I loved the movie "Lust, Caution". Interestingly enough, the sex was key to the storyline--what a girl "has to do" or "is forced to do" for a cause. All the men use her to achieve their goals--even men that really love her.
Some Terra Cotta Warriors are coming to the Bower Museum in Santa Ana for a special exhibit. The exhibit opens mid May and runs for several months. I'm going in May. I'll post a review after I visit.
This is the novel that doesn't stay on the shelf in my 9th grade English classroom. "American Born Chinese" by Gene Luen Yang is such a hit that students cluster around it almost everyday. Many have read it during Friday's Outside Reading day when they finish their required Outside Reading BOok. I considering teaching it next year along with a unit on Asian literature which I am developing for my USC/China class. I recommended it to a teacher that teachs a high school class called The Graphic Novel. He is adding "American Born Chinese" to the curriculum that includes Maus.
I read "American Born Chinese" on an airplane and the stranger sitting next to me couldn't stop reading over my shoulder. The books is addicting.
Watch Kung fu, enjoy the Chinese music and Chinese painting, laugh at the same time, you can get all these just in one movie----KUNG FU PANDA
Enthusiastic, big and a little clumsy, Po is the biggest fan of Kung Fu around…which doesn’t exactly come in handy while working every day in his family’s noodle shop. Unexpectedly chosen to fulfill an ancient prophecy, Po’s dreams become reality when he joins the world of Kung Fu and studies alongside his idols—the legendary fighters Tigress, Crane, Mantis, Viper and Monkey—under the leadership of their guru, Master Shifu. But before they know it, the vengeful and treacherous snow leopard Tai Lung is headed their way, and it’s up to Po to defend everyone from the oncoming threat. Can he turn his dreams of becoming a Kung Fu master into reality? Po puts his heart - and his girth - into the task, and the unlikely hero ultimately finds that his greatest weaknesses turn out to be his greatest strengths.
Comedy Rating: Not yet rated In Theatres: June 6th, 2008
Mark Osborne, John Stevenson (dir.) Jack Black Dustin Hoffman Angelina Jolie Jackie Chan Lucy Liu
By Barbara N. Ramusack, Sharon Sievers Published 1999 Indiana University Press
266 pages ISBN:0253212677
...... In childhood a woman should be under her father's control, in youth under her husband's, and when her husband is dead, under her sons'. She should not have independence." Instead, she must follow the ‘three submissions.’In childhood a woman should be under her father's control, in youth under her husband's, and when her husband is dead, under her sons'. She should not have independence. .....
A great Chinese writer and novelist is Ha Jin and I was so happy to read his work In the Pond.
This books came out in 1998 and was met with rave reviews. He speaks to the working class and from the working class perspective. My grandmother recommended it to me. She knows some Chinese and said that the translation into English really retains the Chinese perspective and some of the idioms.
I speak highly of this book. Jin is a poet and an novelist and his talent is well felt. the prose offered about the plight of working people to keep their worthiness while undergoing the oppression from above.
Another fabulous book that I have read lately and and would love to relate to all of you is a book set in China from an American Missionary's position written by John Dalton. Heaven Lake covers almost the entire geography of China, describing many different co-cultures within th country. He also is offers a wonderful description of the country side and life in the urban centers.
I also enjoyed the book for his introduction into the storyline the highly developed female Chinese characters. There are about five in the book and they each offer a unique view of the modern Chinese woman.
This book is not short, but is an interesting jump into the culture through the juxtaposition of the Christian world-view that gets tipped on its head.
I really enjoyed reading Ha Jin’s novel about the Korean War, War Trash,. This novel involved a student, during the Kuomintang Nationalists regime, at the national military academy. He graduates just as Mao takes control of China and the PRC is created. Commissioned an officer in the Chinese People’s Liberation Army , he is sent to war in Korea. He quickly becomes a prisoner of war and the POW compound becomes a new war zone between those CPLA soldiers who were conscripted by the PRC but were loyal to the Kuomintang versus those loyal to PRC- a very complex and interesting read.
The New York Times Book Review section this passed weekend also had some great book reviews featuring several Chinese authors including • Life and Death are Wearing Me Out by Mo Yan • A Song of Everlasting Sorrow by Wang Anyi • Serve the People by Yan Lianke • Wolf Totem by Jiang Rong
(This is the second time I've posted this. I don't know where the first one went. If it shows up as a duplicate, sorry).
On Friday, May 23, 2008, a movie called "the Children of the Huang Shi" will be released at five theaters: West Los Angeles (Landmark); Alhambra (Edwards Atlantic); Costa Mesa (Regency); Encino's Laemmle; and Pasadena's Laemmle. Visit the movie site at www.thechildrenofhuangshi.com to see the trailer. It has been described as "A feel-good treat" by Karen Durbin of Elle Magazine. But when I viewed the trailer, there's a lot of fighting so I'm guessing that the ending must be very heartwarming. It is based on the true story of a British journalist and American nurse who meet up with a Chinese man and attempt the rescue of 60 Chinese orphans during the Japanese occupation of Nanjing in the 1930s. The movie site has a History feature and talks about the Resistance movements. There is reference to Iris Chang's book The Rape of Nanjing as it discusses the differences in the numbers estimated to have been killed by the Japanese soldiers. The Japanese government report one (low) number; the Chinese and other researchers estimate a much higher figure. The movie is rated R, probably for the violence as the Japanese were brutal in their torture and atrocities committed against the Chinese, even women and children. A few weeks ago one of our World History teachers (high school) asked me about resources on this topic. I will tell him about the movie coming up. Looks like a "Must-See-for-Me" movie although I will probably wait until there is wider distribution of the movie. I wonder what the people in Japan will say about this portrayal, if it is even promoted there. Will be interesting to see. The movie Website describes the film as "discovers the true meaning of love, responsibiliity and courage."[Edit by="willoughbyak on May 18, 3:47:45 PM"][/Edit]
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter, and Spring - Agreed...a great film!
It seems as though films with Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese culture are being released in droves at the local Blockbuster stores. I still haven't had the stomach to watch the film about the rapes in Nanjing. On the lighter side, The Walt Disney Co. plans to release its first coproduced film in China in 2009. The Secret of the Magic Gourd, Disney's first film made in China for Chinese viewers, in Mandarin, is a coproduction among Buena Vista International, Inc., the international theatrical distribution arm of the Walt Disney Studios; Centro Digital Pictures Ltd., a visual effects production company in Hong Kong; and the China Film Group Corp. The film is an adaptation of a children's novel written by the late Chinese author Zhang Tianyi in the 1950s. Outside of the Chinese experience, yet still inside East Asia, films like The Darjeeling Limited and Namesake - both influenced by the culture, people, and landscape of India are truly worthwhile. When engaging in a comparison of cultural traditions, family values, or encounters with cultures other than one's own - clips of these films can go a long way toward promoting active discussion inside the classroom.
Go to www.Bower.org and order your tickets! The Exhibit is great. Allow at least two hours for your initial visit.
There are books and vidoes for sale at the Exhibit Gift Shop that looked like great additions to the school library. The Coffee Table book was expensive but would be a wonderful purchase.
The website does not have Teacher Guides or other information on it yet. Why not? The museum has a wonderful children's program so I am surprised they were not ready to go when the exhibit opened. Keep checking.
An easy read, I suggest this book for your classroom library: The Emporer's Silent Army by Jane O'Connor (Viking, 2002).
This is an excellent read as are the more recent books by author Lisa See. She meticulously researched the history of her great-grandfather and traced the family tree throughout California, Los Angeles, and Fujian, China. This is a must read for anyone interested in Chinese history and/or Angeleno politics.
The See Family is a major contributor to the Autry Museum. There was a wonderful exhibit at the museum several years ago about the Chinese in Southern California sponsored by the See Foundation.
The Pacific Asia Museum in Pasadena was a private home of a woman who collected Chinese objects d'art and bought many items from the elder See. Many of her treasures are on view at the museum. It's not far from Vroman's Bookstore.
Most Angelenos do not know that the Original Chinatown was demolished and moved to the present site on Broadway/Spring streets. The Amtrack station was built where the old Chinatown once stood. If you want to visit the Chinese cemetery you must travel to Boyle Heights to Evergreen Cemetery.
Both the Autry Museum and the Pacific Asia museum have education departments and programs for students.
It's known Graveyard of the Fireflies out here. I just used this film during my World War II unit. The students were drawn into the movie and many cried at the end. The film is heart-wrenching, beautiful and relevant to any discussion of the human impact of WWII on civilians. I use this film in conjunction with "Barefoot Gen"
I hope everyone had a chance to use the free movie passes to see, "Mongol", that I posted. I went last night and I must say it was worth the 2-hour wait in line. It was an epic film, but not in the traditional sense. The battle scenes were not unbearable nor too graphic (except for the scene where a guard's face is smashed in), but it definitely deserves the R-rating.
This fictional story of the humble beginnings of Ghengis Khan shed a lot of light (for me) on the language, culture & people of early Mongol as well as their reservations about the Chinese people. It is presented in its original languages of Mandarin and Mongolian dialects, which I highly appreciated. My mandarin is very limited now due to lack of use, but I could definitely distinguish the dialect of the Mongolian people from that of Mandarin in the second half of the film. The subtitles were a bit limited, though. There would be a full minute of spoken language followed by one or two brief sentences in the subtitles; One of my pet peeves.
I believe this movie could be used in the classroom, not only because of the historical significance, but because it does not delve too much into tangent subjects. Many of the spiritual beliefs are touched upon as well as cultural rites, but without any apologies or explanations for non-believers or doubters. Many a time, there were scenes where Ghenghis Khan would be caught in a predicament that seemed insurmountable, only to be freed in the next scene without any directorial explanation. It is your own belief in the possibility that carries the plot.
Its plot focuses on that for which it seemingly was intended: to introduce the audience to the background and life purpose of the great Mongol, Ghenghis Khan.
I plan to purchase the Special Edition DVD version of it the moment it comes out. [Edit by="pswearingen on Jun 6, 4:28:50 PM"][/Edit]
I haven't seen the movie 'MONGOL' yet but I do look forward to see it. In the meantime, on the subject of Ghengis Khan, I have been showing 'Mongols' from the 'Barbarian' series of the History channel.
My World Hist. students watch it keenly, especially as the story of Ghengis Khan in the video starts by showing him as 'Timujin', a kid whose father was murdered by poisoning by the Tartars, and then whose mother gives him a grim 'Seek revenge'!
The video itself has 3D map animation on the movement of the Mongols and how they spread out westward to the Middle East and on to the borders of the Byzantine Empire, and they created the biggest land empire that the world has ever known. It especially brings to focus the re-opening of the Silk Road(trade) and how the knowledge of the East was opened up for Europe by the establishment of this vast empire.
Even though CA standards do not require an in-depth study of the Mongols, this also helps the students to remember Kublai Khan, the Mongol emperor of China when studying about the Yuan Dynasty.
Clayton made reference to cotton in the Chinese economy at our last Saturday session in May. His comment reminded me of a book I received at an economics institute last year called The Travels of A T-Shirt in the Global Economy: An Economist Examines the Markets, Power, and Politics of World Trade by Pietra Rivoli, publisher John Wiley & Sons, 2006.
The book, in an entertaining fashion, traces what happens, from the growing of the cotton to the final disposition of the discarded shirt, to a t-shirt in its travels. China figures prominently in the story. It is an informative read about a facet of modern China that students may find of interest in its account of the very clothes they wear.
FRONTLINE: "Young and Restless in China", Tuesday, June 17, 9:00 PBS Channel 28. The promos look interesting!. It will probably be an excellent topic for discussion.!
This movie is a great movie for special education students or ESL student. It is a great movie about Mongolian Camel Herders and their attempt to save a rare white baby camel, whoes mother will not let her nurse. This movie shows how the Mongolians live in their yerts and how the children are raised. The family sends 2 of their sons to retrieve a mucician to come and perform a ceremony to unite the mother and child. The 2 boys that they send out into the Gobi Dessert are very young, one being about five. This is a very interesting look into the lives and culture of these ageless Mongolians. The movie is subtitled, but students really don't have to read to enjoy and learn from this movie, I highly recommend it. Enjoy!
Clint Eastwood's "Flags of Our Fathers" and "Letters From Iwo Jima" appear to have set director Spike Lee off. This months issue of Time magazine reports that the lack of any African American in either movie fails to honor the sacrifices made by the 1 million black service men during WW2. Eastwood feels that the service men played no key rolei n the events depicted although did serve bravely. Also that the public would have rejected the roles since history does not recognize efforts made by African Americans at Iwo Jima. The controversy between the two has made me select these movies for my movie review as I would like to see what has Spike Lee so upset.
The weather has been so hot that I have been flipping through the channels most of the weekend. On Friday I saw Babel, which tells a story from four parts of the globe but has a plot that connects the parts through a single event. The part that deals with Asia in the Classroom takes place in Tokyo but after viewing, it is something I would not consider for my classroom. Babel tells the story of a young Japanese girl who lost her mother to suicide. This young girl is also deaf and is having difficulty finding boys interested in her. Towards the end the girl feels so different from the rest of the world that she contemplates suicide as well. The points that may have relevance to teaching in the class are the cultural similarities among teens in Asia and in the US. That is the use of drugs to forget or hide, sex used to feel accepted or part of, and the inability to communicate with adults to cope. I did enjoy the movie but I would not recommend it to a younger audience.
Letters From Iwo Jima is not in English. I thought it would be like The Last Samurai. The main actor is the same as the one from The last Samurai but they use Japanese. This will have an effect on how I use the movie in the classroom and will go into detail when I post the movie review.
The Vampire Hunter D series began as a novel, turned into a cult sensation anime movie, and continued as a series of novels (as well as manga I'm sure). The books also have within them a number of pen and ink illustrations. Overall a great resource for high school, given the interesting, romantic and action filled topic, and a lack of spicy sex scenes. I was thinking that this could actually be a cool lesson, having the students do a storyboard for a "new" Vampire Hunter D anime film based off one of 2nd through 5th books.
Anyhow on to the review. The books have fairly predictable plotline, much like the Guin Saga I reviewed earlier, but are saved by far superior writing skills and/or translation skills (I started to wonder if the guin saga suffered greatly from poor translation). The writing is lyrical, free flowing, and graceful in style. It romanticizes its characters and does a good job of keeping you interested till the last drop.
The story is that humankind has been blasted back into the middle ages by our own technological follies, and raised tenuously back up by vampires that had hoarded technology in preparation for the fall. A Dhampir (son of a vampire and a human woman) named "D" rides the earth bringing down vampires and the monsters they have created. In every book there is a romantic prospect that goes unfulfilled, and exposes "D" as having even greater powers than anyone should have as a Dhampir. Could it be that he is the son of D....????
hehe its pretty obvious from book one that they are trying to suggest he is the son of Dracula!
Ahh and therein lies one of the most interesting parts about this series…the effect of the west on Japan, the Japanese utilization of western ideas to create a singularly unique Japanese product, and the effects of that product on western culture in turn.
See, we bombed Japan with nuclear weapons as every one knows. As a result of that outside impact, the Japanese developed into a society completely unique from any other…a post apocalyptic society. Just think about the opening plotline for the story, a downfall by high technology. Then think about the origins of anime. They were inspired by western cartoons, then created completely new techniques to produce a similar effect, but with a totally unique feel. They then went on to create completely unique feeling creations, that at the same time utilized many western conventions and storylines ( Such as “Dracula” in a Japanese film).
Just as fascinating is how much of an impact the Japanese Anime, and more recently Manga genres have impacted the United States. Whole lines of Japanese shows have been imported, translated, and in many cases re-worked for American television. Huge numbers of toys and games (video, card, and otherwise) in Anime styles brought in, and most recently the craze has become manga books.
That however is just what has been imported. Many products not from japan are also being given the anime touch in order to attract new consumers, and in some cases are inspiring new western forms of expression (graphic novels). [Edit by="mvhudnall on Jun 25, 1:32:46 PM"][/Edit] [Edit by="mvhudnall on Jun 25, 2:01:46 PM"][/Edit]
When Broken Glass Floats is the autobiography of Chanrithy Him, known in the novel as “Athy”. The novel takes place during the rise and fall of the Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia, which lasted from 1969 to 1989. The novel deals with the complete annihilation of an entire country’s cultural heritage, told from a first person perspective.
The book describes how, with the exception of those active within the Khmer Rouge, almost every Cambodian (or Khmer) suffered in an almost identical fashion to the Jews in Germany under the reign of Hitler. Unlike the reign of Hitler however, attention was not focused on any particular group of people. Instead, an entire country of people, were placed in concentration camp-like situations.
During different points in the book, I was reminded of various other examples of racial internment or cultural genocide, such as the Japanese-American internment camps of WWII and the current and historical anti-Native American policies of the United States. The greatest strength and the greatest weakness of this book are in the method of telling. When Broken Glass Floats, generally abstains from graphic portrayals of violence, carnage, disease, or the other ills. The novel takes on an alternating pattern of change and destruction; which seems to have been the only constant in the lives of the Cambodian people.
Rarely however does it really linger on any one aspect of the page-by-page descriptions of the horrors. Instead, the story is narrated from a childlike perspective, and has a sort of projected feeling of emotional confusion or even lack. In only a few areas of the book did the author really actually deal with expressing her own emotional state at the time. Instead, much of her narrative focused on the emotions and reactions of the others around her. In a way, I was actually a bit let down by the “pasteurized” depiction of Chanrithy Him’s history. Each event in the book was touched on so briefly that I was left wondering what was left out of the story. Though the intent might have been tasteful restraint, the result was a lack of focus on how it felt to be there at the time.
In a way, I wonder whether the novel’s apathy and lack of detail was the author’s way of dealing with her past. I often felt as if she were describing the life story of one of the other survivors. A story based on what one person is able to tell another, rather than an inner monologue. Perhaps then, Chanrithy Him has found her own way of dealing with her past, by translating her own story in the same fashion as she would another person.
In terms of cultural insights, When Broken Glass Floats was not always helpful. The author grew up during a time in which any cultural artifact, expression, or practice was abandoned, because it would invoke the wrath of the Khmer Rouge. The only times in which the reader is given a glimpse of Cambodian culture is when the author describes its loss or encounters an unexpected glimpse of it.
An example of such cultural loss was the breakdown in the practice of using honorary titles with strangers depending on their age, race, and social standing. The author told of her shock at hearing a soldier address two older upper class people as “comrade”.
Glimpses of religious culture were among the more prominent encounters that the author had with traditional Cambodian culture. Several times in the book a family member would cite a Buddhist or Cambodian proverb that applied to the situation they were in. In other occasions, family members or those around her would pray or make a commitment to following the Buddhist path despite or perhaps because of hardship.
One clear cultural taboo that I learned about was concerning touching another person’s head, particularly a stranger. Doing so infers the inferiority of the head being touched. In one part of the story, the women are forced to cut their hair short, to avoid having the Khmer Rouge do it. The implied insult would have been double in that case. First was the insult of having another touch your head. Second was the insult of having to cut off the long hair so prized by Cambodian society.
The Khmer Rouge intentionally destroyed any system of education, eliminated educated peoples, destroyed technological infrastructure, eliminated the middle class, abandoned the capability or desire to provide modern medical attention, destroyed family structures, forbid political freedom, so on and so forth.
Overall the book was extremely informative on the subject of the Khmer Rouge, and should be a must read for the same reason that material on the holocaust should be taught. It may help to prevent the mistakes of the past from being repeated. [Edit by="mvhudnall on Jun 25, 1:30:39 PM"][/Edit] [Edit by="mvhudnall on Jun 25, 2:00:45 PM"][/Edit]
Having read “When Broken Glass Floats” and seen the Khmer Rouge documentary in class, I already had a fairly firm grasp of the events taking place in “The Killing Fields”. What this film really did for me, was give a visual depiction of what I had previously read.
This movie focuses on the wartime relationship between two reporters, Sydney Schanberg and a Khmer named Dith Pran. Sydney works for the New York Times, and is in Cambodia to cover the conflict. Dith acts as a guide and translator, getting Sydney and his photographer into a city where an entire payload was mistakenly dropped by a US B-52 bomber. Though the US military prohibited reporters, the Khmer army was more open to financial negotiations. However, his Dith Pran arranged for this transaction only under duress.
Arriving at the city, Sydney and his photographer shot pictures and interviewed countless injured Khmer. At one point, Sydney attempts to take pictures of two captured Khmer Rouge are about to be executed in the streets. He, his photographer, Dith, and the driver of their car are all detained. At a base in the city they are held at gunpoint for perhaps a day or so.
Then, suddenly the US press core arrives to do a “clean up” job for the US government. Sydney bluffs the Khmer military into releasing him and his party. When he arrives at the choppers the US military flew the reporter in on, Sydney is initially refused passage. The film continues to follow the pair’s story, including Dith Pran’s internment in one of the Khmer Rouge’s death camps, and his narrow escapes through the so called “killing fields”…fields full of the rotting corpses of innocent men, women, and children.
What I found the most interesting, was the US/Eurocentric point of view from which the movie was, intentionally, directed. The foreign diplomats and reporters exuded a Victorian style mentality, ordering about those who were “obviously” inferiors (the Khmer people). They drink wine and liquor while relaxing in the pool, while Khmer serve them, or stare longingly from the streets. While injured lie bleeding and in need of medical care, the reporters drink wine and view the carnage from a “professional” emotional distance.
Sydney is portrayed with this sort of indifferent attitude from the beginning. Only after close encounters with death, does he begin to personalize the war. Despite this however, his words and actions still unconsciously suggest that he is “better” than the Khmer people. This comes in to play in Sydney’s interactions with Dith. Rather than treating him as a fellow reporter, and consulting him as such, Dith is expected to join along. Asking seems a mere afterthought.
I think something of great interest, is the background of Dr. Haing S. Ngor, the actor who played the role of Dith Pran. He was was also a survivor of Khmer rouge rule. During that time, he and his pregnant wife were tortured. She and their unborn child died, after a forced abortion.
Though Dr. Ngor had no previous experience as an actor, he was selected for the role due to his own personal experiences. Having seen the film, they could not have made a better choice. The viewer could see the trauma and pain in Dith/Haing’s eyes. An actor could never have played the role as well.
[Edit by="mvhudnall on Jun 25, 2:00:19 PM"][/Edit]
Oh, for an older example of cross cultural, and cross-cross-cultural exchanges, you can also check out the seven samurai (1954), a samurai story inspired in part by Coyboy style western films, versus The Magnificent Seven (1960), cowboy remake of the Seven Samurai.
I finally saw "Kung Fu Panda" and if it had any educational value, the movie did express some credit on how the forbidden areas parallel the thick walls and heightened fortresses to keep the common folk from entering. The philosophies presented on being one with nature and true to yourself did appear to be brushed aside. This movie definitely targets the graphic visual learner/audience.
Another book you would find informative is "Stay Alive, My Son" by Pin Yathay. This memoir is about the author's family's travails and ultimately his walk to freedom into Thailand. He was an engineer and was therefore sent out to the jungle to be re-educated. His parents, siblings and their spouses, and the children suffered cruel deaths under the regime. Pin and his wife and another couple escaped and made their way toward the Thai border, but were separated, and the author was the only survivor. His strightforward and factual style compel the reader to continue through the horrific ordeal his family and others suffered under the reign of Pol Pot.
"Mongol" is a classically done film epic about the beginings of the Mongol Empire. It was filmed in China, Russia and Mongolia. The English subtitles in no way interfered with my enjoyment.
The scenery is magnificent. Clips from this film could be used to show the expanse of Western China, the mountains, the rivers, the steppes.
The movie also explores marriage and choosing a bride, death and burial, succession rights, establishing aliances between clans and living a nomadic life herding goats, horses and camels.
The battle scenes of the two Mongol armies is mesmerizing when viewed from the arial shots and gory when shown up close.
It is not showing in very many theaters, but I encourage you to look for it at Arclight and Laemle Theaters.
Vanpire Hunter D is a pretty good series, but I have to say Hellsing is the best! It's about a vampire who hunts other vampires; he actually works for a secret division of Scotland Yard.
I finally saw Kung Fu Panda. Although I thoroughly enjoyed the humor, I don't believe there's much in the move from the point of view of helping students understand China. James Hong has been in Western movies since 1955 (I checked IMDB) but unless you're teaching about Asians in film (which would be a great class), there's not a lot about Kung Fu Panda that illustrates China. A better cartoon is Mulan, at least you can talk about the status of women in China according to the movie.
Kung Fu Panda was hilarious. However, you're right in the fact that there is not much in really helping the students understand what China is all about.
Title: "The Good Earth" A couple of years ago I read Pearl Bucks classic novel. He won the Nobel prize. It was absolutely engaging, hard to put it down. The plot includes the economic ups and downs of a farmer, his family life and his repertoire with women. A must read. The movie is out there too.[Edit by="amohammed on Jul 26, 7:44:09 PM"][/Edit]
Took the kids to see this one. I liked it a lot. I do think it perpetuates too many stereotypes. The father in the film was bad. His accent was so cheesy and it was the only one in the film.
Funny kid faire, horrible movie to teach about Asia.
I have reviewed Kurosawa's film Ran in the past. I thought it would be cool to share an idea that I had for some of you who may want to use Kurosawa's film The Seven Samurai as a way to show how his films have had an impact on Western Film.
The film's basic plot is that a small farming village is being terrorized by a group of bandits. The elder in the village suggests that the farmers recruit Samurai to help them fight back against the bandits. The farmers are rejected by most of the Samurai that they ask, because they have only food to pay them. An older Samurai finally accepts their offer and he recruits 5 other Samurai to fight. The seventh Samurai is added, I don't want to spoil the film too much so I won't tell you how, along the way.
I don't want to tell you how the film ends, but I do want to share a cool idea I have for a lesson for this film. First I am going to show the film to my Humanities classes while we study Kurosawa. Then I am going to show clips from films like The Magnificent Seven, Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, and The Wild Bunch, to illustrate Kurosawa's influnece on Western film. Many of his films were later made into Spaghetti Westerns like The Magnificent Seven, and many of the themes, and techniques like, gathering of heros to accomplish something, and the slow motion viloence that is so common in films today are all techniques taken from Kurosawa and this miraculous film.
Cool way to expose your students to one of the greatest films of all time, and relate it to films that they are inspired by today.
www.asianfilms.org/ Great resource for people who like foreign movies. You can save yourself a trip to the video store. If you click on film festival online you can read a review and actually watch the movie online. You have to be patient because it can take several minutes to download.
:P Boy did Brad Pitt's acting getting in the way of this film's success. His work really fell short and that blond dye job was a disaster. Despite this I was generally engaged by the storyline and the scenery was amazing. Would like to show this to my students as there is reference to mandalas in the film and I did my curriculum project for the seminar on mandalas. The film is a bit long though...another disappointment in what could have been a good work.
Great film although I have to admit that I am a huge Bertolucci fan. A real visual feast (as all his films are) with just spectacular sscenery, set designs, and costumes! Very long but also very worthwhile.
I read this two-part book in a college class entitled 'Literature Off the Beaten Track' and fell in love. The book is quite short, featuring two longish short stories. The first features a coming-of-age theme and the other is about lost love. Recommended for high schoolers. [Edit by="clawson on Jul 29, 11:47:22 AM"][/Edit]
The Road to Beijing is a spectacular short film that has many uses in the middle school classroom or the high school classroom to bring social studies alive! This is my film review.
"The Road to Beijing" is a film produced by the Silk Road Project out of Stanford University and the SPICE program. The movie is about the American cellist Yo-Yo Ma and his international ensemble call the Silk Road Ensemble. Their name is quite appropriate to the direction they travel and their final destination. The movie is perfect for in-class use because of its length. The piece jam-packs all sorts of visuals and information in a really easy to access manner in about 20 minutes.The film follows the ensemble as they tour across China and relate their experiences in Beijing and the importance of China and Beijing in world politics. The entire film is dedicated to the playing of an ancient Chinese piece of music called the, "Ambush From Ten Sides". This musical piece is a story about the construction of the Han Dynasty out of the chaos of the warring kingdoms. The main point of the central narrative, spoken to the audience through written word and Yo-Yo Ma as well as his ensemble, is the contrast that Beijing offers from tradition into modernity. They use the music as an example.
I am going to show this movie to my students tomorrow. We will watch it and then i will ask them to write an essay based on the following question:
Discussing what we have learned in class, specifically Ch 17 of our text (Global Challenges), how is China currently being "ambushed from ten sides"? Give details to support your answer.
I am not going to write an entire essay answer to the question here, but after viewing the movie and knowing about the global challenges that face China today, one might expect their students to discuss the Olympics, international pressure on human rights, poverty, modernity, global warming, coal use, sustainable development, water issues, feeding the countryside and democracy (just to name a few).
In the end of the short film Yo-Yo Ma says something to the effect of the Silk Roads being the internet of antiquity. I really appreciated that line, and I think it brings it all into perspective for our students. Really quite an amazing piece!you can see the movie online here
Just wanted to let everyone know, this week is "China Week" on the Travel Channel. you can check out Anthony Bourdain eating his way through Beijing and other cities in China. Andrew Zimmern will also be eating strange foods. Also G4 has been showing two Japanese tv shows. One is called the "Unbeatable Banzuke" and the other is called "Ninja Warrior", which is awesome!!!
Can anyone recommend a good bookstore? Somewhere I can find good resources. There is a book I used to like as a child and I can't remember the name. All I remember is that it had something to do with Chinese New Year. I've searched through the net with no luck. So if anyone can help me I would really appreciate it.
Through the Education About Asia links page I found a great website that speaks to children and the Lunar New Year! The name of the website is Asia for Kids and has some great ideas and books. One of the books is an Activity Book, which could or could not be the book you were interested in when you were a child. However, the ten great ideas that we educators could use in the classroom (below) come from the same web address:
Ten Easy Lunar Celebration Ideas
1. Make a fresh start. Begin the New Year with a clean slate. You can clean your house, wear new clothes, get a haircut, or payoff any debts you might have.
2. Eat good luck food. Share gifts of candies and fruit with family and friends. Together, you can feast on good luck dishes such as dumplings (See recipe.) This is believed to guarantee prosperous futures for you and your loved ones.
3. Create positive energy. Think only good thoughts and say only kind words to those around you, so that the New Year begins in a happy mood.
4. Decorate your house. Paste red scrolls with good luck words around your house. You can also make red paper lanterns to hang outside - check out our special Lantern - Making Kit!
5. Give children a special surprise. On New Year's Day, use our lucky money envelopes (or make your own from the Activity Kit.) Have children march it around for your own little parade!
6. Read books. Learn more about the traditions and history of the Lunar New Year by reading one of the many interesting and colorful books on the subject.
7. Have a Parade. Get creative and join in on the exciting tradition of the Dragon Parade, on a smaller scale. Make your own mini-dragon out of boxes, construction paper, tubes, and glitter. (This project is outlined in the Chinese New Year Activity Book.) Have children march it around for your own little parade!
8. Have children make "se-bae." Practice "filial piety" like Korean families do, and give them money in a good fortune pouch.
9. Play games. Play the traditional Korean game Yut for New Year fun, of fly kites if its not too cold!
10. Give good wishes. Teach children to say Happy New Year in Cantonese--"Gung Hay Fat Choy!"
To the asianfims.org poster...your web address did not work. I did a little research ad founf the same name at the following link: http://www.asianfilms.org/. Hopefully this will work for everyone. If you try to google or internet search the website, type in iFilm Connections: Asia and Pacific and it should lead you right to the link.
As they say on their website: "iFilm Connections: Asia & Pacific seeks to create a deeper awareness and understanding of Asian and Pacific Island film cultures by providing immediate and comprehensive information about contemporary feature films from these areas.
Building upon the success of www.asianfilms.org, our team of film scholars, critics, and curators promise to revolutionize access and understanding of culturally significant independent films from Asia and the Pacific Islands. We offer faculty, students, film leaders, and the interested public a way to stream a selection of carefully selected feature films that can be used with original materials on this site to intelligently analyze the impact of globalization on the diverse cultures of Asia and the Pacific."
The website is designed to highlight and encourage the film makers and film productions of the Asian and Pacific cultures. some of the films now playing include:
Nostalgia for the Countryland Thuong nho dong que, Vietnam (1995)
Death on a Full Moon Day Pura Handa Kaluwara, Sri Lanka (1997)
Dark Night of the Soul Anantha Rathriya, Sri Lanka (1996)
Sandy Lives Doi Cat, Vietnam (1999)
Girl from Hunan, A Xiangnu xiaoxiao, China (1986)
Black Snow Ben ming nian, China (1990)
Song of Tibet, The Yeshe Dolma, China (2000)
Land Has Eyes, The Pear ta ma 'on maf, Fiji (Rotuma) (2004)
I loved the movie "Lust, Caution". Interestingly enough, the sex was key to the storyline--what a girl "has to do" or "is forced to do" for a cause. All the men use her to achieve their goals--even men that really love her.
Some Terra Cotta Warriors are coming to the Bower Museum in Santa Ana for a special exhibit. The exhibit opens mid May and runs for several months. I'm going in May. I'll post a review after I visit.
This is the novel that doesn't stay on the shelf in my 9th grade English classroom. "American Born Chinese" by Gene Luen Yang is such a hit that students cluster around it almost everyday. Many have read it during Friday's Outside Reading day when they finish their required Outside Reading BOok. I considering teaching it next year along with a unit on Asian literature which I am developing for my USC/China class. I recommended it to a teacher that teachs a high school class called The Graphic Novel. He is adding "American Born Chinese" to the curriculum that includes Maus.
I read "American Born Chinese" on an airplane and the stranger sitting next to me couldn't stop reading over my shoulder. The books is addicting.
Watch Kung fu, enjoy the Chinese music and Chinese painting, laugh at the same time, you can get all these just in one movie----KUNG FU PANDA
Enthusiastic, big and a little clumsy, Po is the biggest fan of Kung Fu around…which doesn’t exactly come in handy while working every day in his family’s noodle shop. Unexpectedly chosen to fulfill an ancient prophecy, Po’s dreams become reality when he joins the world of Kung Fu and studies alongside his idols—the legendary fighters Tigress, Crane, Mantis, Viper and Monkey—under the leadership of their guru, Master Shifu. But before they know it, the vengeful and treacherous snow leopard Tai Lung is headed their way, and it’s up to Po to defend everyone from the oncoming threat. Can he turn his dreams of becoming a Kung Fu master into reality? Po puts his heart - and his girth - into the task, and the unlikely hero ultimately finds that his greatest weaknesses turn out to be his greatest strengths.
Comedy
Rating: Not yet rated
In Theatres: June 6th, 2008
Mark Osborne, John Stevenson (dir.)
Jack Black
Dustin Hoffman
Angelina Jolie
Jackie Chan
Lucy Liu
(the above information is from comesoon.net)
http://www.comingsoon.net/films.php?id=11931
The trailer can be find:
http://www.kungfupanda.com/
Women in Asia: restoring women to history
By Barbara N. Ramusack, Sharon Sievers
Published 1999
Indiana University Press
266 pages
ISBN:0253212677
......
In childhood a woman should be under her father's control, in youth under her husband's, and when her husband is dead, under her sons'. She should not have independence." Instead, she must follow the ‘three submissions.’In childhood a woman should be under her father's control, in youth under her husband's, and when her husband is dead, under her sons'. She should not have independence. .....
http://books.google.com/books?id=CNi9Jc22OHsC&dq=women+in+china&pg=PP1&ots=U4HijGPlhT&source=citation&sig=8dDmUoZg_OuyqMxEH9fpicaqcos&hl=en&prev=http://www.google.com/search%3Fhl%3Den%26q%3Dwomen%2Bin%2Bchina&sa=X&oi=print&ct=result&cd=3&cad=bottom-3results#PPR41,M1
First Flower
"In remote mountains of China, experts find clues to the origins of Earth's most stunning plants."
This Nova show airs tonight, May 6th, and will probably be repeated. Check local listings.
My son and his 7th grade friends at Miraleste are all talking about Kung Fu Panda. I hope it lives up to their expectations.
This sounds interesting. I will turn on the TV!
A great Chinese writer and novelist is Ha Jin and I was so happy to read his work In the Pond.
This books came out in 1998 and was met with rave reviews. He speaks to the working class and from the working class perspective. My grandmother recommended it to me. She knows some Chinese and said that the translation into English really retains the Chinese perspective and some of the idioms.
I speak highly of this book. Jin is a poet and an novelist and his talent is well felt. the prose offered about the plight of working people to keep their worthiness while undergoing the oppression from above.
ISBN # 0-375-70911-8
Another fabulous book that I have read lately and and would love to relate to all of you is a book set in China from an American Missionary's position written by John Dalton. Heaven Lake covers almost the entire geography of China, describing many different co-cultures within th country. He also is offers a wonderful description of the country side and life in the urban centers.
I also enjoyed the book for his introduction into the storyline the highly developed female Chinese characters. There are about five in the book and they each offer a unique view of the modern Chinese woman.
This book is not short, but is an interesting jump into the culture through the juxtaposition of the Christian world-view that gets tipped on its head.
I really enjoyed reading Ha Jin’s novel about the Korean War, War Trash,. This novel involved a student, during the Kuomintang Nationalists regime, at the national military academy. He graduates just as Mao takes control of China and the PRC is created. Commissioned an officer in the Chinese People’s Liberation Army , he is sent to war in Korea. He quickly becomes a prisoner of war and the POW compound becomes a new war zone between those CPLA soldiers who were conscripted by the PRC but were loyal to the Kuomintang versus those loyal to PRC- a very complex and interesting read.
The New York Times Book Review section this passed weekend also had some great book reviews featuring several Chinese authors including
• Life and Death are Wearing Me Out by Mo Yan
• A Song of Everlasting Sorrow by Wang Anyi
• Serve the People by Yan Lianke
• Wolf Totem by Jiang Rong
Go to nytimes.com and look for the reviews
(This is the second time I've posted this. I don't know where the first one went. If it shows up as a duplicate, sorry).
On Friday, May 23, 2008, a movie called "the Children of the Huang Shi" will be released at five theaters: West Los Angeles (Landmark); Alhambra (Edwards Atlantic); Costa Mesa (Regency); Encino's Laemmle; and Pasadena's Laemmle. Visit the movie site at www.thechildrenofhuangshi.com to see the trailer. It has been described as "A feel-good treat" by Karen Durbin of Elle Magazine. But when I viewed the trailer, there's a lot of fighting so I'm guessing that the ending must be very heartwarming. It is based on the true story of a British journalist and American nurse who meet up with a Chinese man and attempt the rescue of 60 Chinese orphans during the Japanese occupation of Nanjing in the 1930s. The movie site has a History feature and talks about the Resistance movements. There is reference to Iris Chang's book The Rape of Nanjing as it discusses the differences in the numbers estimated to have been killed by the Japanese soldiers. The Japanese government report one (low) number; the Chinese and other researchers estimate a much higher figure. The movie is rated R, probably for the violence as the Japanese were brutal in their torture and atrocities committed against the Chinese, even women and children. A few weeks ago one of our World History teachers (high school) asked me about resources on this topic. I will tell him about the movie coming up. Looks like a "Must-See-for-Me" movie although I will probably wait until there is wider distribution of the movie. I wonder what the people in Japan will say about this portrayal, if it is even promoted there. Will be interesting to see. The movie Website describes the film as "discovers the true meaning of love, responsibiliity and courage."[Edit by="willoughbyak on May 18, 3:47:45 PM"][/Edit]
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter, and Spring - Agreed...a great film!
It seems as though films with Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese culture are being released in droves at the local Blockbuster stores. I still haven't had the stomach to watch the film about the rapes in Nanjing. On the lighter side, The Walt Disney Co. plans to release its first coproduced film in China in 2009. The Secret of the Magic Gourd, Disney's first film made in China for Chinese viewers, in Mandarin, is a coproduction among Buena Vista International, Inc., the international theatrical distribution arm of the Walt Disney Studios; Centro Digital Pictures Ltd., a visual effects production company in Hong Kong; and the China Film Group Corp. The film is an adaptation of a children's novel written by the late Chinese author Zhang Tianyi in the 1950s.
Outside of the Chinese experience, yet still inside East Asia, films like The Darjeeling Limited and Namesake - both influenced by the culture, people, and landscape of India are truly worthwhile. When engaging in a comparison of cultural traditions, family values, or encounters with cultures other than one's own - clips of these films can go a long way toward promoting active discussion inside the classroom.
Go to www.Bower.org and order your tickets! The Exhibit is great. Allow at least two hours for your initial visit.
There are books and vidoes for sale at the Exhibit Gift Shop that looked like great additions to the school library. The Coffee Table book was expensive but would be a wonderful purchase.
The website does not have Teacher Guides or other information on it yet. Why not? The museum has a wonderful children's program so I am surprised they were not ready to go when the exhibit opened. Keep checking.
An easy read, I suggest this book for your classroom library: The Emporer's Silent Army by Jane O'Connor (Viking, 2002).
This is an excellent read as are the more recent books by author Lisa See. She meticulously researched the history of her great-grandfather and traced the family tree throughout California, Los Angeles, and Fujian, China. This is a must read for anyone interested in Chinese history and/or Angeleno politics.
The See Family is a major contributor to the Autry Museum. There was a wonderful exhibit at the museum several years ago about the Chinese in Southern California sponsored by the See Foundation.
The Pacific Asia Museum in Pasadena was a private home of a woman who collected Chinese objects d'art and bought many items from the elder See. Many of her treasures are on view at the museum. It's not far from Vroman's Bookstore.
Most Angelenos do not know that the Original Chinatown was demolished and moved to the present site on Broadway/Spring streets. The Amtrack station was built where the old Chinatown once stood. If you want to visit the Chinese cemetery you must travel to Boyle Heights to Evergreen Cemetery.
Both the Autry Museum and the Pacific Asia museum have education departments and programs for students.
It's known Graveyard of the Fireflies out here. I just used this film during my World War II unit. The students were drawn into the movie and many cried at the end. The film is heart-wrenching, beautiful and relevant to any discussion of the human impact of WWII on civilians. I use this film in conjunction with "Barefoot Gen"
I hope everyone had a chance to use the free movie passes to see, "Mongol", that I posted. I went last night and I must say it was worth the 2-hour wait in line. It was an epic film, but not in the traditional sense. The battle scenes were not unbearable nor too graphic (except for the scene where a guard's face is smashed in), but it definitely deserves the R-rating.
This fictional story of the humble beginnings of Ghengis Khan shed a lot of light (for me) on the language, culture & people of early Mongol as well as their reservations about the Chinese people. It is presented in its original languages of Mandarin and Mongolian dialects, which I highly appreciated. My mandarin is very limited now due to lack of use, but I could definitely distinguish the dialect of the Mongolian people from that of Mandarin in the second half of the film. The subtitles were a bit limited, though. There would be a full minute of spoken language followed by one or two brief sentences in the subtitles; One of my pet peeves.
I believe this movie could be used in the classroom, not only because of the historical significance, but because it does not delve too much into tangent subjects. Many of the spiritual beliefs are touched upon as well as cultural rites, but without any apologies or explanations for non-believers or doubters. Many a time, there were scenes where Ghenghis Khan would be caught in a predicament that seemed insurmountable, only to be freed in the next scene without any directorial explanation. It is your own belief in the possibility that carries the plot.
Its plot focuses on that for which it seemingly was intended: to introduce the audience to the background and life purpose of the great Mongol, Ghenghis Khan.
I plan to purchase the Special Edition DVD version of it the moment it comes out.
[Edit by="pswearingen on Jun 6, 4:28:50 PM"][/Edit]
I haven't seen the movie 'MONGOL' yet but I do look forward to see it. In the meantime, on the subject of Ghengis Khan, I have been showing 'Mongols' from the 'Barbarian' series of the History channel.
My World Hist. students watch it keenly, especially as the story of Ghengis Khan in the video starts by showing him as 'Timujin', a kid whose father was murdered by poisoning by the Tartars, and then whose mother gives him a grim 'Seek revenge'!
The video itself has 3D map animation on the movement of the Mongols and how they spread out westward to the Middle East and on to the borders of the Byzantine Empire, and they created the biggest land empire that the world has ever known. It especially brings to focus the re-opening of the Silk Road(trade) and how the knowledge of the East was opened up for Europe by the establishment of this vast empire.
Even though CA standards do not require an in-depth study of the Mongols, this also helps the students to remember Kublai Khan, the Mongol emperor of China when studying about the Yuan Dynasty.
Clayton made reference to cotton in the Chinese economy at our last Saturday session in May. His comment reminded me of a book I received at an economics institute last year called The Travels of A T-Shirt in the Global Economy: An Economist Examines the Markets, Power, and Politics of World Trade by Pietra Rivoli, publisher John Wiley & Sons, 2006.
The book, in an entertaining fashion, traces what happens, from the growing of the cotton to the final disposition of the discarded shirt, to a t-shirt in its travels. China figures prominently in the story. It is an informative read about a facet of modern China that students may find of interest in its account of the very clothes they wear.
FRONTLINE: "Young and Restless in China", Tuesday, June 17, 9:00 PBS Channel 28. The promos look interesting!. It will probably be an excellent topic for discussion.!
The Weeping Camel
This movie is a great movie for special education students or ESL student. It is a great movie about Mongolian Camel Herders and their attempt to save a rare white baby camel, whoes mother will not let her nurse. This movie shows how the Mongolians live in their yerts and how the children are raised. The family sends 2 of their sons to retrieve a mucician to come and perform a ceremony to unite the mother and child. The 2 boys that they send out into the Gobi Dessert are very young, one being about five. This is a very interesting look into the lives and culture of these ageless Mongolians. The movie is subtitled, but students really don't have to read to enjoy and learn from this movie, I highly recommend it. Enjoy!
Clint Eastwood's "Flags of Our Fathers" and "Letters From Iwo Jima" appear to have set director Spike Lee off. This months issue of Time magazine reports that the lack of any African American in either movie fails to honor the sacrifices made by the 1 million black service men during WW2. Eastwood feels that the service men played no key rolei n the events depicted although did serve bravely. Also that the public would have rejected the roles since history does not recognize efforts made by African Americans at Iwo Jima. The controversy between the two has made me select these movies for my movie review as I would like to see what has Spike Lee so upset.
The weather has been so hot that I have been flipping through the channels most of the weekend. On Friday I saw Babel, which tells a story from four parts of the globe but has a plot that connects the parts through a single event. The part that deals with Asia in the Classroom takes place in Tokyo but after viewing, it is something I would not consider for my classroom. Babel tells the story of a young Japanese girl who lost her mother to suicide. This young girl is also deaf and is having difficulty finding boys interested in her. Towards the end the girl feels so different from the rest of the world that she contemplates suicide as well. The points that may have relevance to teaching in the class are the cultural similarities among teens in Asia and in the US. That is the use of drugs to forget or hide, sex used to feel accepted or part of, and the inability to communicate with adults to cope. I did enjoy the movie but I would not recommend it to a younger audience.
Letters From Iwo Jima is not in English. I thought it would be like The Last Samurai. The main actor is the same as the one from The last Samurai but they use Japanese. This will have an effect on how I use the movie in the classroom and will go into detail when I post the movie review.
Thanks for the heads up. I will be visiting the Bowers museum this Wednesday and will definetly check out your suggested reading material.
The Vampire Hunter D series began as a novel, turned into a cult sensation anime movie, and continued as a series of novels (as well as manga I'm sure). The books also have within them a number of pen and ink illustrations. Overall a great resource for high school, given the interesting, romantic and action filled topic, and a lack of spicy sex scenes. I was thinking that this could actually be a cool lesson, having the students do a storyboard for a "new" Vampire Hunter D anime film based off one of 2nd through 5th books.
Anyhow on to the review. The books have fairly predictable plotline, much like the Guin Saga I reviewed earlier, but are saved by far superior writing skills and/or translation skills (I started to wonder if the guin saga suffered greatly from poor translation). The writing is lyrical, free flowing, and graceful in style. It romanticizes its characters and does a good job of keeping you interested till the last drop.
The story is that humankind has been blasted back into the middle ages by our own technological follies, and raised tenuously back up by vampires that had hoarded technology in preparation for the fall. A Dhampir (son of a vampire and a human woman) named "D" rides the earth bringing down vampires and the monsters they have created. In every book there is a romantic prospect that goes unfulfilled, and exposes "D" as having even greater powers than anyone should have as a Dhampir. Could it be that he is the son of D....????
hehe its pretty obvious from book one that they are trying to suggest he is the son of Dracula!
Ahh and therein lies one of the most interesting parts about this series…the effect of the west on Japan, the Japanese utilization of western ideas to create a singularly unique Japanese product, and the effects of that product on western culture in turn.
See, we bombed Japan with nuclear weapons as every one knows. As a result of that outside impact, the Japanese developed into a society completely unique from any other…a post apocalyptic society. Just think about the opening plotline for the story, a downfall by high technology. Then think about the origins of anime. They were inspired by western cartoons, then created completely new techniques to produce a similar effect, but with a totally unique feel. They then went on to create completely unique feeling creations, that at the same time utilized many western conventions and storylines ( Such as “Dracula” in a Japanese film).
Just as fascinating is how much of an impact the Japanese Anime, and more recently Manga genres have impacted the United States. Whole lines of Japanese shows have been imported, translated, and in many cases re-worked for American television. Huge numbers of toys and games (video, card, and otherwise) in Anime styles brought in, and most recently the craze has become manga books.
That however is just what has been imported. Many products not from japan are also being given the anime touch in order to attract new consumers, and in some cases are inspiring new western forms of expression (graphic novels).
[Edit by="mvhudnall on Jun 25, 1:32:46 PM"][/Edit]
[Edit by="mvhudnall on Jun 25, 2:01:46 PM"][/Edit]
When Broken Glass Floats is the autobiography of Chanrithy Him, known in the novel as “Athy”. The novel takes place during the rise and fall of the Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia, which lasted from 1969 to 1989. The novel deals with the complete annihilation of an entire country’s cultural heritage, told from a first person perspective.
The book describes how, with the exception of those active within the Khmer Rouge, almost every Cambodian (or Khmer) suffered in an almost identical fashion to the Jews in Germany under the reign of Hitler. Unlike the reign of Hitler however, attention was not focused on any particular group of people. Instead, an entire country of people, were placed in concentration camp-like situations.
During different points in the book, I was reminded of various other examples of racial internment or cultural genocide, such as the Japanese-American internment camps of WWII and the current and historical anti-Native American policies of the United States.
The greatest strength and the greatest weakness of this book are in the method of telling. When Broken Glass Floats, generally abstains from graphic portrayals of violence, carnage, disease, or the other ills. The novel takes on an alternating pattern of change and destruction; which seems to have been the only constant in the lives of the Cambodian people.
Rarely however does it really linger on any one aspect of the page-by-page descriptions of the horrors. Instead, the story is narrated from a childlike perspective, and has a sort of projected feeling of emotional confusion or even lack. In only a few areas of the book did the author really actually deal with expressing her own emotional state at the time. Instead, much of her narrative focused on the emotions and reactions of the others around her.
In a way, I was actually a bit let down by the “pasteurized” depiction of Chanrithy Him’s history. Each event in the book was touched on so briefly that I was left wondering what was left out of the story. Though the intent might have been tasteful restraint, the result was a lack of focus on how it felt to be there at the time.
In a way, I wonder whether the novel’s apathy and lack of detail was the author’s way of dealing with her past. I often felt as if she were describing the life story of one of the other survivors. A story based on what one person is able to tell another, rather than an inner monologue. Perhaps then, Chanrithy Him has found her own way of dealing with her past, by translating her own story in the same fashion as she would another person.
In terms of cultural insights, When Broken Glass Floats was not always helpful. The author grew up during a time in which any cultural artifact, expression, or practice was abandoned, because it would invoke the wrath of the Khmer Rouge. The only times in which the reader is given a glimpse of Cambodian culture is when the author describes its loss or encounters an unexpected glimpse of it.
An example of such cultural loss was the breakdown in the practice of using honorary titles with strangers depending on their age, race, and social standing. The author told of her shock at hearing a soldier address two older upper class people as “comrade”.
Glimpses of religious culture were among the more prominent encounters that the author had with traditional Cambodian culture. Several times in the book a family member would cite a Buddhist or Cambodian proverb that applied to the situation they were in. In other occasions, family members or those around her would pray or make a commitment to following the Buddhist path despite or perhaps because of hardship.
One clear cultural taboo that I learned about was concerning touching another person’s head, particularly a stranger. Doing so infers the inferiority of the head being touched.
In one part of the story, the women are forced to cut their hair short, to avoid having the Khmer Rouge do it. The implied insult would have been double in that case. First was the insult of having another touch your head. Second was the insult of having to cut off the long hair so prized by Cambodian society.
The Khmer Rouge intentionally destroyed any system of education, eliminated educated peoples, destroyed technological infrastructure, eliminated the middle class, abandoned the capability or desire to provide modern medical attention, destroyed family structures, forbid political freedom, so on and so forth.
Overall the book was extremely informative on the subject of the Khmer Rouge, and should be a must read for the same reason that material on the holocaust should be taught. It may help to prevent the mistakes of the past from being repeated.
[Edit by="mvhudnall on Jun 25, 1:30:39 PM"][/Edit]
[Edit by="mvhudnall on Jun 25, 2:00:45 PM"][/Edit]
Having read “When Broken Glass Floats” and seen the Khmer Rouge documentary in class, I already had a fairly firm grasp of the events taking place in “The Killing Fields”. What this film really did for me, was give a visual depiction of what I had previously read.
This movie focuses on the wartime relationship between two reporters, Sydney Schanberg and a Khmer named Dith Pran. Sydney works for the New York Times, and is in Cambodia to cover the conflict. Dith acts as a guide and translator, getting Sydney and his photographer into a city where an entire payload was mistakenly dropped by a US B-52 bomber. Though the US military prohibited reporters, the Khmer army was more open to financial negotiations. However, his Dith Pran arranged for this transaction only under duress.
Arriving at the city, Sydney and his photographer shot pictures and interviewed countless injured Khmer. At one point, Sydney attempts to take pictures of two captured Khmer Rouge are about to be executed in the streets. He, his photographer, Dith, and the driver of their car are all detained. At a base in the city they are held at gunpoint for perhaps a day or so.
Then, suddenly the US press core arrives to do a “clean up” job for the US government. Sydney bluffs the Khmer military into releasing him and his party. When he arrives at the choppers the US military flew the reporter in on, Sydney is initially refused passage.
The film continues to follow the pair’s story, including Dith Pran’s internment in one of the Khmer Rouge’s death camps, and his narrow escapes through the so called “killing fields”…fields full of the rotting corpses of innocent men, women, and children.
What I found the most interesting, was the US/Eurocentric point of view from which the movie was, intentionally, directed. The foreign diplomats and reporters exuded a Victorian style mentality, ordering about those who were “obviously” inferiors (the Khmer people). They drink wine and liquor while relaxing in the pool, while Khmer serve them, or stare longingly from the streets. While injured lie bleeding and in need of medical care, the reporters drink wine and view the carnage from a “professional” emotional distance.
Sydney is portrayed with this sort of indifferent attitude from the beginning. Only after close encounters with death, does he begin to personalize the war. Despite this however, his words and actions still unconsciously suggest that he is “better” than the Khmer people. This comes in to play in Sydney’s interactions with Dith. Rather than treating him as a fellow reporter, and consulting him as such, Dith is expected to join along. Asking seems a mere afterthought.
I think something of great interest, is the background of Dr. Haing S. Ngor, the actor who played the role of Dith Pran. He was was also a survivor of Khmer rouge rule. During that time, he and his pregnant wife were tortured. She and their unborn child died, after a forced abortion.
Though Dr. Ngor had no previous experience as an actor, he was selected for the role due to his own personal experiences. Having seen the film, they could not have made a better choice. The viewer could see the trauma and pain in Dith/Haing’s eyes. An actor could never have played the role as well.
[Edit by="mvhudnall on Jun 25, 2:00:19 PM"][/Edit]
Oh, for an older example of cross cultural, and cross-cross-cultural exchanges, you can also check out the seven samurai (1954), a samurai story inspired in part by Coyboy style western films, versus The Magnificent Seven (1960), cowboy remake of the Seven Samurai.
I finally saw "Kung Fu Panda" and if it had any educational value, the movie did express
some credit on how the forbidden areas parallel the thick walls and heightened fortresses to keep the common folk from entering. The philosophies presented on being one with nature and true to yourself did appear to be brushed aside. This movie definitely targets the graphic visual learner/audience.
Another book you would find informative is "Stay Alive, My Son" by Pin Yathay. This memoir is about the author's family's travails and ultimately his walk to freedom into Thailand. He was an engineer and was therefore sent out to the jungle to be re-educated. His parents, siblings and their spouses, and the children suffered cruel deaths under the regime. Pin and his wife and another couple escaped and made their way toward the Thai border, but were separated, and the author was the only survivor. His strightforward and factual style compel the reader to continue through the horrific ordeal his family and others suffered under the reign of Pol Pot.
"Mongol" is a classically done film epic about the beginings of the Mongol Empire. It was filmed in China, Russia and Mongolia. The English subtitles in no way interfered with my enjoyment.
The scenery is magnificent. Clips from this film could be used to show the expanse of Western China, the mountains, the rivers, the steppes.
The movie also explores marriage and choosing a bride, death and burial, succession rights, establishing aliances between clans and living a nomadic life herding goats, horses and camels.
The battle scenes of the two Mongol armies is mesmerizing when viewed from the arial shots and gory when shown up close.
It is not showing in very many theaters, but I encourage you to look for it at Arclight and Laemle Theaters.
I really want to see Mongol; I just started reading To Live; has anyone read it?
Vanpire Hunter D is a pretty good series, but I have to say Hellsing is the best! It's about a vampire who hunts other vampires; he actually works for a secret division of Scotland Yard.
Also, I would suggest checking out Trigun, another cool anime.[Edit by="jchavez on Jul 3, 11:08:47 PM"][/Edit]
I finally saw Kung Fu Panda. Although I thoroughly enjoyed the humor, I don't believe there's much in the move from the point of view of helping students understand China. James Hong has been in Western movies since 1955 (I checked IMDB) but unless you're teaching about Asians in film (which would be a great class), there's not a lot about Kung Fu Panda that illustrates China. A better cartoon is Mulan, at least you can talk about the status of women in China according to the movie.
Kung Fu Panda was hilarious. However, you're right in the fact that there is not much in really helping the students understand what China is all about.
http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/acCategory?lc=en&cc=us&dlc=en&extcat=becomeacraftmasterwithkungfupanda
Check out the following website for Kung Fu Panda themed art projects. Some of the projects include a
pagoda diorama, kung fu panda dolls, picture frames, and boxes. This page also has a china facts sheets and
a proverbs worksheet.
Title: "The Good Earth"
A couple of years ago I read Pearl Bucks classic novel. He won the Nobel prize. It was absolutely engaging, hard to put it down. The plot includes the economic ups and downs of a farmer, his family life and his repertoire with women. A must read. The movie is out there too.[Edit by="amohammed on Jul 26, 7:44:09 PM"][/Edit]
Took the kids to see this one. I liked it a lot. I do think it perpetuates too many stereotypes. The father in the film was bad. His accent was so cheesy and it was the only one in the film.
Funny kid faire, horrible movie to teach about Asia.
I have reviewed Kurosawa's film Ran in the past. I thought it would be cool to share an idea that I had for some of you who may want to use Kurosawa's film The Seven Samurai as a way to show how his films have had an impact on Western Film.
The film's basic plot is that a small farming village is being terrorized by a group of bandits. The elder in the village suggests that the farmers recruit Samurai to help them fight back against the bandits. The farmers are rejected by most of the Samurai that they ask, because they have only food to pay them. An older Samurai finally accepts their offer and he recruits 5 other Samurai to fight. The seventh Samurai is added, I don't want to spoil the film too much so I won't tell you how, along the way.
I don't want to tell you how the film ends, but I do want to share a cool idea I have for a lesson for this film. First I am going to show the film to my Humanities classes while we study Kurosawa. Then I am going to show clips from films like The Magnificent Seven, Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, and The Wild Bunch, to illustrate Kurosawa's influnece on Western film. Many of his films were later made into Spaghetti Westerns like The Magnificent Seven, and many of the themes, and techniques like, gathering of heros to accomplish something, and the slow motion viloence that is so common in films today are all techniques taken from Kurosawa and this miraculous film.
Cool way to expose your students to one of the greatest films of all time, and relate it to films that they are inspired by today.
www.asianfilms.org/
Great resource for people who like foreign movies. You can save yourself a trip to the video store. If you click on film festival online you can read a review and actually watch the movie online. You have to be patient because it can take several minutes to download.
:P Boy did Brad Pitt's acting getting in the way of this film's success. His work really fell short and that blond dye job was a disaster.
Despite this I was generally engaged by the storyline and the scenery was amazing. Would like to show this to my students as there is reference to mandalas in the film and I did my curriculum project for the seminar on mandalas. The film is a bit long though...another disappointment in what could have been a good work.
I read this two-part book in a college class entitled 'Literature Off the Beaten Track' and fell in love. The book is quite short, featuring two longish short stories. The first features a coming-of-age theme and the other is about lost love. Recommended for high schoolers. [Edit by="clawson on Jul 29, 11:47:22 AM"][/Edit]
The Road to Beijing is a spectacular short film that has many uses in the middle school classroom or the high school classroom to bring social studies alive! This is my film review.
"The Road to Beijing" is a film produced by the Silk Road Project out of Stanford University and the SPICE program. The movie is about the American cellist Yo-Yo Ma and his international ensemble call the Silk Road Ensemble. Their name is quite appropriate to the direction they travel and their final destination. The movie is perfect for in-class use because of its length. The piece jam-packs all sorts of visuals and information in a really easy to access manner in about 20 minutes.The film follows the ensemble as they tour across China and relate their experiences in Beijing and the importance of China and Beijing in world politics. The entire film is dedicated to the playing of an ancient Chinese piece of music called the, "Ambush From Ten Sides". This musical piece is a story about the construction of the Han Dynasty out of the chaos of the warring kingdoms. The main point of the central narrative, spoken to the audience through written word and Yo-Yo Ma as well as his ensemble, is the contrast that Beijing offers from tradition into modernity. They use the music as an example.
I am going to show this movie to my students tomorrow. We will watch it and then i will ask them to write an essay based on the following question:
Discussing what we have learned in class, specifically Ch 17 of our text (Global Challenges), how is China currently being "ambushed from ten sides"? Give details to support your answer.
I am not going to write an entire essay answer to the question here, but after viewing the movie and knowing about the global challenges that face China today, one might expect their students to discuss the Olympics, international pressure on human rights, poverty, modernity, global warming, coal use, sustainable development, water issues, feeding the countryside and democracy (just to name a few).
In the end of the short film Yo-Yo Ma says something to the effect of the Silk Roads being the internet of antiquity. I really appreciated that line, and I think it brings it all into perspective for our students. Really quite an amazing piece!you can see the movie online here
Just wanted to let everyone know, this week is "China Week" on the Travel Channel. you can check out Anthony Bourdain eating his way through Beijing and other cities in China. Andrew Zimmern will also be eating strange foods. Also G4 has been showing two Japanese tv shows. One is called the "Unbeatable Banzuke" and the other is called "Ninja Warrior", which is awesome!!!
Can anyone recommend a good bookstore? Somewhere I can find good resources. There is a book I used to like as a child and I can't remember the name. All I remember is that it had something to do with Chinese New Year. I've searched through the net with no luck. So if anyone can help me I would really appreciate it.
To the Lunar New Year children's resource post:
![]()
http://www.afk.com/images/pandahello.gif [Edit by="llogan on Jul 29, 10:22:48 PM"][/Edit]
Through the Education About Asia links page I found a great website that speaks to children and the Lunar New Year! The name of the website is Asia for Kids and has some great ideas and books. One of the books is an Activity Book, which could or could not be the book you were interested in when you were a child. However, the ten great ideas that we educators could use in the classroom (below) come from the same web address:
Ten Easy Lunar Celebration Ideas
1. Make a fresh start. Begin the New Year with a clean slate. You can clean your house, wear new clothes, get a haircut, or payoff any debts you might have.
2. Eat good luck food. Share gifts of candies and fruit with family and friends. Together, you can feast on good luck dishes such as dumplings (See recipe.) This is believed to guarantee prosperous futures for you and your loved ones.
3. Create positive energy. Think only good thoughts and say only kind words to those around you, so that the New Year begins in a happy mood.
4. Decorate your house. Paste red scrolls with good luck words around your house. You can also make red paper lanterns to hang outside - check out our special Lantern - Making Kit!
5. Give children a special surprise. On New Year's Day, use our lucky money envelopes (or make your own from the Activity Kit.) Have children march it around for your own little parade!
6. Read books. Learn more about the traditions and history of the Lunar New Year by reading one of the many interesting and colorful books on the subject.
7. Have a Parade. Get creative and join in on the exciting tradition of the Dragon Parade, on a smaller scale. Make your own mini-dragon out of boxes, construction paper, tubes, and glitter. (This project is outlined in the Chinese New Year Activity Book.) Have children march it around for your own little parade!
8. Have children make "se-bae." Practice "filial piety" like Korean families do, and give them money in a good fortune pouch.
9. Play games. Play the traditional Korean game Yut for New Year fun, of fly kites if its not too cold!
10. Give good wishes. Teach children to say Happy New Year in Cantonese--"Gung Hay Fat Choy!"
Asia for Kids
To the asianfims.org poster...your web address did not work. I did a little research ad founf the same name at the following link: http://www.asianfilms.org/. Hopefully this will work for everyone. If you try to google or internet search the website, type in iFilm Connections: Asia and Pacific and it should lead you right to the link.
As they say on their website:
"iFilm Connections: Asia & Pacific seeks to create a deeper awareness and understanding of Asian and Pacific Island film cultures by providing immediate and comprehensive information about contemporary feature films from these areas.
Building upon the success of www.asianfilms.org, our team of film scholars, critics, and curators promise to revolutionize access and understanding of culturally significant independent films from Asia and the Pacific Islands. We offer faculty, students, film leaders, and the interested public a way to stream a selection of carefully selected feature films that can be used with original materials on this site to intelligently analyze the impact of globalization on the diverse cultures of Asia and the Pacific."
The website is designed to highlight and encourage the film makers and film productions of the Asian and Pacific cultures. some of the films now playing include:
Nostalgia for the Countryland
Thuong nho dong que, Vietnam (1995)
Death on a Full Moon Day
Pura Handa Kaluwara, Sri Lanka (1997)
Dark Night of the Soul
Anantha Rathriya, Sri Lanka (1996)
Sandy Lives
Doi Cat, Vietnam (1999)
Girl from Hunan, A
Xiangnu xiaoxiao, China (1986)
Black Snow
Ben ming nian, China (1990)
Song of Tibet, The
Yeshe Dolma, China (2000)
Land Has Eyes, The
Pear ta ma 'on maf, Fiji (Rotuma) (2004)
Check it out!!
Pages