Rowan Sullivan, Author at FilmRoot

421

Hana-bi (Japan)

Ever heard of a Yakuza film? The Yakuza are the Japanese gangsters much like the Mafia in Italy or the Triads in China and Hong Kong. Intrigued? Hana-bi is a Yakuza film with more than the usual violence. You’ll meet a former cop who turns to the Yakuza for loans to help his dying wife. Watch the film to find out if he manages to pay of his debts whilst learning about his own life.

Why Watch Hana-bi?

It’s a sophisticated Yakuza film
To see one of the best gangsters on film in some kick-ass sunglasses!
Takeshi Kitano won the Golden Lion for this film, establishing him as one of Japan’s top film-makers
Kitano even painted all the paintings seen in this film!

The Breakdown

Hana-bi starts with Joe Hisaishi’s film score (he’s the guy that produced most of the sound of Studio Ghibli) playing over a few pictures of saints (which Kitano starts with in a few of his films). In the opening scene, two men in blue boiler suits are staring silently at a guy in a suit and sunglasses in a half empty parking lot. The soundtrack stops as one of the guys in blue slaps a wet cloth onto a car bonnet and starts cleaning. The guy in the suit watches him clean for a minute before kicking him off of the car.

The guy in the suit and sunglasses is Nishi, a violent former cop, and the main protagonist of this film. We learn about his past in his flashbacks. Nishi has segmented flashbacks to the same event multiple times throughout the opening 30 minutes, but the whole flash back is not shown until later in the film. Early on, it shows two people being shot multiple times on the floor. It is not clear who is shooting them or why they are being shot but it obviously pains Nishi. We learn that he was held responsible for their deaths and relieved of his job.

Without a job, Nishi spends most of his time with his wife who has been diagnosed with a terminal illness. He brings her cakes and puzzles but they never talk. He obviously cares for his wife, but his dead pan face makes it appear like he is begrudgingly keeping her company. As stated by his former colleague ‘work is all they have ever known’ so this unexpected free time to spend with their wives and their hobbies is unfamiliar. Without work they are lost.

Conclusion

Hana-bi is a stripped down Yakuza (Japanese Gangster) film. Instead of focusing on violence and gangs, Kitano chooses to focus on the impact of retirement. Nishi and his colleague are both forced out of their police jobs because of a tragic accident. Both of them cannot forget the accident and both of them do not know what to do with their free time.

422

The Missing Picture (Cambodia)

The Missing Picture Film Difficulty Ranking: 4

Have you heard of Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge?

If you have, great, watch this film to understand how they changed Cambodian society.
If you haven’t, no problem, watch this film to learn who/what they were and how they revolutionised a country on film and destroyed it in reality.

Why Watch The Missing Picture?

To learn about life in Cambodia in the 1970s before and after Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge came to power
To imagine a country where your only possession was a spoon
Learn about a country where artists were prohibited – the only images left are of a myth created by Pol Pot and his regime
Clay figures!

The Breakdown

The Missing Picture starts in a darkish room full of stacks of film rolls. The floor is covered with film strips. Someone picks up one of the film strips and looks at the still images it contains. It shows a Cambodian woman dancing in traditional dress. This Cambodia, traditional Cambodia, was left to be forgotten by the Khmer Rouge so they could forge a new country.

Image result for khmer rouge logo rice paddy factory The Khmer Rouge created a new country by creating a new mythology. Art and tradition was thrown to the side. Now “the spade is your pen, and the rice field is your paper”. The picture on the right shows the Khmer Rouge’s utopia. There is a factory, irrigation, corn harvest, and rice fields but no people. This is Pol Pot’s vision for a state driven by work and void of culture.

The clay figures represent many things. As they are motionless, they represent the death: death of the past and death of the many Cambodians that died during under the Khmer Rouge. The clay figures also represent ‘the missing picture’ ie. everything that was not documented by the Khmer Rouge on film. As the Khmer Rouge only documented films of people working the rice fields, the clay figures end up recreating a lot of undocumented life. They re-enact the famine, death, and forced labour that the Khmer Rouge did not document. This is the untold story of Cambodia under the Khmer Rouge.

Conclusion

The Missing Picture allows us to recreate a more accurate history of Cambodia under the Khmer Rouge. It shows us the real footage shot by the Khmer Rouge and adds in ‘missing’ scenes of famine and death that the Khmer Rouge ignored. As a result, this film importantly documents the horrific events that the Khmer Rouge tried to absolve from history. If you’re after a true documentary of the Khmer Rouge – this is as close as you can get.

For another great South East Asian documentary, I strongly recommend watching The Look of Silence (available on Netflix).

423

Between Fences (Israel)

Between Fences Film Difficulty Ranking: 3

One of the best ways to understand someone else is to walk in their shoes. So, put yourself in the shoes of an African refugee for an hour and a half and watch Between Fences. You will learn about why some people are fleeing war and dictatorships in Africa. You will also learn how refugees are treated in other countries. Then debate whether we can do more to help others across the world.

Why Watch Between Fences?

Put yourself in a refugee’s shoes
Find out how refugees are treated in Israel
How would you spend a year without TV or entertainment?
Learn how art can help people to understand other people

The Breakdown

Between Fences starts with a man drawing on a wall full of graffiti. He draws a long snake across the wall. He is one of the many asylum seekers from Africa (mostly Eritrea and Sudan) that has ended up in Israel.

These refugees are all held/imprisoned at a detention centre in the Negev desert near the Egyptian border. They are not allowed to leave sight of the HOLOT detention centre. They are not allowed to go to any Israeli city to live a normal life as they are considered ‘dangerous.’ Even though Israel is a member of the UN and are required to accept refugees, the refugees were told that the human rights are “just on paper” and the UN membership is just “for the photo op”. There is clearly something wrong with their treatment.

The film-makers encourage the imprisoned African refugees to act out their history for some relief from the boredom of life in HOLOT. The refugees act out how the war and dictatorships they are fleeing from at home. They also act out their experiences with border enforcement and life in Israel. Interestingly, the directors also get some Israelis in to act with the refugees. In these parts the Israelis play the refugees and the refugees play the Israeli guards. It allows both groups to put themselves in each others shoes.

Conclusion

Between Fences provides a unique insight into the lives of the African refugees held at detention centres in the Israeli desert. The acting gives the prisoners short breaks from their dull life in the detention centres and allows us to see how they have been treated in Africa and Israel. A great film to watch for a better understanding of refugees by putting us into a refugees shoes.

424

Mirzya (India)

Mirzya Film Difficulty Ranking: 2

We’ve already reviewed The Lunchbox and Talvar from the India, the country that makes the most movies per year. Watch Mirzya for something different. It has a lot more of the classic Bollywood film than the other two, with more music and more drama and plenty of style. It is also currently available on Netflix, so check out the trailer below and enjoy!

Why Watch Mirzya?

You don’t have to settle for one genre as this film is an epic, fantasy, romantic, thriller, with a few musical numbers!
For some Punjabi Indian mythology
See some epic cinematography (reminiscent of 300)
You want to see a Shakespeare adaptation set in India

The Breakdown

A camera descends on a small town illuminated by fires in the night. The camera swoops into a small imperial residence built from marble, where a blacksmith is working with his daughter. From there, the camera dives into the pit of embers and emerges outside where workers are rhythmically bashing their hammers on iron wheels in slow motion. This is our magical entry point into Mirzya.

From the introduction, the narrative splits into two. The main narrative follows the life of Munish and Suchitra whilst the second narrative follows the mythical Mirza and Sahiban. These two narratives mirror each other for the film.

The style of the mythical scenes will remind you of the style of 300 or . Whilst there is colour, the colours appear pastel-like and very bright to create high contrasts. These scenes also include a lot of slow motion footage showing water droplets falling from characters. Check the epic slow motion scenes here in The Grandmaster for an idea.

Style and mirrored narratives aside, this story also shows the rich/poor divide in India. The poor work menial jobs to serve their rich masters. Meanwhile, the rich live in imperial palaces, play polo, and dress in fancy suits. Instead of rival families, the romance in this film plays across social boundaries.

Conclusion

Mirzya’s mythical foundation creates the magic behind this film. However, the importance of myths is not explored as deeply as in Song of the Sea or Whale Rider. Instead, what’s cool about this film is the style of the mythical sequences and the musical numbers. This is what makes Miryza truly unique and worth watching.

425

Whale Rider

Click on the poster to watch for £2.50 on Amazon or find this film on Netflix!

Whale Rider Film Difficulty Ranking: 1

Are you fed up with reading subtitles? Well here’s your chance for a break. Whale Rider is a beautiful film from New Zealand showcasing the Maori people and culture. It is your chance to learn about the indigenous people of New Zealand and how they are adapting their traditions and culture to the modern world. Do your part and watch this film to support Maori heritage.

Why Watch Whale Rider?

This is your chance to learn some Maori mythology
Learn a bit about Maori culture and it’s plight in New Zealand
See a chubby uncle whip out his Taiaha routine
The girl who played Paikea became the youngest nominee of the Best Actress at the Academy Awards (until Quvenzhane Wallis)
It’s a beautiful foreign film and easy to watch – it’s mostly in English and it is currently on Netflix!

Breakdown

The film starts with the birth of Paikea, the granddaughter of the village chief and direct descendant of Paikea, the whale rider who rode to New Zealand from Hawaiki. However, the opening scenes are traumatic. Paikea is born but her twin brother, the first born male son, is lost along with their mother. Her dad is obviously distraught, having lost his wife and son. His father Koro tells him that he can always make another one. Too soon!

Grandfather Koro is the chief of the village of Whangara. He is growing older and older and only desires a true heir. His son has rejected his calls for a son and Paikea cannot carry his lineage as a female. He is desperate to keep the tribal traditions alive but is too stubborn to adapt to the new world. The locals don’t take him seriously either. One kid farts at a school Maori dance and all the village laughs out loud, except for Koro. But don’t feel sorry for him, because he chooses to ignore the signs. In his stubbornness to adapt he is turning his tradition and culture into history.

The Maori culture is also threatened by the town they live in. As one boy says “this place is a dump.” And he’s right. The town has nothing to offer the kids; no opportunities, only poverty. The dads are absent, chasing opportunities in other places where they can find jobs. In the town, the only person you see working is the school teacher. So what’s the solution? It’s awareness. The film shines a light on the poor living conditions – something that we had no idea about. Just as In Vanda’s Room depicts the poverty in Lisbon or how Tsotsi shows the slums of Johannesberg.

Conclusion

Whale Rider is a beautiful film full of emotion. Plus it is easy to watch, at times reminding me of a great Disney film. However, it also has a lot of depth. It teaches us about Maori culture and the state of the Maori people today in New Zealand. It revives the myths and culture like Song of the Sea and shines a light on the indigenous situation like Smoke Signals. A must watch for all.

If you want to see more about indigenous people of Australasia check out Rabbit Proof Fence!