Wednesday, February 23, 2011
A reflection on the class discussion
After Tues's class (2/22/2011) coupled with the statement that Francis said about himself in a constant struggle to discover his identity, something clicked in my head that made me realize that I think to a certain extent, we all are on this quest of constantly attempting to ascertain who we are in terms of origin and identity. From my perspective, I always assumed that I was a 100% Pakistani and that was the extent of my background, however deeper thought into the subject made me think for a second of the obvious fact that Pakistan as a country itself is relatively new (only 60 years old) and that my true identity is that I am from the South Asian region, perhaps mixed with Afghan from the North, and slightly even Arab from the Middle East. Now does it really make a difference to understand fully what I am and will it even impact my life greatly, probably not on a day to day basis, however in the scheme of things, it certainly is interesting to learn and find out what different nationalities and peoples that one is comprised of, and it is for that reason that I want to constantly keep finding out more and more of who I am.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
TEA Response
TEA gave me a new perspective on picture brides I didn't see in the film, though it may have been because of the difference in location. In the film, the brides were sent to Hawaii where their primary role was to work in the fields with their husbands and then to provide companionship. While there was romance, I felt that in TEA the women actually knew and somewhat loved their husbands before they were married, and so their role was primarily companionship. It is this focus on companionship, rather than the labor issue, that makes it more clear of the brides' actual relationship with their husbands that I felt was a little bit lacking in Picture Bride. Also, the variety of the husbands' backgrounds and the wives' personalities gave a more wholistic view than did the single story of Riyo and her husband.
I enjoyed reading TEA (and not just because we were able to go outside when the weather was so nice) and while I'd love to have TEA be our performance for the APA History showcase I'd still be interested in reading other plays as well. I haven't had much experience with theatre, I've only watched plays/Broadway shows or read some Shakespeare for class, but the last time I was in a play was in elementary school.
I enjoyed reading TEA (and not just because we were able to go outside when the weather was so nice) and while I'd love to have TEA be our performance for the APA History showcase I'd still be interested in reading other plays as well. I haven't had much experience with theatre, I've only watched plays/Broadway shows or read some Shakespeare for class, but the last time I was in a play was in elementary school.
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Project Proposal
Experimental Film exploring the complex set of relationships between history, humanity, and society today.
Topics to be explored:
War, Peace, Psychology, Corruption, Humanity, Revolution, Nationalism, Imperialism, Colonialism, Nation-building, Religion, Crime, Capitalism, Climate Change, Energy
Secondary sources to be examined (more to be listed as research ensues):
Film:
Che (2008)
The 11th Hour (2007)
Literature:
Cosa Nostra (2004)
Imagined Communities (1983)
Strangers from a Different Shore (1990)
Various works of Philosophy
Timeline (transient):
Now until March 1: ongoing background research and introspective thought
March 1 - March 15: pre-production stage
March 15 - March 21: filming
March 21 - 28: post
Topics to be explored:
War, Peace, Psychology, Corruption, Humanity, Revolution, Nationalism, Imperialism, Colonialism, Nation-building, Religion, Crime, Capitalism, Climate Change, Energy
Secondary sources to be examined (more to be listed as research ensues):
Film:
Che (2008)
The 11th Hour (2007)
Literature:
Cosa Nostra (2004)
Imagined Communities (1983)
Strangers from a Different Shore (1990)
Various works of Philosophy
Timeline (transient):
Now until March 1: ongoing background research and introspective thought
March 1 - March 15: pre-production stage
March 15 - March 21: filming
March 21 - 28: post
Final Project Proposal
Description:
This project will contain a combination of three artistic components, spoken poetry, dance, and graphic art. I will author a spoken poetry piece, record myself performing the poem, and then compose a choreographed dance set to the words of the poem which will be performed live to the recording on the day of the presentation. I will also create a visual representation of my poem, which I will convert to a digital file and then display on a projector screen as the backdrop of my dance performance. Dance choreography will incorporate elements of Bharatanatyam, and the overall performance should take approximately five minutes. I choose to symbolically utilize three talents I have that are in various stages of development, in order to show my past, present, and future. Visual art is something I have always had an interest in but left behind as a child without any serious attempt to develop my talents in this area. Dance is something I took up instead of art, chose to train seriously in, and am now most familiar with. Spoken poetry is something I have been introduced to recently at college, and will be attempting for the first time; perhaps something I will keep up with in the future. I will use all three mediums to express what I believe is my own culture, and history. I am choosing to do it this way because as I create this project, I expect to find myself along the way, and gain an understanding of myself through the arts. I seek to challenge myself, and understand myself.
Schedule:
February 19-March 5 – Compose spoken poetry piece, practice various ways of reading it, and record a final version.
March 6- March 19 – Choreograph dance to spoken poetry piece and find appropriate costume.
March 20 – March 27 – Practice dance and create visual backdrop for performance.
March 27-? – Continue practicing until performance, including a few run-throughs at the actual place of performance.
Future Plan:
I would like to record my performance on the day of the actual project, and perhaps one other time at another location. This way I can upload my video to youtube, and gain publicity this way. I can also perform this piece after I graduate at cultural programs that I will most likely be asked to participate in.
This project will contain a combination of three artistic components, spoken poetry, dance, and graphic art. I will author a spoken poetry piece, record myself performing the poem, and then compose a choreographed dance set to the words of the poem which will be performed live to the recording on the day of the presentation. I will also create a visual representation of my poem, which I will convert to a digital file and then display on a projector screen as the backdrop of my dance performance. Dance choreography will incorporate elements of Bharatanatyam, and the overall performance should take approximately five minutes. I choose to symbolically utilize three talents I have that are in various stages of development, in order to show my past, present, and future. Visual art is something I have always had an interest in but left behind as a child without any serious attempt to develop my talents in this area. Dance is something I took up instead of art, chose to train seriously in, and am now most familiar with. Spoken poetry is something I have been introduced to recently at college, and will be attempting for the first time; perhaps something I will keep up with in the future. I will use all three mediums to express what I believe is my own culture, and history. I am choosing to do it this way because as I create this project, I expect to find myself along the way, and gain an understanding of myself through the arts. I seek to challenge myself, and understand myself.
Schedule:
February 19-March 5 – Compose spoken poetry piece, practice various ways of reading it, and record a final version.
March 6- March 19 – Choreograph dance to spoken poetry piece and find appropriate costume.
March 20 – March 27 – Practice dance and create visual backdrop for performance.
March 27-? – Continue practicing until performance, including a few run-throughs at the actual place of performance.
Future Plan:
I would like to record my performance on the day of the actual project, and perhaps one other time at another location. This way I can upload my video to youtube, and gain publicity this way. I can also perform this piece after I graduate at cultural programs that I will most likely be asked to participate in.
New Project Proposal
I have changed my mind about my project, here's what I'd like to do instead:
The final project I would like to propose involves working with my hands to create a product that embodies who I am as well as benefitting others. I am interested in knitting a scarf as my final project because it is a visual representation of my history or folklore. I have actually never knitted anything before but I have always been interested in starting up the craft. I have two roommates who are avid knitters and very advanced. At night they relax by creating socks, slippers, mittens, blankets, scarves, and sweaters. I see knitting as a way of bonding with others through the act of physically creating a garment that can be worn. This garment then becomes a physical expression of who I am.
Beginning knitters always start by creating a scarf and that is what I plan to do. I plan to use red yarn to symbolize my Asian heritage. Red is the color of blood, my ancestry, and red is also a color of celebration, acknowledging and glorifying my heritage by eventually wrapping the scarf around my neck – which is a very vulnerable spot on the body. I am interested in working with my hands to create something because of my background as a dancer. I typically just focus on creating art by moving around using my feet, but knitting will allow me to express my artistry using my hands and then wearing it around my body.
My timeline for this project is to first purchase needles and yarn and then get my roommates to teach me the basics, how to knit and purl. I will then have until April to complete the scarf. The length of the scarf will be based on how much time I devote to the project. And I plan to use my newly acquired skill to benefit those in need. I know of different organizations that ask for handmade scarves to hand out to the homeless during the wintertime, as well as to senior citizens. The Special Olympics also asks for handmade scarves to hand out to their athletes. I would like to know that my work benefits others.
Also, when we present our pieces as a group for APA month, the public could wrap my scarf around themselves and then photograph themselves wearing it -- symbolizing them "wearing" my history.
The final project I would like to propose involves working with my hands to create a product that embodies who I am as well as benefitting others. I am interested in knitting a scarf as my final project because it is a visual representation of my history or folklore. I have actually never knitted anything before but I have always been interested in starting up the craft. I have two roommates who are avid knitters and very advanced. At night they relax by creating socks, slippers, mittens, blankets, scarves, and sweaters. I see knitting as a way of bonding with others through the act of physically creating a garment that can be worn. This garment then becomes a physical expression of who I am.
Beginning knitters always start by creating a scarf and that is what I plan to do. I plan to use red yarn to symbolize my Asian heritage. Red is the color of blood, my ancestry, and red is also a color of celebration, acknowledging and glorifying my heritage by eventually wrapping the scarf around my neck – which is a very vulnerable spot on the body. I am interested in working with my hands to create something because of my background as a dancer. I typically just focus on creating art by moving around using my feet, but knitting will allow me to express my artistry using my hands and then wearing it around my body.
My timeline for this project is to first purchase needles and yarn and then get my roommates to teach me the basics, how to knit and purl. I will then have until April to complete the scarf. The length of the scarf will be based on how much time I devote to the project. And I plan to use my newly acquired skill to benefit those in need. I know of different organizations that ask for handmade scarves to hand out to the homeless during the wintertime, as well as to senior citizens. The Special Olympics also asks for handmade scarves to hand out to their athletes. I would like to know that my work benefits others.
Also, when we present our pieces as a group for APA month, the public could wrap my scarf around themselves and then photograph themselves wearing it -- symbolizing them "wearing" my history.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Project Proposal
My idea is to incorporate at least three different forms of art to create a multimedia experience that involves the audience and the performer in a creative discourse about my own family’s personal experiences in America.
The first part will be an audio recording/splicing of interviews with my mother, father, and my older sister, all of whom were born in the Philippines. I want to ask them all questions about where they are now versus then, their experiences in coming and going, what home really means to them, and why remembering the past is so important. I want to remix these ideas into an ambient track that allows the audience to discern individual experiences without detracting from a larger image.
Second, I will make a visual backdrop to the entire thing. I want it to incorporate a lot of words as well as very tactile materials—silk, rice, maybe even crab shells. I’ll approach it as a visual diary—a way of chronicling my own experiences as well as key phrases picked out of the track. After the “performance,” I’m going to invite the audience in to read, examine, and touch the backdrop, in much the same way as Maya Lin encouraged people at her Civil Rights Memorial.
Third, I want to incorporate some sort of movement to go with the entire project as the audio track is recording. I’m a bit scared about this part, and I would be much more comfortable slamming some poetry, but I feel like movement will go with the audio track more than competing for verbal space. I like the idea of branching out as part of the creative experience.
Calendar:
Order of events:
1. Interview with my parents/sister—get audio equipment etc.
2. Purchase art supplies and figure out a way to create a good, sizeable backdrop
3. Remix track together
4. Get started on backdrop
5. After backdrop is finished, create a working dance
I’m not sure about time constraints, but I think if I try to do a stage every two weeks, I’ll be able to work it through.
How to Get the Word Out to the World:
I’ve been involved in a lot of performance art shows, and I think that’s where this fits. I’d like to organize an open mic night venue for performance art—I think I could get a lot of organizations involved with it. I want to see the entire class come together to create a cohesive piece.
The first part will be an audio recording/splicing of interviews with my mother, father, and my older sister, all of whom were born in the Philippines. I want to ask them all questions about where they are now versus then, their experiences in coming and going, what home really means to them, and why remembering the past is so important. I want to remix these ideas into an ambient track that allows the audience to discern individual experiences without detracting from a larger image.
Second, I will make a visual backdrop to the entire thing. I want it to incorporate a lot of words as well as very tactile materials—silk, rice, maybe even crab shells. I’ll approach it as a visual diary—a way of chronicling my own experiences as well as key phrases picked out of the track. After the “performance,” I’m going to invite the audience in to read, examine, and touch the backdrop, in much the same way as Maya Lin encouraged people at her Civil Rights Memorial.
Third, I want to incorporate some sort of movement to go with the entire project as the audio track is recording. I’m a bit scared about this part, and I would be much more comfortable slamming some poetry, but I feel like movement will go with the audio track more than competing for verbal space. I like the idea of branching out as part of the creative experience.
Calendar:
Order of events:
1. Interview with my parents/sister—get audio equipment etc.
2. Purchase art supplies and figure out a way to create a good, sizeable backdrop
3. Remix track together
4. Get started on backdrop
5. After backdrop is finished, create a working dance
I’m not sure about time constraints, but I think if I try to do a stage every two weeks, I’ll be able to work it through.
How to Get the Word Out to the World:
I’ve been involved in a lot of performance art shows, and I think that’s where this fits. I’d like to organize an open mic night venue for performance art—I think I could get a lot of organizations involved with it. I want to see the entire class come together to create a cohesive piece.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Ideas for Personal Project
I think perhaps one of the things that I feel I could do for this class, as a means to connect myself with my past in hopes to gain insight on the future, would be to make a documentary on the lives of 1st generation Asian American Immigrant, specifically hailing from the South Asian region, as that is more personal to my history. I feel that if I express the stories of South Asian Americans trying to reconcile with their cultures they experience at home with the dynamic of their lives outside, it would in turn reveal the struggle I go through to best blends these two worlds into my daily life. I feel that if this was executed through the use of the medium of film, it would best capture the essence of my story in terms of the popular history.
Maya Lin
The documentary on Maya Lin was inspirational. It was very impressive how a 20 year old could be capable of such things. Kind of makes me feel like I am wasting my time and opportunities...
Maya Lin / APA History Month Project Idea
Learning about Maya Lin's story was very inspiring. She was able to convey her own artistic vision into her memorials without making them the focal points, and although she had not experienced firsthand the events for which she was designing memorials, she was able to capture the emotions and individuality of each in symbolic monuments. Recently I have been interested in trying my hand at slam poetry though after listening to Maya Lin's thought processes for her architecture, I am once again drawn back to visual art. I was particularly moved by the way all of her pieces were in some way interactive-- the Vietnam Veteran's wall is not just something to look at, but a process of acceptance. Visitors take the time to research the name and walk along the path until they find the name, and through that journey they can create a true connection with the memorial and have the time to mull over their emotions.
For my final project, I want to create something like Maya Lin's architecture (not necessarily on that scale, though), something that is visually appealing but has a deeper meaning for each viewer as they interact with it because in order to understand one must experience, not just see. But in that respect, I'd like to play with the convention of sight and perception: the act of seeing on a superficial level, and then on a deeper level, seeing the Asian-American experience, how Asian-Americans are perceived in non-Asian-American society, and how I as an Asian-American see the world around me. I want to make my project purely visual so that after viewing it, one can understand through sight alone. I would use mirrors as the backdrop of my project in such a way that they reflect not only the viewer but also each other, and on the mirrors I would also write quotes from books about Asian-Americans and some of my own reflections/poetry.
All I need to buy are the mirrors, since most of the materials for the rest of the art project come from things I already own-- maybe including some old photos of my parents, if I can find some. I will purchase the mirrors before spring break, since I've already found the body-length mirrors I wanted at Target, and then I will construct the piece as I conduct my research. I plan to use Jessica Hagedorn’s Dogeaters and John Okada’s No-No Boy as sources for my research. Both books are fictional works depicting the lives of Asian-Americans: Dogeaters is told by a young Filipina girl named Rio who grows up in the Philippines and then moves to the U.S., while No-No Boy is about a half-Japanese half-American who struggles with his identity when he is imprisoned after resisting the draft during WWII.
This piece is not very mobile and so the work, itself, will not be applicable to the rest of the world, though because it is inherently interactive I hope that at least the viewers will be able to carry away from it a message that there is more than physical attributes that makes me Asian-American and to challenge the commonly biased perception of others.
For my final project, I want to create something like Maya Lin's architecture (not necessarily on that scale, though), something that is visually appealing but has a deeper meaning for each viewer as they interact with it because in order to understand one must experience, not just see. But in that respect, I'd like to play with the convention of sight and perception: the act of seeing on a superficial level, and then on a deeper level, seeing the Asian-American experience, how Asian-Americans are perceived in non-Asian-American society, and how I as an Asian-American see the world around me. I want to make my project purely visual so that after viewing it, one can understand through sight alone. I would use mirrors as the backdrop of my project in such a way that they reflect not only the viewer but also each other, and on the mirrors I would also write quotes from books about Asian-Americans and some of my own reflections/poetry.
All I need to buy are the mirrors, since most of the materials for the rest of the art project come from things I already own-- maybe including some old photos of my parents, if I can find some. I will purchase the mirrors before spring break, since I've already found the body-length mirrors I wanted at Target, and then I will construct the piece as I conduct my research. I plan to use Jessica Hagedorn’s Dogeaters and John Okada’s No-No Boy as sources for my research. Both books are fictional works depicting the lives of Asian-Americans: Dogeaters is told by a young Filipina girl named Rio who grows up in the Philippines and then moves to the U.S., while No-No Boy is about a half-Japanese half-American who struggles with his identity when he is imprisoned after resisting the draft during WWII.
This piece is not very mobile and so the work, itself, will not be applicable to the rest of the world, though because it is inherently interactive I hope that at least the viewers will be able to carry away from it a message that there is more than physical attributes that makes me Asian-American and to challenge the commonly biased perception of others.
What I would do...
In order to give back to the nation I came from, I would support the development of the rural and poor areas as well as support the arts. The healing power of the arts is truly magical.
As a result, for my project I plan on working on a collaborative film. Something that captures the essence of where I come from. I choose film because I have experience in making serious as well as lighthearted pieces. Either that or art, I cannot see myself writing a paper.
My project/contribution needs to express me as a person, and only the arts can do justice to what I have to offer
As a result, for my project I plan on working on a collaborative film. Something that captures the essence of where I come from. I choose film because I have experience in making serious as well as lighthearted pieces. Either that or art, I cannot see myself writing a paper.
My project/contribution needs to express me as a person, and only the arts can do justice to what I have to offer
Project Ideas
I want to ask my parents questions and record them (audio) and maybe my sister too. I want to cut together an audio track based on their responses--cutting and pasting, etc. Couple it with a visual backdrop, maybe my own slam poetry interspersed with it? I think the biggest question I want to ask is "where are we now? How did we get here?"
I feel so American right now, and I'm not sure how my parents feel, or my sister. I'm not quite in touch with my Asian heritage--it's always been there, but it's not a big part of who I am, just who my parents are. I want to talk about the spanning-across-the-oceans concept, that we always call the Philippines "home" (as in "going home"), but I've never lived there. My sister and I don't speak anything but English.
I want it to be a complete sensual experience, a work of performance art that melds different disciplines, because I feel like that's what growing up as an Asian American is really about.
In terms of Maya Lin, I'm inspired by her idea of memorializing people, not necessarily events. There's the idea of taking something aesthetically and making it into something that's really pure emotion.
I like that she's motivated by the personal side of history. That's what I want to focus on--the story of the people that made up events.
My parents were in Detroit in the 1980s. The racial tension they experienced (as Asian Americans in a very Anti-Japanese era/place) was so extreme. I grew up in the South.
You see things change and transform. I think my project has to be about transforming from one thing to another and back, half-way meeting up at points. It has to be multimedia, it has to have at least two different aspects to it--just like Maya Lin's memorial to Civil Rights. If this is going to be a memorial to how things have changed, it has to have some form of perpetual, kinetic change in it.
I think it's all about a collection of experiences that make a whole lifetime and future lifetime. It's not static, and it's not something that can be experienced fully by one person. It's about how different things and people interact. What they become. Chemical reactions and emotional counterpoints.
I feel so American right now, and I'm not sure how my parents feel, or my sister. I'm not quite in touch with my Asian heritage--it's always been there, but it's not a big part of who I am, just who my parents are. I want to talk about the spanning-across-the-oceans concept, that we always call the Philippines "home" (as in "going home"), but I've never lived there. My sister and I don't speak anything but English.
I want it to be a complete sensual experience, a work of performance art that melds different disciplines, because I feel like that's what growing up as an Asian American is really about.
In terms of Maya Lin, I'm inspired by her idea of memorializing people, not necessarily events. There's the idea of taking something aesthetically and making it into something that's really pure emotion.
I like that she's motivated by the personal side of history. That's what I want to focus on--the story of the people that made up events.
My parents were in Detroit in the 1980s. The racial tension they experienced (as Asian Americans in a very Anti-Japanese era/place) was so extreme. I grew up in the South.
You see things change and transform. I think my project has to be about transforming from one thing to another and back, half-way meeting up at points. It has to be multimedia, it has to have at least two different aspects to it--just like Maya Lin's memorial to Civil Rights. If this is going to be a memorial to how things have changed, it has to have some form of perpetual, kinetic change in it.
I think it's all about a collection of experiences that make a whole lifetime and future lifetime. It's not static, and it's not something that can be experienced fully by one person. It's about how different things and people interact. What they become. Chemical reactions and emotional counterpoints.
Project Proposal
I know that I want to create a short film and after watching the portrait of Maya Lin I have been inspired to document how other people have affected my history. I think what I really took away from Maya's story is that all the structures she designs and creates are meant to be a personal and private journey of reflection for each individual.
I am already choreographing a dance and I think maybe I will film the reaction of my dancers to the movements they're performing. Choreography is an expression of my own embodiment of all my experiences and it would be interesting to see how my dancers interpret the movements not just physically but verbally.
I am already choreographing a dance and I think maybe I will film the reaction of my dancers to the movements they're performing. Choreography is an expression of my own embodiment of all my experiences and it would be interesting to see how my dancers interpret the movements not just physically but verbally.
brainstorm
incorporating history with art
I want to make a short-film, an audio-visual sensory piece, that focuses on the relationship between the past and the present. History and Humanity. Arresting the future by means of the past.
It will be an emotionally thought-provoking work that causes the viewer to feel and to think.
I will begin examining my sources of inspiration
I want to make a short-film, an audio-visual sensory piece, that focuses on the relationship between the past and the present. History and Humanity. Arresting the future by means of the past.
It will be an emotionally thought-provoking work that causes the viewer to feel and to think.
I will begin examining my sources of inspiration
What Would You Do
In order to give back to the nation I came from, I would support the development of the rural and poor areas as well as support the arts
Flute Player Response
I believe that Arn didn't really have a choice whether or not to join the Khmer Rouge. I believe his choice was, do you want to live or die, and he chose to live. I mean look at his life now. He's really making a difference and an impact. I know that he feels guilty and regrets having to help kill people, but I believe he's atoning for his past violence by helping making a difference in the lives of Cambodian musicians.
Monday, February 14, 2011
Response to the Flute Player
Powerful is probably one of the few words that could be used to describe the experience I felt after watching the Flute Player. The mix of tragedy of Arn's haunting childhood experiences with a silver lining of hope that all is better now for Arn as his Master Musician program is taking off, and he has been able to get in contact with many of the old masters of Cambodian music carried through a profound effect onto me. Watching and hearing Arn's story which probably only revealed a surface of what really he experienced, for we can never really know what pains and tribulations he truly endured, was enough to make me realize and aware of an issue that happened in the world; something perhaps which I would have never known or found out about on my own. Perhaps the most moving scene in the Flute Player would have to be the one where we see Arn visiting the memorial field where many of his fellow citizens were executed, and just to envision that moment and what was going on in his mind, since these were his countrymen having injustices done to them by others was very intense. All in all, I look forward to watching the next movie as I hope it will provide me with some revealing insight as well.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Project Proposal
Perhaps my project should focus more on the way history is taught and why I feel excluded from parts of the American timeline simply because my immediate lineage is not involved in it. Is there any way in which I could set up a creative program for Americans to interact with history which they may feel excluded from simply because their skin color or immediate culture does not reflect what has occurred in our collective history?
1. Mission Statement/ Point of Departure
To explore the differences in American history and what ties all of us together with a special focus on the shared history of Asian Americans
à point of departure: what truly separates each individual, how is their personal history a smaller part of a greater schema, how do their emotions, actions and heritage effect every other American? Is there a spiritual journey which mirrors the historical facts of American history? How do I tap this spirit and see how it wraps around Asian American film? A creative film project which would be shown at a series of random areas to help educate and change perspectives.
àQuestions to answer: Who am I? How do I encounter history?
2. Master Calendar
February: Begin filming
March 1-8: write narration and begin to edit film material
March 10-22: come up with formal presentation of the film and how this concocted project could be implemented in today’s society
April: presentation
3. Post Completion
This project will fit into a life-long study of humans, their social interactions as well as the shared history of all Americans. To effect change, you must first change people and in order to do that, the mentality and mindset of each “individual” heritage must be laid to rest if cultural unity will every overcome the common American. We must stop thinking of ourselves as separate pieces of a whole pie
The Flute Player Response
I was very interested when I first heard the title of the documentary because my great uncle was a famous flute player, as well, though he was Vietnamese and his flute was one which was played sideways, known as “The Magic Flute.” I do not know much about his history, and only recently have some websites about his life and work began to emerge on the internet. When my mom and her family immigrated from Vietnam to the US, they were not able to bring many personal mementos—to my knowledge I have never seen a picture of her in Vietnam before, and it is very similar in The Flute Player. Arn says that he hopes their arts, their music, would become the “international signature of Cambodia,” because it is part of an oral tradition that cannot be destroyed as with documents and photographs.
But while it may be difficult to destroy the intangible folklore, such oral traditions are easily forgotten, as seen through the interviews with the young people who say most of their friends don’t see it as being “cool” so they don’t learn. I find it almost ironic that it was the Khmer Rouge who protected musicians, not for benevolent reasons, of course, but in trying to promote propaganda, they preserved the traditional instruments that would have otherwise been destroyed along with other artists and works.
Response to The Flute Player
Art is dangerous. It's power, it's a way for people to communicate their passion and ideas to other people in a way that escapes most conventional means of containment.
Arn's story just proves that no matter how hard anyone tries, you can't suppress art. You can't suppress the self-expression of the individual.
The film was about survival, but it was also about what you do after you survive. Most war stories like this seem to deal with what the person goes through and how they get out of whatever hell they were placed in. Arn's story was different. It was about what you should do once you survive. In a way, it negates the idea of "survivor's guilt," because Arn chose to help other people, to protect and encourage art to flourish in Cambodia. Almost his entire family was killed because they were seen as a threat to the Khymer Rouge's ideals. Arn encouraging traditional art is a way of keeping their legacy alive.
Arn's story just proves that no matter how hard anyone tries, you can't suppress art. You can't suppress the self-expression of the individual.
The film was about survival, but it was also about what you do after you survive. Most war stories like this seem to deal with what the person goes through and how they get out of whatever hell they were placed in. Arn's story was different. It was about what you should do once you survive. In a way, it negates the idea of "survivor's guilt," because Arn chose to help other people, to protect and encourage art to flourish in Cambodia. Almost his entire family was killed because they were seen as a threat to the Khymer Rouge's ideals. Arn encouraging traditional art is a way of keeping their legacy alive.
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