Shall We Dance

Shall We ダンス? (Shall We Dance), is a 1996 Japanese film about dancing. The movie is about a Japanese Salary Man who develops a passion for ballroom dancing. The movie gives insights into the serious attitude towards life, taken by the Japanese working man. It challenges the idea of conformism through Shohei Sugiyama's activities throughout the film.

Shohei Sugiyama becomes increasingly bored and frustrated with his life and he releases all this negative energy, through his newfound passion for dancing. He becomes consumed by the dance and he practices on a continuous basis, even at the subway station and while sitting at his desk. The culture of Japan is well illustrated in Sugiyama's cordial and humble mannerisms.

My connection to the film is minimal, it is a counter example of how I live my life. I tend to not take things too seriously. I have a positive attitude towards life in order to create more positive results. Also if there is something that I enjoy I do not worry about what others think, I simply choose to live openly, rather than hide a secret hobby like Shonei Sugiyama

Please Vote For Me

Please Vote For Me is a 2007 documentary film by Wejiu Chen. It takes place in a Chinese elementary school. The plot centers around elections for class monitor. The irony is that free elections are not familiar to these 3rd graders and they become consumed by the elections. It also shows how politics can turn two friends into bitter enemies such as Cheng Cheng and Luo Lei as they do in reality, however there are few elections in China so this is usually no concern.

One major insight into Chinese culture that I noticed, was brilliantly represented at the beginning of the film where the teacher tells the children that they will be "voting" for class monitors and the children have absolutely no idea what "voting" is. This demonstrates the immense incorporation of Maoism into the Chinese school system, much akin to the socialism taught in Cuban school system. The school system continues to stress the importance of Communism in every day Chinese life.


The style of life is completely different in China than it is in Minnesota and the US, we are not taught to believe in the the triumphs of capitalism or socialism. Elections are an essential part of how we operate. The emphasis on the superiority of one's nation is more pronounced in China, and while I can relate to national pride, I am not forced to exercise it like the chinese

BETRAYAL

The Betrayal (Nerakhoon) is a 2008 documentary about a Laotian family who emigrates and moves to Brooklyn. The protagonist is Thavisouk, also known as Thavi. The plot follows 20 years of Thavi's life and the life of his family. Their trials and tribulations are clearly illustrated in the film.

Thavi and his family struggle to fit in to American culture and his family struggle to get comfortable with their new surroundings. They can't seem to decide whether it would have been better to have stayed in Laos, which is in near ruins because of the reckless dropping of American bombs. The story thickens when Thavi's father comes to visit them in Brooklyn, and at first it looks like they will have a father figure, but they soon find out he is leaving them for a new family. This causes Thavisouk to selflessly assume the patriarchal position in the family.

The film reveals how important the father is in Laotian culture, because in the case of Thavisouk's mother, who should be angry at her ex husband for moving on to a new family, she instead eats her words. She wants to protect the children by allowing them to know who their father is. This is contrary to the probable outcome of a similar situation, with American perpetrators. In that situation the mother would most likely shield her children from such treachery and would limit their contact with the father. My personal connection is that this is a counterexample of how my family operates, I have two happy and successful parents that compliment each other and so this helps me appreciate that a little more than I have in the past.

Gran Torino

Gran Torino is a 2009 film directed by and starring Clint Eastwood. The story takes place in a Detroit neighborhood. It focuses on Walt Kowalski a hardened veteran from The Korean War. He is consequently a notable racist and his temper is sometimes uncontrollable.

He becomes distraught when a Hmong family move next door. He is further distressed when Thao, the neighbor makes an attempt to steal his prized Ford Gran Torino, because of a would be initiation ritual, in which Thao wold be baptized into a Hmong gang, headed by his cousin. Walt puts a halt to the charade when he threatens to shoot his cousin and the other gang members if they don't leave his property.
Thao's sister Su and mother, offer Walt two weeks of labor from Thao, as a traditional form of penance in Hmong culture, and Walt hesitantly agrees to the proposition. Walt eventually befriends Thao and becomes a kind of mentor to him. He gives his life to save Thao and his family in the epic finale.
Some cultural elements featured in the movie include , Hmong food, Hmong religion, and Hmong language. I can't relate in any other way than sharing the Hmong pride for their origins. I have the same respect for my Irish roots and am proud to be Irish, just as Su, Thao and their family are proud to be Hmong. They express their roots in everyday life, unlike me, as I don't speak Irish language at all, while they communicate in traditional language, but it still reminds me of how prideful my family is about being Irish.

Like stars on earth

Like Stars on Earth is a 2007 Indian film about Ishaan Awahsti, a child who is persecuted for being academically challenged, and is accused by educators and his own family of being lazy.
However, he is in fact not lazy, but simply challenged and dyslexic. His apparent ADHD and dyslexia account for the majority of his problems. His parents fear he will not be able to conform to the cultural, "rat race" that characterizes the Indian world of adulthood. Consequently, his parents fear the worst and make the decision to send him to boarding school, which his mother is heartbroken over.
He loses his spirit at this school and he is unable to learn until an art teacher Ram Nikumbh notices his dyslexia and takes Ishaan under his wing. He develops an interest in teaching the boy as Ram Nikumbh is also dyslexic and has a mutual passion for painting.


The movie demonstrates how the Indian school system functions. It gives Indian perspective on learning disabilities and education in general. In many ways it is inflexible, as we see with the example of how Ishaan suffers through persecution and criticism for something he can't control. In the American school system learning disabilities such as ADHD and dyslexia, which Ishaan suffers from are generally accepted as legitimate impairment, while in India they can be interpreted as pure laziness.
My personal connection to the film is the condition I shared with
Ishaan, which was ADHD. I had the same kind of distractability, he has and I was not able to learn as easily as other students. While I can't relate to his dyslexia, I sympathize completely with his ADHD and his difficult childhood due to the condition.

CHAK DE! INDIA

Chak De!India is an Indian film about redemption, glory and triumph. The story follows Kabir Khan an ex-Indian national field hockey team captain, who i forced into 7 years of exile, because he is accused of botching a tiebreaking penalty stroke in an act of sympathy towards the opponent Pakistan, who share the common denominator as being fellow Muslims.

In act to redeem 7 years later he decides, to coach the women's national field hockey team. He is not respected by them at first, because he is seen as a traitor. Also he has the daunting task of trying to unite a divided team. He is confronted by a number of incredibly difficult rivalries between team members including his two principal forwards, Preeti and Komal, who refuse to pass to one another. His most difficult player Bindia Naik, refuses to accept his authority.

The sport of hockey in India is not very different from football in the US, which is taken as a matter of life and death for hardcore fans like myself (SKOL VIKINGS!!) and if you lose a championship you will suffer a life of infamy until you die or win a championship like Kabir Khan.