November 13, 2000
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Its slowly happening. For many Indians and Muslims growing up in America or Europe, their experience has been neither wholly part of one culture. Movies about life in America feel as foreign as movies like Gandhi or Earth. And movies that have attempted to analyze the lives Indians or Muslims living abroad, such as The Siege, ultimately devolve into stereotype. Better films such as Three Kings shed a more impartial light, but still covers subjects that are cliche (The Gulf War).
Recently a slew of movies have been exploring the lives of first-generation children, and I’ve never felt more at home at the movies. These movies rise above stereotypes and present real emotion, probably because they are written by Indians or Muslims who have lived these experiences.
The most recent of these films is Maryam. Though I have not seen it, Roger Ebert gives it a favorable review. Maryam follows the life of a young Iranian girl in New Jersey during the Iran hostage crisis. I imagine she endures much the same hostility many felt during the gulf war. Hopefully Maryam will be in wide release soon.
My Son the Fanatic and East is East present two complimentary views on the domestic lives of Indians/Muslims England. My Son the Fanatic explores the relationship between a Muslim father and his overtly religious son whereas in East is East the father is overtly religious, forcing religion on his seven children. Both films have been criticized for presenting Islam in an unfair light. But one must remember that these movies are not blanket statements on religion, but the specific experiences of their authors. Their purpose is not to preach about religion, but to tell the story of growing up trapped between two cultures. Add to this the fact that Om Puri plays the father in both movies, and these are a great pair of films to watch in tandem.
It surprises me that these movies are being released so quickly, almost a year from each other. Along with the Indian-directed The Sixth Sense and The Cell, bands such as Cornershop, Talvin Singh and Asian Dub Foundation, and authors such as Salman Rushdie and Arundhati Roy, there’s a strong Indian presence adding to the melting pot of Western culture. Its slowly happening, and this is only the beginning.
