When I was 16, I felt very relieved to discover cinema. It was like an island where I could see life and death from another perspective. Every young person should be interested in that island. It's a beautiful place.

The quote "When I was 16, I felt very relieved to discover cinema. It was like an island where I could see life and death from another perspective. Every young person should be interested in that island. It's a beautiful place" by Leos Carax reflects his deep emotional connection to cinema as a transformative medium. Carax, a renowned French filmmaker known for his avant-garde style, describes how discovering cinema at a young age provided him with a way to understand and engage with the complexities of life and death. For Carax, cinema became a refuge—a space where he could explore these themes in a new, imaginative context.

By comparing cinema to an island, Carax underscores the idea that films offer a unique and isolated space, different from the everyday experience of life. Cinema allowed him to view the world from multiple perspectives, offering a sense of freedom to explore profound human themes. The metaphor of an island also suggests that cinema is a place for reflection and personal discovery, where one can temporarily escape the constraints of reality and engage with life’s deepest questions through the art of storytelling.

Carax also emphasizes that cinema is a beautiful place, indicating the immense value he places on the emotional and intellectual impact films can have. For him, cinema is more than entertainment; it’s a way to engage with the world’s complexities and to see both life and death from a distance, perhaps with more clarity or depth. His message encourages young people to explore this medium, suggesting that doing so can open their minds to different views and offer a deeper understanding of the human condition.

Ultimately, this quote captures Carax’s belief in the power of cinema to shape and broaden perspectives. It’s an invitation to young people to engage with this art form not just for entertainment, but as a way to challenge their thinking, embrace beauty, and reflect on the fundamental aspects of existence. Cinema, for Carax, is a portal to explore life and death from an entirely different vantage point.