The Link between Politics, Family Separation, and Identity Conflicts
Documentary films are utilized to highlight various issues that have faced individuals or societies over time. Such films are used to show events and situations that are visible parts of individuals’ shared experiences (Nichols, p.ix). As a result, documentary films are utilized as tools for representing reality through highlighting the shared experiences of people. Historical documentary films provide important lessons on various themes relating to the shared experiences of people in different historical periods and geopolitical configurations. Analysis of documentary films help in understanding the various issues that have faced people in different societies. For instance, Dear Pyongyang which was directed by Yang Yong-hi and History and Memory: For Akiko and Takashige which was produced by Rea Tajiri are the examples of historical documentary films that have been used as representations of reality. These two films show different geopolitical configurations and provide significant insights relating to family experiences. As shown in these two historical films, politics has a strong link to family separation and identity conflicts.
There are some similarities and differences between these two films which plays a critical role in their portrayal of the different historical contexts. One of the similarities between both films is that they are both documentary films that provide historical accounts of groups of people in different periods. Dear Pyongyang highlights the life of Zainichi i.e. North Koreans living in Japan after the division of Korea. History and Memory: For Akiko and Takashige provides the experiences of Japanese Americans in internment camps in the aftermath of the attack on Pearl Harbor. These films are similar on the premise that they highlight the impact of geopolitics on the experiences of different groups of people. Both of the films are projects to remember personally, to remember for her brothers, parents and the global community.
One of the differences between these two films relate to the cinematic elements utilized by the directors or producers of the films. In Dear Pyongyang, Yang constantly uses first-person voiceover narration rather than direct conversations with her father to demonstrate her astonishment at her parent’s convictions and commitment to the vision of a unified, Communist Korea (Koehler par, 1). The use of first-person voiceover narrations as a cinematic element for expressing her surprise is attributable to the fact that it was a means for Yang to show her respect for elders, which was held at a high premium in the Korean culture. Through this process, she avoids familial confrontations which would be considered disrespectful.
On the contrary, in History and Memory: For Akiko and Takashige, Tajiri includes her own video footage and her mother’s recollections of the family experiences of internment. Tajiri’s narrative structure in this film is juxtaposition. Juxtaposition is the film editing technique of combining two or more shots to evoke an idea or state of mind (Hollywood Lexicon, par,1). Tajiri relies on the testimony of her family member who experienced life in internment camps. She intends to evoke viewer’s awareness of Japanese Americans’ internment experiences. The testimony is presented as inconstant audio with various visuals. She also used the text on a black background to represent the imagined memories of her ancestors.
Secondly, the two films differ with regards to sources that are utilized by the directors or producers to express their message. In History and Memory: For Akiko and Takashige, Tajiri relies on a variety of sources in order to develop a historical image where none exists. In this case, she utilized different sources to create the documentary film including government propaganda, Hollywood spectacle, memories of real people, spirits of the dead, newsreels, and her own intuition (Women Make Movies par, 3). Tajiri relies on different sources including footage filmed during World War II to mimic the complex nature of remembered history. Since the remembered history never capture the truth, she has to build the history by different times, texture and changing shape as it is remembered through the filters of different subjects. In this case, Tajiri’s use of different sources helps in constructing collective memory of her family experiences which is a critical component in her film....
Works Cited
Boyle, Deirdre. “History and Memory: On Visual Media and the Collective Memory of the Japanese American Internment.” The New School, The New School, http://www.newschool.edu/nssr/historymatters/papers/deirdreboyle.pdf. Accessed 15 Dec. 2017.
Dew, Oliver. Zainichi Cinema: Korean-in-Japan Film Culture. Springer International Publishing, 2016.
Flowers, Neil. “Dear Pyongyang.” Elevate Difference, Elevate Difference, 26 Nov. 2010, http://www.elevatedifference.com/review/dear-pyongyang. Accessed 15 Dec. 2017.
Koehler, Robert. “Dear Pyongyang.” Variety, Variety, 23 Jan. 2006, http://www.variety.com/2006/film/markets-festivals/dear-pyongyang-1200519116/. Accessed 15 Dec. 2017.
Marks, Laura U. The Skin of the Film: Intercultural Cinema, Embodiment, and the Senses. Duke University Press, 2007.
Nichols, Bill. Representing Reality: Issues and Concepts in Documentary. Indiana University Press, 2010.
Shoji, Kaori. “Double Life of a North Korean Japanese Filmmaker.” CNN Travel, 4 May 2011, http://www.travel.cnn.com/explorations/life/double-life-north-koreanjapanese-filmmaker-038337/. Accessed 15 Dec. 2017.
Women Make Movies. “History and Memory: For Akiko and Takashige.” Women Make Movies, Women Make Movies, 2005, http://www.wmm.com/filmcatalog/pages/c111.shtml. Accessed 15 Dec. 2017.
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