Film Asia: New Perspectives on film for English

Margaret Pomeranz

Working at SBS presenting movies on Tuesday nights and working as a film reviewer on The Movie Show I've become very aware of what I call 'buyer resistance' to films not only from Asia, but also from Africa and the Middle East. It's frustrating to see viewers embracing a mediocre French or German film in droves but resisting the opportunity to see a really excellent film from South Korea or Iran.

I understand that a sense of cultural alienation is most probably a key factor in audiences' reluctance to actively engage with Asian cinema. It's ironic that actually seeing the films could break down those feelings of cultural alienation. Film is a wonderful medium for gaining entry into other worlds.

I always felt that given time the situation would change, particularly in view of Australia's increasingly diverse population mix.

But nothing could give this hoped-for change more of a spur than the truly excellent Film Asia, New perspectives on film for English written by Juanita Kwok and Lucinda McKnight.

Kwok and McKnight include fifteen films in their study guide, not all of them Asian productions but all of which have an Asian focus. The range of films chosen for study is informatively broad, from the groundbreaking classic Rashomon, to the more overtly commercial Indochine, from the wrenching experience of Clara Law's Floating Life to the exuberance of Mira Nair's Monsoon Wedding. And it was good to see Chen Kaige's Yellow Earth included, this film not only sheds light on Chinese history, it was an historical event in its own right as the first film of the 'Fifth Generation' filmmakers to reach Western audiences.

The research that has gone into presenting these films is truly impressive, providing fascinating social, cultural and filmic perspectives on each production that will enrich anyone's enjoyment and appreciation of the films discussed. It made me want to go back to each film to enjoy again, armed with the material provided by Kwok and McKnight. Their notes are far more detailed and interesting than the production notes provided by distributors of films!

I was interested to delve into the Teaching and Learning Activities devised by Kwok and McKnight. These have been approached thoughtfully and imaginatively. Much of the approach is film specific but there are many byways and detours that really amount to life lessons in any culture. What I particularly like is that room is given to individual appreciation of films. There are certain specific factual aspects to any film - names, dates, happenings - but there are also whole areas that are very much dependent on interpretation and it's good to see that Kwok and McKnight not only give rein to those areas but actively encourage them.

*Reproduced with permission

Film critic, The Movie Show, SBS

The following review is reprinted with permission from Literacy Learning: the Middle Years. a journal of the Australian Literacy Educators' Association, Vol 11, No 2, June 2003, pp 81

A range of classic and contemporary films from a number of different film-making traditions have been included, appropriate for students in Years 7-12. Details of the selected films, background notes, before and after viewing activities, and lists of related texts provide a comprehensive set of teaching materials for each film. This book provides a conduit for a new range of texts to find their way into English classrooms.