Triple portrait shows humanity

I want to congratulate Reed Johnson on his highly interesting and articulate piece [“A Bond Beyond Borders,” Oct. 1]. Although I am familiar with most of the work of these directors-auteurs, it made me want to look again at their films and look for similarities.

The part that intrigued me most was the mutual friendship these men share and what Johnson had to say about the message of their films and how these men inspire us.

Their social awareness and their upbringing has shaped them and allowed them to put things in perspective.

I especially liked the last sentence of his article about how Alejandro Inarritu became a hopeful man:

“Children, like foreign encounters and uncommon friendships, will do that to you sometimes.”

I am looking forward to reading more of Johnson’s work.

MIKE KARABA

Los Angeles

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I never go to the movies, but I am always interested in what is being fed to the masses. I also like to hear what the players in Hollywood cite as the reasons for their creations. I find that their opinions are opportunities for them to acknowledge their humanity. Sometimes the glamour of this sickening industry robs these players of their most basic human sense of being. In their daily lives of silence they become aware of how frail and vulnerable we all are and how futile the images they portray are.

I liked Reed Johnson’s article because he portrayed these three men in a very balanced way. I was able to see their humanity. That is important -- that we see them as people and not ghosts or idols.

As a Mexican, I am happy for the success of these three men in the United Sates. It is good to have people express universal truths in different lights and contexts. I am proud of these three men as they are part of a generation of people who, like me, had to leave our country in search for a better way of life. We are contributors to our adopting communities -- Germany in my case -- and also to our motherland: Mexico.

RAUL CERVANTES

Dusseldorf