Film Festival

[Anonymous]

I read an article on a new movie out of Southeast Asia called the Protector, in English. Written by Brian Hu, and readily available through the Asia and Pacific Arts section on the home page for the UCLA Asia Institute.

This movie stars a Thai man by the name of Jaa. In it, he tries to save two elephants who have been taken to Australia. The elephants are from his homeland.

The movie has been altered for American and other international audiences. Hu states that the cutting of certain scenes, "...represents and then explores certain (American?) values about Asian action...are authentic to its international audience."

Also, that despite the removal of about 30 minutes worth of video, the movie still provides a, "...heart attack of non-stop action." Furthermore, that the program "...maintain(s) pounding momentum." Finally, Hu states that it has an, "...unforgettable finale..."

The plot is understandable, despite the alterations.

Hu claims that, "...the Protector will be the film to lunge Jaa into the American conciousness."

After having read this article, I would like to view the movie. Not because I like heart-pounding action, but because it does sound interesting.

[Anonymous]

This 1983 animated film about a young boy who experiences the horrors of Hiroshima is gripping and powerful. The story begins with a poor family undergoing the deprivations and sacrifices that most Japanese people experienced toward the end of World War II. It centers on Keiji Nakazawa (Barefoot Gen), a six-year old boy in August 1945 and his life as it moves from hope to despair and on to a forced maturity. This story is anti-war autobiography written by Nakazawa himself, although it seems less political than it could have been from a viewpoint of Japanese and American relations.

Gen grew up with a father who blamed the Japanese military establishment for the deprivations of the war and was steadfastly anti-war at a time when most Japanese were gearing up to fight and hold onto their island nation to the death. Gen lost his father, two brothers (one just days old), and his sister in the Hiroshima blast. The infant child died due to the malnourisment they experienced in the days after the bombing. After the bombing Gen is now the "man of the house," where he nourishes his mother back to health and works hard in the days after the bombing to earn money, along with an adoptive orphaned child who looks like a carbon copy of his late younger brother.

This film is very graphic and tries to accurately portray what actually happened durring the bomb blast and its aftermath. To some people (myself included), the images are very disturbing and it shows the horrible effects of the bombs blast at the time of the blast and in the aftermath. Nakazawa goes to great lengths to portray the horrors of the war and ends the film with a statement of the wars effects on Japan and on all of humanity. He is not overbearing, but he lets the images speak loudly to the horrors of a nuclear nightmare.

It is a film that I would highly recommend as part of a nuclear war discussion or a discussion about the ending of World War II in a World History course. I have not been able to find a rating for this flm, but I believe I would want my students to get permission to view it from their parents because of the graphic scenes that are associated with it. It would probably carry an R rating here in the United States, but I would highly recommend it for its value in showing the horrors of war and the possibilities we face in our future.

[Anonymous]

Sept. 19, 2006 from Cathy Crawford, HS World History, 06 seminar
I watched a film last week entitled, "The Sea Is Watching". You can find it on google for producers, directors and actors with some interesting critiques and background info.
For those of you who have seen it, I jotted down some impressions and connections to our class. For those of you who have not seen it, I recommend it. Being new to Asian films, I like everything! But, being a romantic, I really like this one.
The story is about a group of women who are prostitutes in Edo period Japan, their hardships, their friendships and their relationships with clients. It's a small group, so you get to know their personalities and hierachy amongst themselves. One girl keeps falling in love with her clients. I don't dare give away the unfolding, as she falls deeply for a couple of different men; and so will you. That is, of course, if you like samurai and respect for women.
Meanwhile, the older men come in different shades of connection to the women. One is kind and is more like a brother juxtaposing the one who is frustrated and demeaning, and utimately, violent., The village takes care of its own, and the prostitutes take care of each other and support the female protaganist who loses her parents and brother, only to be responsible for her younger sister.
Storms are symbolic for the torrents of tears, for the winds of change and the breeze of a new beginning. Watch this film and be swept away with emotion and imagination. The directors went to great effort to recreate the time period and the social practices of the era.
For those of you who have seen it, here is my free flow.
Good vs evil
inhumanity, hope, humaity...redemption
cat fight detail (girls bickering and a cat meows angrily)
village life, kimonos, lanterns
sub titles, I find myself not reading consciously and hearing the timbre in the voice, since I don't undrestnad the words, except arigoto and a city or person's name
Poverty, prostitution, norms, finding the good in an unfortunate life
Irony (young samurai who did not realize O-Shin loved him)
Seasons change in a frame, microscopic of a few characters and one venue
Laugh, cry, marvel, ponder, gratitude, beauty
love for the patron......but, the love of the girls for each other
The interaction with the regulars, jealousy, theft, tenderness
The lies to help make life bearable

A frame could be seen as a piece of art; the colors, sounds, visual poetry

some critics feel it is trite. but I liked it

Afterall, I would not ordinarily watch a Japanese film; except after the UCLA class, it was homework!! And.....as itturns out, I enjoyed it. Because of the class:
I was more familiear with the period
I was more familiar with the caligraphy
I was more familiar wtih Japanese history in general
Key: I was much more conscious of film as an art and the camera angles, the use of persepctive (seeing from the character's eye, literally, not just his/her point of view!) Using the same tree to show cherry blossoms an then green, showing the season changed; same with the wheat swaying and the same field in snow, without any story, just to show us that the months and years go by. Smbolically, I see that the life of the prostitutes can't get better, that they are stuck. However, they dream and hope and encourage each other; that life can improve.
the lanterns going down the river and the prayers as they send them off.

The family banishment and pre arranged wedding of the samurai

The despair of the 2nd man O-Shin was in love with, talk of suicide and how he did not know how to get a good job (but, his kindness as an ophan feeding the dog and sleeping with him showed he was a good person)
the samurai is SUPPOSED to be noble and kind, yet he was oblivious to anyone's feelings, not malevolent, just brought up to be unaware, and egotistical by training.........whereas, thhe orphan was the good one; although he felt like a victim, he did not want to treat others the way he ha been treated
When we discuss the Golden Rule, maybe we should have students inverse it it to bring it home even more clealy.
Don't treat others the way you don't want to be treated.
I plan to show clips in class: kimonos, men's hair (que) and to get them used to sub tiltes, hearing Japanese language. The world is bigger than Temecula.

[Anonymous]

While this film would not be appropriate for a K-12 curriculum inclusion, it is worthy of renting, if for no other reason but to see some spectacular cinematography and to encounter a fable that follows the Buddist philosophy, featuring minimal dialogue yet profound visual symbolism. "Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter...and Spring" in it's pictoral elegance supercedes other Asian films I have encountered with regard to the depth of it's cinematography. Not only is it photographically rich but moreover, the camera captures the beauty of existence. This thought provoking film explores the simple moral lessons that dwell at the core of the Korean Buddhist culture through quiet seasonal portraits. Captured through the artistic conceptualization of South Korean director Kim Ki-duk, the picture has a quiet rhythm that punctuates each scene and keeps the story cohesive. As each season unfolds during the movie, a new part of a young monk's journey is revealed. Beginning with Spring and the innocence of his youth and moving to Summer and the challenges and conflicts of adolescence, the bad decisions made lead despair and regret in the Fall and finally resolution and final maturity during the Winter, which is followed of course by a new beginning, a rebirth. The Buddhist philosophical messages of adherence to sprituality and avoidance of want and desire because of their destructive nature are clearly evident, even to the Western mind because the cameraman's perspective and artistry leaves an enduring impression. Even the setting, atop the mountains, somewhere in Korea, with a floating monastery that sits on a lake, pays homage to the Buddhist theme of constant change and transition. Coming from a background in Shakespearean studies, the stages of life as told in this memorable cinematic piece reminds me of the seven stages of man so plainly set to paper by the Bard himself. Other traditions and cultures can relate to the central message of this tale but some of the lessons are purely Buddhist. The addition of various animal companions throughout the life of the Holy Man does suggest symbolic representation of reincarnation. A puppy is seen during the boy's youth, followed by a chicken, cat, snake and tortoise but none of the dialogue draws attention to the inclusion of the animals. The viewer must see the changes and make his or her own connections to the inherent Buddhist teachings. While one of the central characters, the master, is a great teacher, he hardly utters a word as the greatest lessons learned are through self discovery. Both at the beginning of the movie and at the end the young boy is meant to represent each one of us, for in the Buddhist tradition, as one sets out on life's path, one comes upon choices which allow us make the decision to succumb to the temptation therein or to master our own desire by refusing to give in and therefore controlling our own nature. The seasons provide a soft reminder of the cyclical nature of conception, maturation, expiration and rebirth as embraced by the Buddhists and as recognized by many other cultures throughout the world. This film as told in visual haiku is a true work of art and treat for the eyes as well as the mind. Most worthy to view and available at your local video store in the foreign film section. Enjoy![Edit by="spavelkagregg on Jan 9, 7:01:26 PM"][/Edit]

[Anonymous]

Midnight Angels with Cynthia Luster, Moon Lee, and Elaine Lui was a mildly entertaining movie. It is a Hong Kong martial arts crime-busting action movie distributed by Xenon Home Video. It was good to see women in action movies (1996) rather than just the damsel in distress.

[Edit by="dcolato on Oct 23, 1:30:25 PM"][/Edit]

[Anonymous]

I remember first seeing a Jackie Chan move when I was a student (1992) in Bangkok Thailand. It was his movie where he has a twin (it was released in the late 90's in the U.S.) and I saw it in a big theatre dubbed in Thai. Fast foward to his U.S. release of Rumble in the Bronx and I found it to be so cool. What other word is there to describe it? I didn't really like chinese films because they had those incredibly impossible fighting scenes where one hero battled 5,000 and he always won, not to mention could defy gravity. But as my experience in the asian culture grew i began to enjoy these films and understand their story. Rumble was just a fun movie.[Edit by="dcolato on Oct 23, 1:29:37 PM"][/Edit]

[Anonymous]

Apart from that Bruce Lee movie with Kareem Abdul Jabar (a classic), the first asian film I really remember having interest in (high school in the San fernando valley with mostly a hispanic community) was the Charles Bronson movie Kinjite: Forbidden Subjects. I didn't see it until many years later (it wasn't really all that good) but it interested me because of the western/asian combination that they used to bridge the gap for me to delve into full asian movies...[Edit by="dcolato on Oct 23, 1:28:55 PM"][/Edit]

[Anonymous]

And speaking of asian/western movies, I did enjoy the Christopher Lambert movie 'The Hunted." It was a good enough story of a high-powered business man in a "fish-out-of-water" enviornment in Asia. This movie really got me interested in how westerners view asia and is a good preview to the movie "rising sun" with wesley snipes and sean connery. [Edit by="dcolato on Oct 23, 1:28:15 PM"][/Edit]

[Anonymous]

Once I began to see more foreign films, especially asian ones I began to experiment with more than just the martial arts/crime syndicate ones. The Mystery of Rampo was one such film. One of the quotes which I always remember is:

I once heard the story of a desert traveler whose steps were off by a mere one centimeter. He walked in a circle forever...[Edit by="dcolato on Oct 23, 1:27:14 PM"][/Edit]

[Anonymous]

Comedy can be so culturally specific that it's "lost in translation." One of the first comedy movies i saw was the 1996 "Ermo" which is a tale of materialism, friends, and the quest for happiness. The humor which I know has a lot to do with play on words which can't be translated leads often time to view an asian comedy as slapstick. But the message hidden in the symbolism of Ermo's struggle to achieve something (in the movie's case the biggest t.v. in her village) and yet that goal is fleeting (since at the end of the movie the t.v. station stops broadcasting and she is left with everyone there to watch t.v. and yet nothing to see) is a real message to those that work hard for materialism. [Edit by="dcolato on Oct 23, 1:26:12 PM"][/Edit]

[Anonymous]

There are times when movies can get redundant. After watching a multitude of asian cinema I reached "The Story of Xinghua." Overloaded perhaps from the self-induced film festival I realized for the first time the asian formula for a drama: guy has girl. guy beats her. other guy wants her. then she leaves both. hillarity ensues. I burned out on this one. Sometimes the cinematography isn't enough.[Edit by="dcolato on Oct 23, 1:25:31 PM"][/Edit]

[Anonymous]

I started my China unit by showing "China's Lost Girls" to my 7th grade students. It is a National Geographic documentary hosted by Lisa Ling. It follows an American family on its journey to adopt a second Chinese baby from China. We started with this film to illustrate the connection between the present and the past. There are many dimensions to this film that middle school students can relate to. There is background and explanation of China's one child policy. The human affects of this are shown in interviews with Chinese families and Chinese people who discuss their shame that girls have been abandoned in favor of baby boys. The vast majority of my students have experience with adoption-- either they know somebody who has been adopted or may have been adopted themselves. It was interesting to see how quickly the young children assimilated into "American" culture once they were adopted.

[Anonymous]

Mulan

I am going to use the movie Mulan to teach Chinese culture to my students. I sometimes shy away from using any Disney movie to teach history, especially since Disney has sometimes been accused of having a somewhat revisionist view when it comes to interpreting historical fact, i.e. Remember the Alamo, Pocahontas, Fantasia… However, I feel Disney was accurate and most of all, faithful to Chinese culture with Mulan. I can stop and start my video for commentary at almost any point in the movie to talk about something related to Chinese culture.

The first thing I would point out is how the signal flares were lit to warn the Chinese army of invaders. Scholars to this day do not know how those flares were lit to signal danger, but this is a good question and answer for my students to surmise how it was done.

Next, I would explain the context of the Hun invasion into China during this time period. I can also mention the Mongol invasion and its influence on China. I could elaborate at length about this, and the subject matter is relevant for both 6th and 7th graders.

The next representation is the philosophy surrounding ancestor worship. The scenes where Mulan and her family ask for intervention from their ancestors are textbook Chinese belief, and Disney does it with humor, sincerity, and reverence. I talk about this idea as a compare and contrast segment in my class between various religious beliefs around the world, and personalize it with my students with their own beliefs and ideas about their ancestors.

We also talk about the idea of “saving face,” which is the desire to not appear weak or look bad in the eyes of others. Face is all about how other people view you. The twist here is a gender issue mixed in with the idea of saving face and upholding family honor when it comes to the duties and obligations of individuals in a family. The story line is magnificent in showing traditional gender values, the taboos of offending those values, and the ramifications of crossing the line when these values are not upheld.

This lends itself well to Confucian concepts, and I examine this concept to my students for detailed analysis with the help of the movie as a springboard to stimulate discussion.

Overall, Mulan is a fun movie which is very well done, and is an achievement to the animation technology that was cutting edge at the time. It is also a true and spirited story that is endearing to all who watch it.

[Anonymous]

I love Shall We Dance! The Asian version is so much more interesting and funnier than the American version.

The feeling of being alone was greatly and brilliantly portrayed in the Asian film. When I saw the Jennifer Lopez version, I was sadly disappointed.

[Anonymous]

Hey fellow teachers:

I'm an anime watcher and when I get to use film in class, I get excited--especially when I get to use animes.

One anime I have shown my class is Miyazaki's, Spirited Away. A+ movie! I fell in love with this movie a few years ago. This movie incorporates traditional Japanese beliefs and customs mixed in with modernization occuring in Japan.

In the classroom environment (I teach 7th grade world history), I tied in Shintoism, cultural norms, and the affects of modernization that I teach to my students with what goes on in the film. My students were able to recall what they have learned in class and relate the content to what they see in the film.

The majority of the Studio Ghibli films are usually pretty good. Most of them are not like western cartoons at all, in fact, if you are not familiar with Miyazaki's film, it can be pretty abstract. But your students will enjoy them!

[Author]

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