Years ago, in the aftermath of 9/11, I lost my beloved job as an online magazine editor. They had to make cuts, and within a few months, the magazine I'd worked for since graduating from college was shuttered. I spent many weeks (months, actually) trying to find a new job while collecting unemployment checks. It was a tough time, and finding good jobs that paid the rent and bills was a struggle. I spent my mornings searching for suitable employment via online job boards and networking, and my afternoons finding refuge on the couch watching subtitled French films.

Having traveled to France a year prior with my mom (when I was employed and making more money than I ever had), I had a connection with and a love for all things French, especially French cinema. Watching French sub-titled movies brought me a sense of comfort and whisked me away from my reality of being jobless and sad about the state of our country. (Keep in mind, these movies are all deep, mostly dark, and, for the most part, will make you cry — so why I yearned for these types of films to make me feel less unhappy is still a bit of a mystery to me.)