Asian Studies Research Guide: Films and Videos

Continue your study of South Asia. Here, Professor Benjamin traces the rise of Hinduism, Buddhism, and other religious traditions during the millennium between 1500 and 500 B.C.E. He then turns to the political and social organizations of the subcontinent, from the Indo-Aryan settlements through the Mauryan Empire.

In NICE CHINESE GIRLS DON'T, Kitty Tsui recounts her emergence as a poet, artist, activist, writer, and bodybuilder in the early days of the Women's Liberation Movement in San Francisco. She narrates her experience of arriving to the States as an immigrant from Hong Kong by way of her own original poetry and stories. Tsui wrote the groundbreaking Words of a Woman Who Breathes Fire, the first book written by an Asian American lesbian. She is considered by many to be one of the foremothers of the API, Asian Pacific Islander, lesbian feminist movement. In 2018, APIQWTC, Asian Pacific Islander Queer Women & Transgender Community honored her with the Phoenix Award for lifetime achievement. In 2019, her alma mater, San Francisco State University inducted Tsui into the Alumni Hall of Fame. Her forthcoming books include NICE CHINESE GIRLS DON'T, Battle Cry: Poems of Love & Resistance, and Fire Power: Poems of Love & Resilience. Tsui currently lives in Oakland, California, and is writing a screenplay, Unmasked.

Take another excursion away from East Asia - this time to explore the Indian origins of Buddhism. Learn about the gods of the Indus civilization, the origins of the caste system, and the emergence of new religions in the 5th and 6th centuries B.C.E. After studying the life of Siddhartha Gautama, you'll survey the key beliefs and practices of Buddhism.

During the Vietnam War, the US bombed Laos more heavily than any other country had been bombed before. Spanning over three presidential terms, it was the largest covert CIA operation in US history. Today, the Laos people live among, and risk their lives to clear, over 80 million unexploded bombs on their doorsteps. With great beauty and empathy, this doc reveals the unbelievable stories of the men and women at the forefront of this monumental task.

Buddhism and Daoism played integral roles in the culture of imperial China. Learn about the origins of Chinese Buddhism, the monastic life in China, and the historic travels of the Buddhist monk Faxian. Then study the emergence of Daoism and its traditions of metaphysical exploration and the rustic, natural life, as seen in the works of Tao Yuanming, imperial China's first great poet.

The Mahayana Sutras are those of the East Asian tradition. Study the Mahayana conceptions of the perfection of wisdom and the nature of emptiness, non-duality, and no-self. Observe how these notions were expressed through the renowned Lotus Sutra, Diamond Sutra, and Heart Sutra, and how the texts were venerated as sacred objects.

The pace of change across Asia's cities is staggering, and with that growth comes new challenges, especially when it comes to laying the groundwork for a more livable future. From the rebirth of an aging overpass in Seoul, to an experimental effort to design a virtual digital twin of the entire city-state of Singapore, to Hong Kong's quest to position itself as a new creative and cultural hub, innovation in Asia can take on a variety of forms. Yet, the urban planners, architects, and entrepreneurs behind these projects share a common vision: to evolve the modern Asian metropolis beyond skyscrapers and showcases, and to place renewed focus on the hundreds of millions of people who call these cities home.

Nominated for a 2016 Academy Award® for Best Documentary Short, this 40-minute documentary follows the story of Saba, a young woman from the Punjab region of Pakistan, who was shot and left for dead by her father and uncle after marrying Qaiser, a man once promised to her by her family. Told through the lens of a true love story, the film is a scathing examination of the contradictions between modernism and tradition within Pakistani society, as Saba struggles with pressures to "forgive" the relatives who tried to kill her - a pronouncement that would set them free. In this masterful work of high-risk journalistic storytelling, awardwinning filmmaker Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy (Saving Face) uncovers the complex and violent forces faced by women in Pakistan, particularly as it relates to human rights and family honor.

Alfred is awestruck by the modernity of life in Tashkent, the capital of present-day Uzbekistan and a major central Asian city. There is an incredible mix of ethnic groups in this part of the world. Our guide visits a silk factory--a must for anyone retracing the Silk Road. Then he treads the age-old route through the mountains to his next destination: Kyrgyzstan, the land of the nomads