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The original was posted on /r/selfhosted by /u/Important-Cherry3311 on 2025-05-17 18:16:57+00:00.

Hey everyone,

I wanted to share an unexpected but welcome outcome of getting into self-hosting: it pulled me deep into the world of cinema, not just mainstream Hollywood stuff, but rare, untranslated, and hard-to-find films you won’t see on the usual streaming platforms.

One of the coolest things is how it’s surprised even my friends. They’ve been genuinely impressed by my growing collection of Soviet films and other obscure titles.

But beyond just building a collection, it’s had a real impact on my friendships. A few long-distance friends and I had been slowly drifting apart, mostly because we didn’t have many chances to connect. Now, we watch films on Jellyfin or Plex together almost every day through my self-hosted setup, and we’ve gotten into long, meaningful conversations about what we watch. It’s become a shared ritual that’s brought us a lot closer.

If you’re just starting out, I hope this hobby brings you as much joy and connection as it has brought me.