Analyzing Among B-Boys and Enemies of the People Movies - Essay Example

?Religion and Theology Order No. 611289 Among B-BOYS Among B-BOYS is a feature length documentary film by debut director Chris Woon. This film is an extension of his short film that was produced in 2004 through Visual Communications’ Armed With a Camera Fellowship. The fulcrum of the film revolves around the culture of hip- hop among the Hmong teenagers who resided in California’s Central Valley. The film sheds light on the community’s increasing infatuation with the culture of urban Americana. Director Woon and his close AWC classmate and associate Roldan Lozada visited the place many times in order to try and document the very interesting lives of his talented subjects. The chief premise of the film Among B-BOYS, charts the progress and acculturation of this specific community. The film comprises of a compendium of dance battles with a generous flavor of B-Boy styling. The Hmong community living in the Fresno area in California is portrayed in Woon’s film and traces the day to day activities and the lives of those living there. In his earlier film, the director sheds light on the after school activities of the Hmong B-Boys and in his present film he shows how those same characters have grown up and have now moved on to greater things. For example, one of the characters named Sukie those with his elder brother to North Carolina just to escape the hard life in Fresno. Unfortunately, they are forced to settle in Tulsa, Oklahoma and soon find themselves hoped up with a group of Hmongs once again. Twin characters Steven and Michael to go to college at Long Beach State and manage to distinguish themselves during the bee B-boy competitions conducted regionally. However, they remain grounded close to their family. Meanwhile, the older Hmong’s in Fresno, who are in their late twenties still continue to nurture a healthy B-boying attitude instead of resorting to crime, drugs or gang activities. Among B-BOYS Is considered to be a revelation in itself because it has brought to the audience the bigger picture of an American community by cohesively weaving together the modern and the traditional. After viewing the screening of the film Among B-BOYS and discussing in the class on the intricacies of its presentation, I have come to understand the B-BOY culture of hip-hop in a much better manner. On analyzing the film, I could say that it was not only entertaining but also very interesting and informative. Through our discussions in class we came to understand about what views and ideas the others in the group had and the opinions they had formed. Besides learning more about the lives of people in this community we also came to understand about the identity and beliefs shared by this group. 2) Enemies of the people Enemies of the People is a scintillating 93 minute film that took almost a decade to finish. This film is co-directed by Cambodian investigative journalist Thet Sambath and Ron Lemkin. The slaughtering of nearly two million people by the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia is explored in the deeply moving documentary titled ‘Enemies of the People’. A winner of the Sundance World Cinema Special Jury Prize: Documentary, this documentary is a watershed account of the genocide that took place in Cambodia. The film is a result of the long and arduous journey of investigative journalist Thet Sambath who devoted a good part of his life to elicit confessions from the leaders and cadres of Khmer Rouge about their role in the genocide. The contents of the film stir the audience by offering a chilling account on how orders were passed down to lower cadres to kill people. In the film the emotional turmoil of two such executioners is prominently figured. For the first time the number two authority of the Khymer Rouge, Nuon Chea also known as Brother Number Two gives details of how the enemies of the state were killed. These people were executed on orders from Pol Pot and Nuon Chea. This landmark documentary sheds light on the human nature and the capacity of some human beings to do some of the most terrible things and the large heartedness of yet others in forgiving them. It is a profound meditation on human nature. ‘Enemies of the People’ is not merely a documentary but a labor of love for investigative journalist Thet Sambath. Despite being a very personal film it is also an attempt at reconciliation and closure. The personal journey of Thet Sambath to find out the cause for his father and family’s death led to the understanding of the genocide that took place in the killing fields of Cambodia. This documentary takes the viewers extremely close to witnessing evil at its most horrific manifestation. Sambath interviews a lot of people which also includes two ordinary men Khoun and Soun who had been foot soldiers and had carried out scores of killings during the regime of the Khymer Rouge dictatorship that took place between 1975 and 1979. Besides tracking down people for the killings in Cambodia’s fields, the director persuades them to speak the truth on camera. However, his chief subject is Nuon Chea also known as Brother Number Two who tries not to succumb to the pressures of his persuasion. But eventually after the long years he decides to speak the truth about the past. After viewing the film, I understood the trouble the director had to undergo to film such a subject. Discussions with my group helped me understand about the harsh realities faced by the people in Cambodia and how painful it would have been to see their family members being killed in front of them. As learned in the classroom how a film progresses from casual scenes to the most fascinating, so also in ‘Enemies of the people’ we find some scenes quite laid back and casual but others gross and macabre. However, on analyzing the film I could say that on the whole it was very interesting but it does pull at ones heart to see how many innocent people lost their lives. People killing people is something very hard to digest but this just goes to show that there is no value for human life. ‘Enemies of the people’ is not only fascinating but has great significance as a historically important film and must be viewed by a wider audience. References Among B-BOYS www.laapff.festpro.com/films/detail/among_b_boys_2011 Enemies of the people http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2009043,00.html#ixzz1gL9uEmV0 Read More