EXAMPLE: Cultural Literacy Reflection-MEDIA OF CHOICE
Media Title/Creator/Production Date: ​
Indochine​
, Movie director: Regis Wargnier, 1992
What cultures are reflected in this work?
This film takes place in French colonial Indochina (includes Lao, Cambodia and Vietnam) before the
region’s independence from France. Both the Indochinese and French cultures are reflected at
different points in the story. The Indochinese culture is apparent in cultural celebrations, daily life
(such as shopping in a market) and religious practices. The French culture is depicted during a
Christmas celebration with a buche de Noel, in reference to educational experiences and in the way
that the main character raises her adopted daughter, Camille.
In what ways are the cultures in this work similar or different from your own cultural experiences
and perspectives? ​
I have a hard time making direct connections between my contemporary
American culture and that of the French colonists and Indochinese. However, while the historical
context is not the same, I do have privileges as a middle class white person in the United States that
can be compared to the French privilege of education and wealth found in the movie. By virtue of my
upbringing and rights as an American, I am more like the French colonists in the story than I am like
the Indochinese. I am particularly haunted by the way that indochinese families were treated in the
movie and how the French officers exerted their dominance over the Indochinese. I am also touched
by the family relationships depicted in the movie.
How did this media experience build on your understanding of the world & other cultures? ​
This
movie allowed me to expand my understanding of the complexities of colonization. I’ve always found
it interesting to consider all the different countries where French is spoken; however, as this movie
clearly shows, that influence of language came at the price of families and individuals living in existing
countries with their own home cultures and languages. In some ways, this makes me embarrassed to
be a French speaker.
In what ways is the creator’s cultural background reflected in this work?​
The director of this film is
French and was born in 1948. As Vietnam gained its independence from France in 1954 and the
Vietnam war followed, he may have been aware of the political and cultural conflicts from that time
when he was a young boy or he may have learned about them through his education in France. The
film’s writers have similar backgrounds to Regis Wargnier.
What did this work make you want to learn more about or take action on related to its theme,
context or culture? ​
I am interested in learning about what happened in Indochina following its
independence from France. I would also be interested in learning about how the French language is
used and perceived in this region. Additionally, I found this to be an amazing film; I would like to see
if my French teacher will sponsor a screening at my school. I think that the themes in the movie and a
conversation about colonization with my peer could be very powerful.