Best of Asia
¿Cómo definen su generación las mujeres de Asia? ¡La mejor respuesta que podrían obtener está aquí! Pasen y vean diez historias fenomenales de esta región que capturaron sus corazones y mentes durante estos dos años de Imagining Ourselves.
Siéntense, relájense y sumérjanse en lo mejor de lo mejor. Luego, voten un ganador ingresando con sus usuarios, uniéndose a la conversación y poniendo sus tres historias favoritas. Voten hasta el jueves 27 de diciembre y vuelvan para ver si su favorito es el líder. No se olviden de invitar a sus familias, amigos y compañeros de trabajo. ¡Hagan de esto algo personal! ¡Y que gane el mejor!
El 28 de diciembre, anunciaremos los ganadores, que pasarán a la historia como lo Mejor de Imagining Ourselves en el archivo de la muestra que lanzaremos el 1 de enero de 2008. Imaginig Ourselves puede estar terminando, pero sus historias favoritas resonarán en las jóvenes mujeres de las generaciones futuras. |
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Many today believe that Asia will become the next Century's economic and cultural leader. China is the “dragon” waking from its slumber. Japan has the second largest gross national product in the world, and India the 10th. Hong Kong, Singapore and Thailand are all considered some of the top countries in which to do business. Many media groups have posited that the remarkable growth is nothing short of the “Asian Miracle.”
How does this “miracle” affect the women of Asia today? How does the impact of modernization affect our concepts of beauty, careers, ideas of marriage, sexuality, or personal desires? Much of Asia remains a complex, old world, with strong traditions and customs that often restrict women’s roles in society. The growth of popular culture, increased levels of education and higher standards of living have challenged many of these ancient customs and roles, offering women an unprecedented opportunity to change their lives.
The women artists in this selection of the Best of Asia represent a powerful group of thoughtful, complex, surprising and visionary voices that help define this newly emerging continent.
Read about Sadaf Siddique’s resistance to tradition that ends in an unexpected outcome in “Assisted Marriage.”
Watch Serena Moy’s film, “Plum Flower,” which tells a story about preference for male children in her grandmother’s generation.
See the effects that commercialism and popular culture’s impact on a woman’s identity in “Ex-Fat Girl” by Nagi Noda and Anne Chao's "Wild Thing," and contrast this perspective to the devastating impacts of terrorism on children through following Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy’s journey through Pakistan’s refugee camps in her documentary “Terror’s Children.”
View the works of Chinese artists such as Chen Qiulin and Xiang Jin, who contrast the role of women today with those living under China’s feudal past.
These women are part of the “Asian Miracle.” Join in the discussions, and share with us your stories of Asia’s emerging voices.
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Posted on Tuesday, December 25, 2007 1:46 PM
I enjoyed most of the stories. But my favorites are:
1. Terror's Children
2. Mann ke Manjeere
3. Assisted Marriage
My first choice, "Terror's Children," is an excellent matter of fact commentary on the issue of fundamentalist religion and how it affects lives in a particularly volatile part of the world. With Pakistan, India, AFghanistan, China's Xinjiang province and Bangladesh likely to be affected, this means more than half of the world's Muslims find themselves caught between the dictates of the hardliners and the soft urgings of the liberal theologians. This is a fascinating attempt at looking at the beginning of fundamentalism in children who are conditioned to turn this way. What would the little boy's future be? A bullet? A bomb? Incarceration in Guantanamo?
2. My second choice, "Mann ke Manjeere," gies a hope to women of the Indian subcontinent - if an Indian woman could become a truck driver, for example, she could do anything. Thirty nine years ago, before my birth, my mother, a PAkistani non Muslim who came to India to study Zoology, found herself married to my father, a doctor. Though my family were generally liberal (my grandmother had been a freedom fighter who had been imprisoned by the British and had later been a politician) my mother could only work after my sister was married, some twenty eight years after her marriage and well into the second half of her life. Mann ke Manjeere provides hope - the old, restrictive ways need not trouble women with a desire to achieve something anymore.
3. My third choice, "Assisted Marriage," almost wasn't my choice. The film seems to brag about the narrator's husband using the kind of language that long went out of fashion even in the darkest, most fundamentalist SOuth Asian families where characteristics like education and looks sound like a shopping list for buying livestock. I chose this film, however, becaues it has a sense of the ridiculous for me. A woman who purportedly wishes to show a breaking out of hidebound traditions finds herself using the old traditional metaphors to indicate her "breaking free" from them. Nothing could be more ironical than that.
On the whole every film here has a very poignant message. Every one of them has something to open the mind of the person who watches it. It is just that each person's priorities cause them to choose one over another in this selection. If we were permitted to, I think most of us would call all of the films here excellent. |
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Posted on Wednesday, December 19, 2007 10:40 AM
All the stories are very inspirational but here are the votes first
1. Terror's Children
2. Assisted Marriages
3. Ex-Fat Girl |
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Posted on Wednesday, December 19, 2007 7:36 AM
Jeongmee Yoon's exploration of gender and marketing is fascinating. The photos are initially simple fun then the poignancy breaks through and they are riveting. She has my vote. |
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Posted on Tuesday, December 18, 2007 11:14 PM
Maan Ke Manjeere: A very positive portrayal of overcoming a situation of domestic violence. |
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Posted on Tuesday, December 18, 2007 6:08 PM
Such a tough decision...so many great stories to be listened to and watched...But, here are my votes:
1. "Wild Thing"--I can relate to Anne Chao's vision
2. Mann ke manjeere
3. Terror's children-extremely haunting for me, just to listen to these children and their convictions |
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Posted on Wednesday, December 12, 2007 6:23 AM
1. Mann ke manjeere.Fantastic.Thought provoking, pushing you to think of the many roles that women play and can play in the society.
2.Terror's Children is a bold, strong movie that stirred my heart. The hatred that seems to have become part of our lives is slowly consuming the generation to come and the video brings that on so strongly.Awesome |
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Posted on Sunday, December 09, 2007 6:06 AM
Terror's Children was an incredible piece of documentary. It is sad that children are exposed to the horror's of war resulting in the birth of children with attitudes and frame of mind that builds in this war tone areas, it bothers me to see how war perpetuates hatred in the minds of young children, These children have not known anything about life but have already formed fixed opinions, and they are going to see the world with these judgements. Great Job! |
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Posted on Sunday, December 09, 2007 5:03 AM
Chiara, you're absolutely right, I think everyone does need to see the film Terror's Children. It's one of my favorites as well. It's a brave move to create a film about this topic; most people would probably try and block out the long-term affects of terror on children, but she found the courage to present the voices of children in such a haunting and honest way. This is a very powerful film. |
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Posted on Sunday, December 09, 2007 3:01 AM
1.Plum flower
2.The pink and blue project
3.A drifting generation |
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Posted on Friday, December 07, 2007 10:14 AM
I don't know if it's possible for me to choose only three. I guess I'll make my picks by media to narrow it down.
FILM
I first had the opportunity to watch "Plum Flower" here in San Francisco at LUNAFEST, a film festival featuring films made for and about women. Watching this film on a large screen at the historical Herbst Theater with thousands of other compassionate and engaged women and men was a moving experience. This film will remain on my list of favorite short films for a long time.
VISUAL
I love Xiang Jing's "Living Beauty" I don't know if words can help me out here because my reaction to her work is visceral. These sculptures, so life-like evoke so much emotion. And these are only photographs of her work. I can imagine the effect that seeing her work in-person would have.
ESSAY:
Let's face it. In these multimedia-saturated times, with the increased shortening of our attention spans, it is very rare to come across an original piece of writing that captivates you long enough to read all the way through. Sadaf Siddique's writing style is raw and entertaining. "Assisted Marriage" is a favorite writing piece not only in this section, but quite possibly the whole project. |
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Posted on Friday, December 07, 2007 10:12 AM
I commend all of the artists! But if you're asking me to choose only three, I'd have to pick these.
1. Terror's Children - everyone needs to see this film.
2. A drifting generation
3. Plum Flower |
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Posted on Friday, December 07, 2007 10:07 AM
Remember, you have until December 27 to vote on the Best of Asia!
Here is how to vote:
1. If you are not already registered, visit this link to join: http://imaginingourselves.imow.org/pb/CreateProfile.aspx?lang=1
2. Make sure you are logged in and then post your favorite three in this conversation.
3. Check back frequently to see who is in the lead! |
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Posted on Thursday, December 06, 2007 9:33 PM
Thanks Renee for the thoughtful commentary accompanying your votes. And it's good to hear that Assisted Marriage was written in a way that hooked you in -- we're glad to have your vote! Also thank you for your kind words about my opening post. It's an honor to write something about these artists and the direction of Asia's future. |
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Posted on Thursday, December 06, 2007 1:54 PM
I loved the following:
Stranger in her own country...Boy that a lot of change to make, it needs courage,and internal power to do what was right. I am so proud to break through all the walls of control.
One Struggle....Yes Water is revered in the east because of scarcity, people are so sensitive to the drop of water from the tap,the most illiterate would run to close the tap, where as in the west i have witnessed taps leaking for years together with out being fixed, and some run water in the apartments because the birds in the house like it, what a difference!
Assisted Marriages....This was so true to life, and well written, arranged marriages are such a flop because while arranging marriages everything is based on the parents wants, needs, status, and what the society things of them and has nothing to do with the children to be married. This is so crazy. But things are changing.
I think they were well written. |
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Posted on Thursday, December 06, 2007 11:39 AM
Hi Miranda,
I loved your moderator's post! Thank you for your words.
Here are my votes:
1. Assisted Marriage - this is one of the first stories I read on Imagining Ourselves and it hooked me into the museum. Sadaf brings a fresh and modern perspective on the topic of "arranged" marriage, which I think is too often written off as oppressive to women without allowing alternative perspectives to be represented.
2. Soaked in the Bath of Desire - the scenes are really thought provoking for me in contemplating relationships, sex and desire and what is beautiful and grotesque, passionate and numbing.
3. Wild Thing - this one just made me giddy. I love the use of music and the animation and how it shows the intersections between women, technology and music. |
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Posted on Wednesday, December 05, 2007 3:05 PM
Thanks Sanja and Kirsten for posting your votes! |
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Posted on Tuesday, December 04, 2007 11:44 PM
1. Plum Flower
2. Assisted Marriage
3. Living Beauty
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Posted on Tuesday, December 04, 2007 10:45 AM
1. Soaked in the Bath of Desire
2. Assisted Marriage
3. Plum Flower |
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Posted on Tuesday, December 04, 2007 10:31 AM
After you've finished voting for Best Of Asia, take a moment to submit your photo to the Answers Gallery!
The Answers Gallery features photos of women and men around the world holding their answers to Imagining Ourselves' main question: What Defines Your Generation?
To learn how you can submit a photo to the Answers Gallery, click here: http://imaginingourselves.imow.org/pb/Story.aspx?id=1662〈=1&g=0 |
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Posted on Monday, December 03, 2007 12:57 PM
To vote, log in and post in this conversation your favorite three stories.
Vote by Thursday, December 27 and check back throughout the month to see if your favorite is in the lead.
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