Libya to start a new life. He loved movies he told me once and wanted to share that love with others. He would bring a suitcase full of VCR tapes from the UK upon each trip until he built this giant library.
He had a huge section designated to Disney movies. I don't remember all the movies I watched at the time but a few became my favourites. Let me tell me more about those and why I loved them.
Mulan
I loved Mulan so much. This legendary Chinese character defied all social conventions. Mulan's main journey started when she disguised herself as a man to replace her father in military service when the Emperor called for soldiers to defend the country. Since she didn't have a brother, she took her father's place instead. For years, Mulan fought alongside male soldiers and endured the hardships of military life. She was courageous and also ridiculous to have been able to pull off something like this. Mulan is courageous, loyal, and funny. Her antics made me laugh throughout the movie. No one knew she was a man yet she was treated like one and recognized for her achievements in spite of her differences from the men around her. Mulan is a symbol of strength. Mulan never joined the army seeking recognition. It was because of a deeply personal decision to protect her father but her endurance eventually earned her respect. Mulan is an action lady who who doesn't talk much but walks the walk.
Anastasia
This movie didn't originally belong to Disney but eventually Century Fox got bought by Disney. The story starts with Anya as Anastasia, the Grand Duchess of the Russian Royal family. Then the Russian Revolution happened and Anastasia becomes separated from her family during an attack and sustains a head injury that leaves her with amnesia. After that incident, she grows up in an orphanage and goes by the name of Anya and she made a big decision to take control of her fate. She decides to set out for Paris to find the truth about her family and discover her identity. From the get go, you can tell that Anya is very independent, curious, witty, and courageous. Her story is not about a Disney princess but a regular girl who is trying to find her place in the world. Her story is a coming of age story disguised as a fairy tale. Anya doesn't behave like a typical princess and she's a little rough around the edges. I don't know what drew me to this character at such a young age but now I see that it resonates with my character in adulthood. I was always a princess but I got a bit roughed up. Anya meets interesting characters along her journey and eventually finds her grandmother and uncovers her real identity but she realizes that happiness isn't necessarily going back to who she used to be but a choice based on who she has become. The person that her journey has shaped her to be.
Beauty and the Beast
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I liked Belle because she was so smart and elegant. She loved books and reading and exploring the world around her through books. Unlike other princesses whose dreams centre around finding Mr. Right and social status, Belle dreamt of a world far beyond her simple French village. A world full of adventure and intellectual freedom. I don't need to recount the story for you, I am sure you know it well. Belle ends up entrapped in the castle of the Beast because she wanted to save her elderly father from that fate so she took his place instead. An act of courage and love. Belle does not fear the Beast and instead becomes engulfed in his world of magical objects and walls of books, more than she can read. What I love about Belle is her ability to discern and read people's character correctly before accepting superficial judgements. Belle helps transform the Beast because she saw goodness in him. Her greatest act of defiance is perhaps not falling in love with the Beast but her refusal to settle for a life in which she wouldn't be allowed to be fully herself.
I still love those characters and writing this post made me feel nostalgic. This was almost 30 years ago but it surprises me that my perspective on those characters hasn't changed. I still love those same character traits they had and still love their story lines.
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