President Donald Trump announced earlier this month, “WE WANT MOVIES MADE IN AMERICA, AGAIN!” and as a result is imposing 100% tariffs on all international films produced outside of the U.S. The goal? To bring film production back to American soil. But what this really means is that international films will become significantly more expensive to access, and it will be more costly for American productions to film abroad. So the question stands: is raising tariffs really the answer to improving American filmmaking? 

As a film student, I see this as a step backwards. While the intention may be to revive Hollywood, slapping higher prices on foreign films can’t be the solution. It’s just stripping away access to a creative world we’ve spent decades building. This policy is not a revival, it’s a restriction.

Film has always been a way to connect with stories outside our immediate reality. Whether it’s a small village in India or a lively street in Tokyo, international films let us step into lives and cultures completely different from our own. That’s the whole point of filmmaking: it’s storytelling. The things we see, the places we go, the people we meet — even if it’s only through a screen — they all shape the stories we tell and how we see others. 

When you can’t book a trip to South Korea, you can always turn on “Parasite” and be completely immersed in their world. There are stories happening around the world that many of us don’t even consider, stories that can be hard to believe are real. Every film has a purpose, and often that purpose is to show us what life is really like somewhere else. 

Parker Jones, a freshman sound recording technology major, recalls watching the Bollywood film “Student of the Year,” introduced to him by a close friend. He said learning about the culture in that way was a special experience only possible through film. 

“International films effortlessly share aspects of culture and history we might never experience firsthand,” Jones said. “Imposing tariffs on foreign films only disconnects the U.S. from other countries and deepens polarization.”

I get why there’s a desire to support and profit from our own film industry, but the reality is that a lot of the films we see here tend to come from a single perspective, an American one. Since filmmakers naturally create from their own experiences and surroundings, if most movies are made only in the U.S. we end up seeing the world through just one lens. That’s a pretty narrow way of thinking. As film students, we’re constantly encouraged to watch movies from other countries to discover new possibilities and storytelling techniques. In fact, many American filmmakers have drawn inspiration from foreign films.

When we cut ourselves off from international films, we lose the chance to learn something new. Gabe Holt, a film and TV student at DePaul, recalls watching “I’m Still Here.”  

“Last year’s ‘I’m Still Here,’ a film from Brazil, familiarized audiences with the Brazilian military dictatorship that was in power during the ‘60s. That’s something I’m willing to bet many people who saw the movie weren’t incredibly aware of.” 

And Holt is exactly right. International films don’t just entertain. They educate. 

If international movies become more expensive and harder to access, most people won’t go out of their way to find them. And that’s when the disconnect grows. When someone visits America, chances are they’ve seen a few Hollywood movies. They’ve done some research, learned how things work around here and we take comfort in that. It feels good knowing someone from across the world understands even a little piece of our culture. But don’t other countries deserve that same level of understanding from us? Watching a film from another country lets us walk away with an understanding of what life is like on that side of the world. 

For Volodymyr Mykhayluk, a freshman computer science major, seeing people engage with international films like the Russian movie “Soulless” felt like a kind of recognition. 

“It was cool to see because I could understand most of it. I’d feel more connected to someone who’s watched it because they get it. Even watching it myself made me feel proud — like a part of my culture was being seen,” Mykhayluk said. 

When people only consume films made within their own cultural bubble, they lose the opportunity to understand lives and perspectives outside their own. Rachael Mason, a film and TV professor at DePaul University, warns that this kind of ignorance can have real consequences.

“When people only watch films made in their own bubble, they care less about those outside it,” Mason said. “Most Americans never leave their state. It’s willful ignorance. Yes, that movie shot in Tahiti was made in America. Sure.” 

Without access to global stories, audiences risk sticking to stereotypes. Cinema is a tool for connection and these tariffs are pushing us further away from each other. 

Many of us don’t realize that some of our favorite American films were actually filmed abroad. The choice of location plays an important role in setting the mood, atmosphere and authenticity that a story demands. Some of the biggest blockbusters you love wouldn’t feel the same without those specific settings. International partnerships are an essential part of the process in creating authentic films.

“We already coproduce with China, Canada, the UK, Mexico, to name a few,” Mason said. “‘Game of Thrones’ was shot in six countries.” 

Similarly, “The Lord of the Rings” movies were filmed entirely in New Zealand. These examples show that filming abroad isn’t just about cost or convenience; it’s about capturing unique environments that bring stories to life in ways a studio set simply can’t replicate.

Trump says the tariffs are about saving Hollywood but the truth is people don’t stop watching movies because of where they’re made. They stop watching when the stories aren’t good. A boring film is boring no matter where it’s made, and a great film? Well, it’s great anywhere. As Mason puts it, “Best wine? France. Best car? Germany. Made in the USA is fine, but true quality doesn’t have borders.”

Hollywood’s decline isn’t just about competition from international films or foreign markets. It’s also tied to how America’s economy has shifted in recent years. 

Jess King, a film and TV professor at DePaul, says it has to do with the focus shifting from producing culture to producing profit. 

“Hollywood’s decline is part of America’s decline. The streaming era coincided with an overall trend towards hyper-capitalist financialization, which prioritizes shareholders over the viewing public and leveraged buyouts over investing in creators and new ideas,” King said. “Tariffs are not going to solve the problems of hyper-financialization.”

This is the real issue, and the push for tariffs on international films proves it. Cutting off international films doesn’t protect American cinema, it limits it. If we want a thriving film industry, we have to embrace the world, not shut it out. 

So, no, tariffs won’t save Hollywood. And at the end of the day, it’s better to build bridges than walls. If we want a future where film continues to connect people, we have to keep the doors and our minds open. Stories aren’t meant to stay in one place and they shouldn’t have to.

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