I enjoy Awards season partly because we’re fortunate to receive screeners via email and snail mail. I now prefer watching the nominated movies at home. This year, there are so many powerful films and there’s a similar thread among them.

On reflecting on ‘why’ film, movies, cinema – whatever you prefer to call it – are universally loved, I found there’s a simple, common theme. Next to a novel, film is the only medium that can truly tell a story at a decent length in one sitting.

We love film. Why? Because in every film, there’s a story sharing the human condition, visually exposing life as it is, has been and sometimes showing ‘what should have been.’ In almost every film this year, people can relate to parts, if not all, of each story.

Think about some of this year’s films…

The Big Short, Concussion, Straight Outta Compton, Spotlight, Beasts Of No Nation to name a few…

In the Big Short, the 2008 crash. I’m sure a few of you were laid-off after that. I was in August 2009. That story needed a birth and in my opinion, was born through a flawless cast.

Concussion. Football. Head injuries. One of the main reasons my son knows he’s limited to flag football. Please stick to basketball, Ravi.

Straight Outta Compton.  Living in Downtown LA we weren’t ‘that far’ from Compton although technically we were worlds apart. I remember flying into LAX after a trip and seeing the city on fire during the 1992 riots. The city was on complete lock-down. Personally, as a fellow poet, seeing a young Ice Cube writing poetry on his school bus was inspiring. Yet, another necessary story  – cross-cultures.

Spotlight. Who can’t relate to the anger and tragedy of the abuse of power? Physical and sexual abuse aside, spiritual abuse is the most deceitful and manipulative abuse of all. We imagine our own children living through that nightmare in Boston. God bless (truly) the whistleblowers ‘who called evil evil’ and exposed it.

Beasts Of No Nation. A gripping film of colorful force that’s hard to watch, but important to do so. Most of us in America can’t fathom living in that world, and to watch an innocent child transformed into a hardened solider was disturbing. The 15-year-old Ghanaian actor was most impressive.

You don’t have time for all my opinions on all the nominated films, as there are many great ones; yet, the aforementioned touched me.

Film are stories. Great stories make great films. We all have stories. We’re touched by the stories we see ourselves in or others we love.

Stories connect us as human beings.

Tell your stories. They need to be told.