Foreign Media Experiences in 2018

[livingdeb]

Once again, I got to experience a fair amount of media from or about other countries. I'm glad I did this because I learned quite a few fascinating things, though sadly this year I didn't love anything except a couple of scenes in "Crazy, Rich Asians." Oh, and I subscribed to the channel of the guy who did the UAE video linked below.

At the beginning of the year, I tried to focus on Africa a bit because there's a big, gaping hole in my knowledge.

Then once I found out I was going to Mexico I decided to learn as much as I could about the Maya. I was already familiar with their impressive and beautiful architecture, though I learned they didn't use a "true" arch, just the corbel arch (described as the type you can make with Legos). But I also learned that they invented the zero independently of the Hindu (we learned it from Muslims who learned it from Hindu). They developed agricultural techniques that let them live as densely as modern populations. They had writing and amazing calandars and could predict eclipses. And their religion was kind of horrifying, even before they imported ideas from the Aztecs and others, but at least they had self-sacrifice and not just sacrifice of others, which seems a little more fair.

I have listed the books I read and movies I watched below, with asterisks next to my favorites, plus linked to a couple of videos that really struck me.

As always, if you're now remembering a beloved piece of media set outside the US that you'd like to recommend, please do so. And if you have any comments or questions about the books and movies below, I'd love to talk.

Africa

Algeria
* 2 fiction - The Meursault Investigation, Jumper*

Botswana
* 1 nonfiction - Botswana

Burundi
* 2 nonfiction - Life After Violence: A People's Story of Burundi, Burundi on the Brink: 1993-95: A UN special Envoy Reflects on Preventative Diplomacy

Ghana
* 1 nonfiction - Black Power*

Kenya
* 1 nonfiction - The Flame Trees of Thika: Memories of an African Childhood

Lybia (and Algeria, Morocco)
* 1 nonfiction - Thomas Jefferson and the Tripoli Pirates: The Forgotten War that Changed American History*

Zambia
I enjoyed much of the video "Zambia loves escalators, just don't be gay" (though he's trying too hard to be funny about anti-gay sentiment for my tastes).


Americas

Brazil
* 1 fiction - The Invisible Life of Euridice Gusmao

Mexico
* 7.5 nonfiction - Discovering Yucatan, part of Incidents of Travel in Yucatan, Culture Smart! Mexico, Maya Civilization, The Maya, The Mayas: The Splendor of a Great Culture, The Lost World of Quintana Roo*, Daily Life in Maya Civilization
* 1 fiction - The Captive
* 1 movie - "Coco"*



Asia

Afghanistan
* 1 nonfiction - The Bookseller of Kabul

Japan
* 2 movies - "Whisper of the Heart,"* "Isle of Dogs"*
I also enjoyed the video, ""Tokyo: Harujuku's Dark Turn" about fashion and mental illness.

Jordan
* 1 movie - "The Rendezvous"

Korea, South
* 1 movie - "The Villainess"

Pakistan
* 1 nonfiction - Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace . . . One School at a Time*

Singapore
* 1 movie - "Crazy Rich Asians"*

Thailand
* 1 fiction - The Bangkok Asset*

United Arab Emirates
I enjoyed the video "Be Afraid of Us.


Europe

France
* 1 fiction - Murderous Mistral

Norway
* 1 movie - "The Snowman"

Sweden
* 1 fiction - The Girl Who Takes an Eye for an Eye*


Oceania

Australia
* 1 movie - "Upgrade" (aka "STEM")

Comments

Very diverse

[(Anonymous)]

Hey Debbie, Jay here just checking in. I'm impressed with the diversity of cross-cultural movies/books you've experienced. I've always thought it good to have a wide-range of experience and I'm glad you embrace that too. One of my movie experiences came from Japan. There was this movie called "Twilight of the Cockroaches" in which a man lives peacefully with cockroaches until he gets a girlfriend who hates them. It was a hoot and I have to say I sort of do the same thing with spiders. I allow spiders to flourish in my place as long as they stay above shoulder height. They're great for getting rid of bugs I accidentally let in when letting the cat out.

Re: Very diverse

[livingdeb]

That movie sounds pretty amusing.

Wait, so you're tolerant of cats in your house, too? :-)