In a darkened room, we are watching a movie with someone we care about. Emotional scenes draw us in. Our feelings are both personal and universal. Afterwards, we talk about the film. The discussion helps us express things we have been feeling. The exchange is only partly about the story. It's also about ourselves.

In many ways, we live in stories. Our hopes, dreams, and sorrows form narrative maps for our journeys. Movies mirror the vivid inner adventures that unfold even as we go through everyday routines. They show us how to find direction and purpose amidst the ordinary chaos of our lives.

Films can evoke subtle feelings. We might intentional watch sad movies. Poignant scenes touch us deeply. Tragic stories can be comforting, reminding us that adversity is a normal part of everyday life. Cinema provides a mirror to our fullrange of emotions.

After all, we're not just seeing a movie, we're inside the story. In a sense, the adventure unfolds deep within us. That is, the dramatic tensions can reflect clashes of values and desires.

Many movies have clear psychological metaphors. Some examples from popular titles come to mind. In Avatar, we reclaim a love for nature while working our way out of depression. In Frozen, we're reawakening emotionally after a long period of detachment. On the Titanic, we leap over class barriers to connect with possibilities we thought were beyond our reach.

The Incredibles could be seen as our own inner range of specialized gifts. The Hunger Games could reflect our awareness that survival takes courage. The quest of Finding Dory, could be remembering who we really are. In The Hobbit, we learn collective action is essential, as is our struggle with temptation, and working to integrate divergent inner energies.

We can look at screen stories as our inner work. In Beauty and the Beast, we're accepting the part of ourselves that has always seemed ugly. Inside Out is about pulling ourselves together while recovering from fear and despair. The Fantastic Beasts are the inner energies that are just plain weird. In Captain Marvel and Wonder Woman, we're claiming skills to solve problems larger than we are.

Of course, there are many private insights to be found in every movie. Have you ever noticed that when you go to a movie with a friend, they see it incorrectly? Everybody sees a different story. In Black Panther, one person might focus on the protagonist, another on the brilliant scientist sister -- and someone else on the noble high priest Zuri. Details involving our own issues will tend to stand out.

Our deep attachment to favorite films can lead to veneration. I have made the trip to the Shire. It is a beautiful hillside covered with Hobbit-holes in New Zealand. To visitors, it is where magical stories unfolded. I also went to see Dorothy's Ruby Slippers in the Smithsonian, and boarded the original African Queen steamboat, now in Florida.

Fans come to such sites out of appreciation for the memorable experience of films. Like a pilgrimage to Mecca, Jerusalem, or Varanasi, seekers yearn to see places and artifacts that represent significant narratives. The longing is akin to the devotion felt toward holy relics in ancient cathedrals.

Reflecting on a lifetime of loving films, we might remember seeing certain titles at particular ages. There were the important movies of childhood. There were the special date films of youth. We might catch ourselves watching differently as we get older. Our attention may shift to different characters, perhaps focusing less on Harry Potter and Hermione Granger, while identifying more with Minerva McGonagall and Albus Dumbledore.

Symbolically, movie stars are among the archetypal figures of our time. In our dreams, they may play the role of visiting gods. Sometimes they represent our fantasy lives. They express longings we had yet recognized were stirring inside.

Attending the Santa Barbara Film Festival is a chance to be among living icons. It is a movie lover's Eden. We get to hear Robert Redford in person, commenting on a long career. Amy Adams was amazingly open about how much raw emotion goes into her roles. Colin Firth was still dealing with fan reactions to his portrayal of Mr. Darcy years before. Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio chatted away on the power of movies. Nicole Kidman stayed composed while clips of her in intense scenes flickered by. These were like visitations from angelic hosts.

We get to peek into that magical dimension where dramas unfold that change us forever.