Asian Studies


RESTORING THE LIGHT
RESTORING THE LIGHT

Anthropology  Asian Studies  Disabilities  Health  Economics  Cultural Studies  Children & Young Adult  2013  Medicine  Directed by Women 

A heart-wrenching documentary, Restoring the Light observes the work of a dedicated ophthalmologist who operates a non-profit mobile eye clinic in one of China's poorest regions, as well as the lives of his patients. It captures the adversities and hopes of a population that has been left behind in the wake of China's dizzying economic boom.

THE DAY HE ARRIVES
THE DAY HE ARRIVES

Cinema Studies  Asian Studies  Narrative Films  2012  Films of Hong Sangsoo 

A heartbreaking and hilarious film of repeating patterns and circumstance, The Day He Arrives, from the celebrated Korean auteur Hong Sangsoo, is a meditation on relationships, filmmaking, and the unknowable forces that govern our lives. An official selection of the Cannes Film Festival.

PLANET OF SNAIL
PLANET OF SNAIL

Asian Studies  Health  Disabilities  Literature  Performing Arts  2012 

Winner of the prestigious Best Documentary prize at the International Film Festival Amsterdam, Planet of Snail is a mesmerizing, critically-acclaimed documentary about an accomplished young poet who can no longer hear or see and his relationship to the world around him.

SUN, MOON, STARS: INDONESIA TRILOGY
SUN, MOON, STARS: INDONESIA TRILOGY

Southeast Asian Studies  Anthropology  Cultural Studies  Political Science  Islamic Studies  Religion & Spirituality  Sociology  Asian Studies  2012 

A landmark documentary trilogy, Sun, Moon, Stars captures the tumultuous changes taking place in Indonesia by following three generations of a single Jakarta family for over a decade. Directed by acclaimed filmmaker Leonard Retel Helmrich, it offers an unparalleled, vibrant portrait of the world's fourth most populous nation; and home to the largest Muslim community.

POSITION AMONG THE STARS
POSITION AMONG THE STARS

Southeast Asian Studies  Anthropology  Cultural Studies  Political Science  Islamic Studies  Religion & Spirituality  Sociology  Asian Studies  2012 

For over a decade, noted filmmaker Leonard Retel Helmrich followed the lives of an Indonesian family in Jakarta. In this final film of his acclaimed Sun, Moon, Stars trilogy, Helmrich confronts the most important issues facing the country's fast-changing society: corruption, conflict between religions, gambling addiction, the generation gap, and the widening disparity between rich and poor.

SHAPE OF THE MOON
SHAPE OF THE MOON

Southeast Asian Studies  Anthropology  Cultural Studies  Political Science  Islamic Studies  Religion & Spirituality  Sociology  Asian Studies  2012 

The end of the Suharto regime ushered in an era of rapid sociopolitical upheaval in Indonesia. In this second installment of the Sun, Moon, Stars trilogy, filmmaker Leonard Retel Helmrich returns to the Sjamsuddin family to intimately capture the changes taking place in their country, including the troubling rise of Islamic fundamentalism.

THE EYE OF THE DAY
THE EYE OF THE DAY

Southeast Asian Studies  Anthropology  Cultural Studies  Political Science  Islamic Studies  Religion & Spirituality  Sociology  Asian Studies  2012 

Against a backdrop of social unrest that led to the ouster of Indonesia's long-time dictator President Suharto, The Eye of the Day begins filmmaker Leonard Retel Helmrich's award-winning trilogy Sun, Moon, Stars. It introduces us to an ordinary family living in the slums of Jakarta; a family Helmrich would return to and document for more than a decade.

A PERFECT SOLDIER
A PERFECT SOLDIER

Peace & Conflict  Asian Studies  2011  Southeast Asian Studies 

An extraordinary and inspiring documentary about one man's journey from child soldier to international hero. A Perfect Soldier tells the story of Aki Ra, who as a young boy was taken by the Khmer Rouge and forced to plant hundreds of landmines in the Cambodian countryside. As an adult, he has devoted his life to removing them, one landmine at a time. In 2010, he was named one of CNN's Top 10 Heroes of the Year.

BHOPALI
BHOPALI

Environmental Studies  Health  Disabilities  Criminal & Law  Asian Studies  2011 

On December 2, 1984, forty tons of poisonous gas leaked from a Union Carbide (DOW Chemical) pesticide plant in Bhopal, India, killing over 20,000 people. Today, hundreds of thousands continue to suffer from chronic diseases and disabilities. Bhopali is an invaluable examination of the world's worst environmental disaster.

THREE FILMS ON CHINA
THREE FILMS ON CHINA

Asian Studies  Environmental Studies  Health  Political Science  2011  Directed by Women 

An award-winning trilogy exploring the changing face of China from the filmmaking team of Ruby Yang and Thomas Lennon, this set includes the Academy Award nominated documentary The Warriors of Qiugang, the acclaimed Tongzhi in Love, and the Academy Award winning The Blood of Yingzhou District.

THE WARRIORS OF QIUGANG
THE WARRIORS OF QIUGANG

Psychology & Psychiatry  Health  Environmental Studies  Asian Studies  Academy Award Winners & Nominees  2011  Criminal & Law  Directed by Women 

A powerful documentary that captures the stirrings of an environmental movement in China, The Warriors of Qiugang brings to light the incredible efforts of a small village to shut down a chemical plant after years of environmental neglect. It is the third film in a trilogy about the changing face of China, from the filmmakers of The Blood of Yingzhou District and Tongzhi in Love.

PETITION
PETITION

Asian Studies  Criminal & Law  Sociology  2010 

A harrowing investigation into China's legal system, this documentary takes us inside the world of 'petitioners,' people who come to Beijing from all over the country to seek justice against corrupt local officials and courts, only to find themselves waiting months or years (in some cases more than 10 years) for a hearing.

CHINA, THE EMPIRE OF ART?
CHINA, THE EMPIRE OF ART?

Asian Studies  Art History  Photography  2010  Directed by Women 

In the past twenty years, some of the most provocative, controversial and sought-after art has been made in China. This documentary profiles the booming art scene, from new art schools inundated with applications to leading Chinese artists whose work is selling for record breaking prices on the global art market.

THE FALL OF WOMENLAND
THE FALL OF WOMENLAND

Anthropology  Asian Studies  Women's Studies  Human Sexuality  Cultural Studies  Sociology  2010  Directed by Women 

A fascinating documentary on the unique sexual culture of the Mosuo people, a small minority situated in the southwest of China, and one of the last remaining matriarchal societies in the world. The Fall of Womenland explores their history and present reality as well as the dangers that threaten their inherited way of life.

SOMEONE ELSE’S WAR
SOMEONE ELSE’S WAR

Asian Studies  Labor Studies  Political Science  Cultural Studies  Peace & Conflict  2009  Directed by Women 

In the background of the war in Iraq is an invisible army made up of more than 30,000 low-wage workers from South and Southeast Asia. Someone Else's War is the first documentary to investigate this new underclass created by American warfare and examine what it means to globalize the business of war.

24 CITY
24 CITY

Asian Studies  Anthropology  Labor Studies  Cinema Studies  Political Science  2009 

The conversion of a state-owned munitions factory into luxury high-rise apartments allows for an acute appreciation of Socialism's impact on the Chinese people and the complex social changes transforming the country in this masterful new documentary from Jia Zhang-ke.

TONGZHI IN LOVE
TONGZHI IN LOVE

LGBTQ  Cultural Studies  Asian Studies  Human Sexuality  Health  2009  Directed by Women 

An intimate and beautiful documentary that looks at what it's like to be gay in modern China, from the filmmakers of the Academy Award-winning documentary The Blood of Yingzhou District.

FAIRYTALE OF KATHMANDU
FAIRYTALE OF KATHMANDU

LGBTQ  Anthropology  Asian Studies  Irish Studies  Literature  2009  Directed by Women 

When a filmmaker accompanies a celebrated, openly gay poet on one of his many trips to Nepal - where he is revered for his philanthropy and generosity towards young men - she discovers all is not what it seems. A thought-provoking documentary about exploitation, sexual tourism and the developing world.

IN SEARCH OF GANDHI
IN SEARCH OF GANDHI

Peace & Conflict  Asian Studies  Cultural Studies  Religion & Spirituality  Political Science  Islamic Studies  2009 

Over the past two decades India has experienced steady economic growth resulting in the rise of a new middle class. But what does it mean to actually live in the world's largest democracy? In Search of Gandhi seeks to discover the current and future state of democracy in India.

CAMPAIGN
CAMPAIGN

Asian Studies  Cultural Studies  Political Science  2009 

This is democracy - Japanese style. Campaign provides a startling insider's view of Japanese electoral politics in this portrait of a man plucked from obscurity by the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) to run for a critical seat on a suburban city council.

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