Upcoming: May 10-19, 2013 Pittsburgh's Silk Screen Asian American Film Festival!

May 10-19 Pittsburgh's Silk Screen Asian American Film Festival!

I am so excited that I finally get to attend! Two years ago I'd only heard of what is now called the Silk Screen Asian Arts & Culture Organization, and for the past year I served as a  kind of part-time office volunteer. I have thoroughly admired the mission of this organization and all it has done for Pittsburgh and beyond.

This year's film festival features screenings of 30 foreign films over these 10 days, including an Opening Night Gala and Closing Ceremony. This year there are films from: Afghanistan, Cambodia, China, Egypt, Georgia, India, Iran, Israel, Japan, Kyrgyzstan, Nepal, Philippines, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam and Uzbekistan.

I'm especially excited to see some of these movies with international friends, and to learn and enjoy more about their countries and cultures though cinema.

I encourage everyone to attend: http://www.silkscreenfestival.org/202/festival-guide-2013

The following is something I'd written when I was supposed to write about Silk Screen for Wikipedia. Unfortunately, I didn't know if my draft was ever sufficient. So, I still haven't gone through the process of trying to publish it, or whether I had permission. However, this is my best attempt to write about the organization I respect and admire so much. And I wish to give this event and organization more publicity in the best way that I can.

About the Silk Screen Asian Arts & Culture Organization

Silk Screen was founded as a 501 (c) 3 nonprofit media arts organization in 2005 by Harish Saluja, an artist, filmmaker, and entrepreneur, who recognized a need to promote cross-cultural understanding among Asians and non-Asians in the United States. This led to his idea of a cultural arts organization representing the various Asian communities in Pittsburgh and the tri-state area through cultural events. A filmmaker himself, Saluja first created the annual Silk Screen Asian American Film Festival in May 2006. Silk Screen has since evolved to centrally coordinate other Asian cultural events within Pittsburgh including festival screenings of international films, academic screenings of documentaries, events featuring ethnic music and dance performances, and events celebrating of Asian holidays and traditions ("The Heinz Endowments"). And, just this year, an Asian American Jazz Fusion orchestra organized by Saluja and other musicians will be performing.

Mission

 "Silk Screen's goals include educating communities about Asian and Asian American history, culture, experiences and issues; fostering understanding across lines of race, ethnicity, religion, age, and region; and sustaining growth and encouraging excellence in Asian American culture and cinema ("Our Story"). 

These aims are achieved through year-round programming of film festivals, outreach performances of music, dance, and theater, educational presentations of Asian traditions for primary and secondary schools as well as colleges and universities, and other innovative events. Silk Screen events continue to grow in reputation and attendance among all age groups. People have even come from surrounding states and foreign countries to attend Silk Screen events and film festivals.

Silk Screen’s long-term goals are to foster cross-cultural understanding, to encourage filmmaking in Pittsburgh, and ultimately to establish Pittsburgh as a center of cultural exchange that welcomes Asian immigrants and Asian Americans and celebrates their diverse cultures – thus inspiring a dynamic multicultural community and vibrant economy (McElhinney). Ultimately, year-round programming is projected to lead into weeks or months of events celebrating diversity in Asian and Asian American heritage across the Commonwealth, and fostering American appreciation of global community (FilmFestivals.com). 

I have been especially drawn to the vision of Harish Saluja in his creation of the organization:

"We believe that if you want to grow as a city, you need to welcome people of different colors, races, countries, and languages; and you need to be proactive about it. In this region, the new immigrants aren't coming from Italy or Ireland anymore. They're coming from Asia, and one of the things that we need to do as a city - and I feel strongly about this - is to be culturally welcoming.. I decided that we would form this organization and have Asian cultural events where people of different colors could come together under one tent. And it turns out that only 20 percent of people who attend our events are Asian. 80 percent are non-Asians, which is how I want it to be because Asians don't need me to tell them about Asian culture. It's non-Asians who can feel safe and comfortable coming to these events and learning about other countries. 

We also firmly believe that there are problems in this world. There is hatred, prejudice, ignorance and sadness; there are tears in this world. Now we can't solve all the problems, but we think we should do something, however small it is, to ameliorate these difficulties. And we feel that a performance by a musician, a show by an artist, a dance performance, a movie being seen and bread being broken together are positive things that compensate to some extent for all the negativity that goes on. If everybody felt that way, you would see a change in the world, and that's what we're trying to do."

("The Heinz Endowments") 

Activities

Film Festivals and Film Series

Silk Screen Asian American Film Festival

Silk Screen’s premier event is an annual 10-day film festival that takes place every May (recognized as Asian American Heritage Month) featuring screenings of over 20 contemporary films representing ethnic origins of Central, South, and East Asian countries and their people’s histories, cultures, experiences, and issues. The festival is preceded by an Opening Night Gala event featuring ethnic Asian music and dance performances, catering by ethnic restaurants, and its attendants are invited to dress in cultural attire. Over the following days and nights, the films are screened in three-to-five different locations. Whenever possible, each film is concluded with Question & Answer sessions with its international filmmakers and/or performers, even people from as far as Indonesia. (Baron). Featured films include those by award-winning directors, and winners of national and international film festivals such as Sundance, Toronto, Cannes, and the New York Asian Film Festival, among others.("Our Story") Films have represented origins from countries including Burma (through a 2012 showing of The Lady (2011), Afghanistan, China, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Korea, The Philippines, Turkey, Thailand,Vietnam, and Uzbekistan (Baron).

Silk Scream: Asian Horror Film Festival

Silk Screen annually presents a pair of internationally recognized and limited release Asian horror films in the final week of October, during the Halloween holiday season in an event called Silk Scream. Pittsburgh has been historically significant location in the horror film industry (recall the film "The Silence of the Lambs"), and Silk Screen became the first to bring a festival screening of Asian horror films.  

Film Series

Silk Screen also annually presents three academic film series for local college and university instruction, and to foster discourse on difficult social issues, controversies, and stereotypes within Asian countries and the United States, including women’s rights, gender issues, historical struggles, and prejudices. Film screenings and subsequent discussion are intended to increase awareness and to dispel cross-cultural ignorance and prejudices among academic audiences. Currently, Silk Screen organizes three distinct film series for three different academic institutions:

Asia Unreeled is presented annually at Winchester Thurston School through spring months, with four thought-provoking films (dramas and/or documentaries) which are meant to show diverse cultures, histories of Asian countries as they relate to present realities. These films are open to the public and are each followed with time for reflection and discussion, and occasionally by cultural activities. Asia Unreeled is presented also in partnership with Confucius Institute, the University of Pittsburgh Asian Studies Center and Winchester Thurston School.

Japanese Film Series is presented annually in partnership primarily with the University of Pittsburgh Asian Studies Center, among other nonprofit and academic organizations. This series features modern or classical Japanese films of any genre to give the public an opportunity to experience Japanese cinema.

Sewickley Film Series is an annual set of three films shown in January that is presented in partnership with the Sewickley Academy. Each series has an overarching theme (previous themes include “challenging stereotypes” and “women in Asian cultures”) and each film is followed with moderated discussion.

Other Programs

Silk Screen collaboratively develops year-round programming of media arts performances and other cultural events such as outreach concerts of Asian and Asian American music, dance and theater; and school presentations and parades celebrating Asian traditions and holidays such as Chinese New Year, Dragon Boat Festival, India Independence Day. These events are often in collaboration with schools, colleges, museums, and directly with musicians, artists, and performers ("Education Outreach Programs").

Radio Program

Silk Screen also produces the weekly broadcast “Music from India" through Pittsburgh’s Essential Public Radio at 90.5 FM. It is the longest running radio program of Indian music in the United States, beginning 1972 by Harish Saluja and Dr. Vijay Bahl, its current hosts. It broadcasts on Sundays from 8pm-10pm. 

Sponsors

Silk Screen has partnered with foundations, schools, universities, museums, over 30 arts and culture organizations, and several local Asian family-owned businesses.
http://silkscreenfestival.org/45/sponsors

References

http://www.silkscreenfestival.org

Baron, Jennifer. "Get reel at the Silk Screen Asian American Film Festival." Pop City. 09 May 2012: n. page. Web. 30 Apr. 2013. <http://www.popcitymedia.com/features/sscreenasia050912.aspx>

"East Meets Pittsburgh." Silk Screen Asian Arts & Culture Organization. Silk Screen Asian Arts & Culture Organization. Web. 30 Apr 2013. <http://www.silkscreenfestival.org/63/east-meets-pgh>

Educational Outreach Programs." Silk Screen Asian Arts & Culture Organization. Silk Screen Asian Arts & Culture Organization. Web. 30 Apr 2013. <http://www.silkscreenfestival.org/86/education-outreach-programs>

"Film Series." Silk Screen Asian Arts & Culture Organization. Silk Screen Asian Arts & Culture Organization. Web. 30 Apr 2013. <http://www.silkscreenfestival.org/34/film-series>

McElhinney, Kelli. "Cultural Awareness: An Important Story." Pop City. 10 May 2006: n. page. Web. 30 Apr 2013. <http://www.popcitymedia.com/features/saluja.aspx>

Interview by Carmen J. Lee. "Q&A with Harish Saluja." The Heinz Endowments. The Heinz Endowments, Pittsburgh. 05 April 2012. Web. 30 Apr 2013. <http://www.heinz.org/grants_spotlight_entry.aspx?entry=912>

"Our Story." Silk Screen Asian Arts & Culture Organization. Silk Screen Asian Arts & Culture Organization. Web. 30 Apr 2013. <http://www.silkscreenfestival.org/2/our-story>

"Silk Screen Asian American Film Festival" FilmFestivals.com. FilmFestivals.com, n.d. Web. 30 April 2013. <http://www.filmfestivals.com/en/festival/silk_screen_asian_american_film_festival_0>

Social Media Links
http://www.facebook.com/SilkScreen

http://www.facebook.com/SilkScreenPittsburgh?ref=ts

http://twitter.com/SilkScreenPgh 

Disney's Mulan: Reflection, after 14 years

June 18 marks the 14th anniversary of the release date of Disney's Mulan - and this was actually my favorite classic Disney movie. Although Mulan has been criticized for being an inauthentic depiction of Chinese culture and even of feminism, she did make a popular address to these subjects, albeit for the intended American audience. It's a good story, and it combines (or clashes) values of American and Chinese culture. You could argue that the story is a little mixed-up, or you could argue that the mix of Eastern and Western values makes an interesting interplay as produced by a country that shares American and Asian heritage. (This is even representative in the fact that Mulan also had an impressive cast of Asian-American actors, including Pat Morita, George Takei, B.D. Wong, Ming-Na Wen, and others.)

And so I admit that I'm biased in favor of Mulan, even after 14 years, and with a little more awareness of its criticisms. Still, I can't change the fact that I was touched by the sympathetic story about a girl desperate to prove herself, and that I was inspired by the animation and, yes, the Chinese setting. Nevertheless, it is important to recognize that, as someone put it, Mulan is "an American story in a Chinese context".

American Humor:

If nothing else, you can tell it's an American movie just by the humor. Eddie Murphy does a wonderful job as Mushu - he's very funny - but he's very funny in an African American way, with jokes that Americans would get. Mushu is about as Chinese as Aladdin's Genie is Arab - which is to say not at all. I'm sure his jokes were probably difficult for translators and for foreign audiences, especially Chinese ones. But Mushu wasn't really intended to be a Chinese character other than in the simple fact that he's a little dragon.

Although humor is universal in a few ways, it's actually often very cultural specific, especially if it relies on cultural stereotypes and pop cultural references. And in Mulan there are quite a few "inside jokes" for Americans. When the Emperor's assistant Chi Fu asks for "order" one character shouts "Moo Goo Gai Pan!", a Chinese-American restaurant dish (Incidentally, a Chinese restaurant owner informed me that Moo Goo Gai Pan is the only common dish that translates literally - "Mushrooms and Chicken Slices"). In the movie there are only a few subtle jokes for Chinese speakers - the names of certain characters are puns. Chi Fu apparently means "to bully."

And, for instance, how many non-Americans would catch this reference? Perhaps not even all Americans. But the subtle twist is part of what makes it funny and enjoyable.

Chinese Reception:

Mulan did not perform that well in China at all, and for several reasons. First of all, the Chinese government  deliberately discouraged it from being popularly received, preferring not to market so many foreign movies, among other diplomatic reasons (many people watched pirated versions anyway). In China, Mulan was released in February, after the Chinese New Year, after their holiday movie season. Second of all, even besides the humor, Mulan frankly doesn't translate very well as a Chinese story. Mulan had been criticized by Chinese critics as "too individualistic" (Langfitt).

What Americans might call the value of personal achievement, self-actualization, Chinese might see as "self-aggrandizing". Chinese also value cultivating one's self through discipline, hard work, and ingenuity, but also in keeping with modesty. Mulan admits to proving herself more than helping her family. Inasmuch as Mulan claims to be working for her family, to serve China through the military, she really does things in a kind of Western individualist spirit. She's trying to "fit in" with the other soldiers, but she goes about it in her own way, whether surpassing them or bypassing them.

And, only in a Western movie is it heartwarming to see a great crowd bowing before you for your humble service.

I suspect this looks weird to an Eastern audience..

Chinese Values:

I was impressed, however, with the Eastern notes of filial piety, family honor, and self-discipline. Mulan's family lives with the maternal grandmother, as is traditional and somewhat typical even today for Chinese families in the United States. Furthermore, Mulan is acting for the sake of her family in a more Eastern way, and I think there is a lesson in that for a Western audience. She considers her military service to be for the sake of her father, and that her military achievements are a credit to her family.

As for Mulan's father praying to the ancestors, and their ghostly roles in the movie, I'm not sure prayer is done so literally (ancestors are not "worshipped", but rather honored), but ancestor veneration is also a Chinese value, and one's ancestors may have an influence on your own course of life. In China and Japan it really is not uncommon to have a family shrine dedicated to one's ancestors.

It is true that in Eastern culture, your honor and your shame are reflected upon one's group, whether it's your family, your co-workers, or whoever is considered your team. In Western culture, pride and shame weighs mostly on the individual. As a simple example, in individualist Western thinking, someone losing a contest makes the loser look bad. In collectivist Eastern thinking, someone losing a contest makes his coach look bad. Of course, a Western loser will also feel guilty about his coach and an Eastern loser will also feel bad about himself, but there is a distinctly Eastern sense of collective responsibility. "Losing face" is an expression that arrived in English from a direct translation of Chinese (and Japanese). And, in these cultures, your failure causes your family/supervisor/co-worker/colleague to also lose face.

Sentimental Values: 

Personally, I was struck by the story of a girl trying to prove herself, and to find identity, even if she goes about it in her own way. I do appreciate the feminist themes (which seem to be more closely tied to the feminist movements of the United States - I get the impression that the Chinese legend wasn't intended so much to make a case for female empowerment, but I could be mistaken.), but to me the story is more about wrestling with one's own identity. Mulan doesn't explicitly challenge the patriarchal system because it wasn't her intention. In the beginning of the movie she is trying to present herself as the feminine ideal, and at the end of the movie she forsakes political power and opts to quietly go home. I think Mulan is an empowering female character because she works to prove her ability regardless of how many times she is suppressed. But more importantly, to me Mulan represents the struggle to find our own identity. And now I think that Mulan is also an attempt to reconcile Western and Eastern identities.

In college, when I was studying Japanese, and later failing Japanese, I again thought of Mulan, trying to perform as something beautiful when I was really just pretending. I learned that trying to relate to another culture sometimes makes one feel very self-conscious, and involves its own questions with identity.

Even though Mulan has its contradictions between Chinese and American values, I think it speaks to what Americans do know and do not know of Chinese culture. For Mulan, it seems the makers genuinely wanted to respect Chinese ideals of filial piety, ancestor veneration, honor and shame, and to give credit to Chinese art. Even so, it was a product of Western perspectives. Americans still sometimes present Chinese culture in odd ways, but I think the story of Mulan has its own integrity, and it was made with good intentions. Perhaps Mulan doesn't reach out to China very well, but the film continues to offer introspection into the presence and awareness of China in America.




By the way, the sequel, unfortunately, was made for a much younger and smaller audience, and had much less to do with China.

Sources:

Bancroft, Tony, dir. Mulan. Dir. Barry Cook, Writ. Rita Hsiao, Robert D. San Souci., Perf. Ming-Na Wen, B.D. Wong, Pat Morita, George Takei, and Eddie Murphy. Buena Vista, 1998. Film.

Langfitt, Frank. "Disney Magic 'Fails' Mulan in China." Baltimore Sun [Baltimore] 03/05/1999, n. pag. Web. 16 Jun. 2012.

Morgan, Diane. The Best Guide to Eastern Philosophy and Religion. 1st. New York: Renaissance Books, 2001. Print.

Price, Kathie. "Disney's "Mulan" - A China Parent's Viewpoint." FWCC. Families with Children from China, 06/25/98. Web. 16 Jun 2012.

Gengcheng, Zhao. "Mulan: Powerful and Powerless." US-China Education Trust. n. page. Web. 16 Jun. 2012.

..and Wikipedia.

Cross-Race Relationships in Indian Cinema

I was thinking of posting this in a forum, but I realized that it was turning into material more fit for a future essay, maybe.

What do you guys think about the examples of cross-race relationships in Bollywood, or Tollywood, or any other Indian cinema? Do you have couples that you really like, do you think some are disappointing? In any case, it's fun to discuss characters and ideas in movies.

Overall, I'm afraid that I felt a little disappointed. For me, the few cross-race relationships I have seen somehow failed, and I can't help but take it a little personally. I know this is the wrong way to take it, and even an immature way to take it. But that's why I hope to discuss it openly sometime.


These cross-race relationships I've seen so far:

Source

In Lagaan (2001), the British woman Elizabeth (sister of the villain) falls in love with Amir Khan's character Bhuvan, and she sings in English a verse in the love song "O Re Chhori", but her lines are sung while Bhuvan and his destined Indian bride Gauri proclaim their love in the same song. The movie doesn't dwell on Elizabeth's broken heart. The movie ends saying that Elizabeth and Bhuvan may have been like Radha and Krishna, but Elizabeth never married - while Bhuvan has his happily ever after with Gauri.

To be fair, I did expect Bhuvan to choose Gauri - she was with him longer, and I didn't doubt her feelings for him. Gauri's jealousy of Bhuvan's friendship with Elizabeth is a continuing frustration and subject of sympathy. More importantly, the relationship between Bhuvan and Elizabeth represents kinship between East and West, India and Britain. Otherwise, all the white guys would be bad guys, and that's not kosher for 2001. It doesn't bother me that Bhuvan didn't choose Elizabeth, but I seem to think that somewhere there's an apology missing.

Source

In Rang de Basanti (2006), British woman Sue falls in love with Amir Khan's character (haha..) DJ/Daljeet, and she never sings, and there is no love song for their relationship. However there are shots of them together in the love song meant for the DJ's friends Ajay and Sonia. It seems that the audience is simply meant to accept that Sue and DJ are together after becoming close, even possibly living together, and that closeness is plain in the film. But the film ends with DJ's sudden death, and Sue left crying bitterly. I suppose their relationship is particularly subtle and quiet, but positive.

Source

In Aaja Nachle (2007) Dia falls in love with Steve, a white photographer, to the tune of the incredibly romantic song "O Re Piya" - which seems to also be the theme music, and more wholly about Dia's love for the theater and her teacher as a father figure. Steve declares his love for her by quoting marriage vows, and even her beloved teacher urges her to follow her heart even if it means leaving her family, who was devastated by her relationship. It's a very Bollywood-esque sweeping romance until less than 10 minutes later, when Dia tells us that her marriage ended in divorce one year later because, simply, they weren't meant for each other. Dia's ABCD (American Born Confused Desi) daughter Radha is a little bratty, but she's about 10, which is kind of a bratty age anyway.

I'm not sure where I'm going with this. I'll let you (or just myself) know when I've found something more on the subject. Or perhaps I should pursue this idea of star-crossed and cross-race relationships in other films and TV.

If anyone is out there reading, I'd love to hear your thoughts. Meanwhile, this blog will continue to function as my humble thoughts on interculturalism, globalism, etc.

EDIT:

I spoke with my best Indian friend and partner about this, and his opinion was much more fair.

First of all, I apologize for my own unfairness. I realize I started overanalyzing these stories because I was getting rather frustrated as I realized how difficult it can be for Indians to acknowledge their own cross-race relationships. You see, my partner admitted guilt and shame regarding his own relationship with me.

Anyway, let's take his points about these movies: 

1. Elizabeth IS a sympathetic and tragic character when her heart is broken. My friend recalled feeling great pity for her when she is crying in the movie. She's just as genuine as anyone else. Maybe there is no missing apology.

2. My friend LIKES the fact that DJ and Sue's relationship is quietly accepted. It is actually inspiring and forward-thinking that their relationship isn't addressed as controversial. And perhaps they don't get a romantic song number because their relationship isn't the focus of the movie anyway.

3. As for Aaja Nachle - well, he never saw it.

So there you go. I was being unfair, and I'm sorry. I was just upset when I started, and hopefully I'll be able to achieve better resolutions to my arguments in the light of reason - this time provided by my partner.