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Sarah Stevenson
Professor Julie Hicks
HONR 3702
26 April 2015
Final Reflection

As I reflect back upon this semester, I have come to the realization that I
have grown so much as a person and an amateur film critic. Until last semester, I
had simply viewed cinematography as nothing more than a form of entertainment.
Through the film selections of the fall liberal studies class, my eyes were opened to
the art of film and I began to appreciate how much time and thought that goes into
creating a cinematic masterpiece. It was then I came to understand the difference
between movies and film. Movies are for entertainment purposes. Hollywood
creates what people will pay for. However, film is an art. Often times, good film is
undiscovered, but rare gems emerge in an entertainment and pleasure seeking
culture. My knowledge and appreciation gained from Film and Society last semester
has challenged me to think even more deeply about this semesters selections. One
of the things I have enjoyed most about this semester was being able relate
concepts I have learned in my aging course to the films I have watched. This is the
reason I chose the theme for my Film and Cultural Issues section of my portfolio to
be Older Adults in Society and Culture. Although my gerontology class specifically
focused on concepts and controversies of aging in the United States, it was
interesting to see all of the commonalities of American culture and the cultures of
this world displayed in the selected films. With the similarities, there were also
differences and I was excited to explore them. A good film has the ability to have a
powerful impact on a person. The three films that I have found to have the greatest

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impact on me are Wadjda, Babel, and The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. I have also
grown as writer this semester with the prompts that have challenged me to think
about, expand on, and research important issues. I would consider my best film
responses to be the reflections of Departures, A Separation, and The Syrian Bride.
One of the hardest parts of this portfolio to me was trying to find films that
accurately display both positive and negative aspects of American culture to show
the rest of the world. I chose a documentary entitled Lord, Save Us from Your
Followers because it touches on the religious and cultural conflicts that occur in the
United States. It also shows the beauty when people come together and truly love
others despite religious or political beliefs. The short film Identity reminds us that
everyone struggles with identity, but there is nothing more powerful than being true
to oneself. Finally, I chose the movie Cyberbully because it reminds us of the
negative effects that can come with abusing the internet including: child
pornography, bullying, false identity, and suicide, but at the same time it
demonstrates the positive changes that can come to be when people stand up for
what is right.
The first film that had the greatest impact on me this semester is Wadjda. I
believe this film sends a very positive and empowering message to young girls.
Wadjda encourage girls to be themselves and to chase their dreams. Society tells
Wadjda that it isnt appropriate for women to own and ride something we in America
consider as trivial as a bicycle. Despite the rules of culture and tradition, Wadjda
works hard at to succeed in the Quran reciting competition so she can win enough
money to obtain a bicycle so she is able to race her guy friend on a bicycle. She
does it all in a respectful way. There isnt a scene more powerful than the one at the
end where Wadjda is seen freely riding her bicycle through the streets. The film

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closes her with riding her bike up to road and looking out at the traffic. This could be
a representation of another obstacle she as a woman would have to face in the
future. However, I believe that Wadjda looks out at the cars on the road, she
commits to rise to the challenge of working to break down cultural sexism by
learning to drive. The creativity of Babel was the aspect of the film that had the
greatest impact on me. I feel like it would take a lot of patience to try to get three
different stories that take place in three entirely different places in the world
coincide with one another as perfectly as they did in Babel. The way each story
connected to the other is the aspect of the film that I found to be the most
fascinating. Even though the story that takes place in Japan has the weakest
connection of them all, I personally found Chiekos story to be the most moving. She
is a teenager wrestling with her identity and trying to find her place in life. Chieko is
also deaf which makes it difficult for her to communicate verbally. Not getting the
attention that she longs for from the boys her age, she uses her body to exercise
control over men and she is willing to give of herself sexually to have someone tell
her that he loves her. Sadly, that is something many girls are willing to do. In the
scene when Chieko comes out naked and vulnerable in front of the officer, he
decides not to take advantage of her, but to give her what she really needs- love,
affection, and a tight embrace. The kindness of humans is beautiful. Finally, I chose
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. This was my favorite film of the entire semester.
Often, there are many negative stereotypes that are tied to the aging process and
things like sickness, cognitive impairment, and close mindedness are considered to
be inevitable. Everything I have learned in my aging class this semester has told me
the opposite and The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel does a wonderful job of capturing
the diversity of older adults and the beauty of aging.

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Being a writing intensive class, HONR 3702 has given me the opportunity to
improve as a writer. The prompts were challenging and invoked deep thought. For
my best three responses this semester, I chose: Departures, A Separation, and The
Syrian Bride. I earned my highest reflection grades on these responses. In my
response to Departures, I examine the process of encoffination more in depth. The
Japanese ceremony of preparing the dead for burial is known as Nokanshi. There are
different opinions offered on the ceremony. Some say that the film revived the lost
art and others say that an encoffinist is one of the most dreadful jobs in society.
Either way, encoffination is a personal thing that means something different to
every person. It can bring closure and peace to family and friends who have lost
their loved one. In my response, I also reflect on the themes of life and death in the
film. Departures reminds us that we only have one life. It is important to do things
that we find meaningful as well as cherish the relationships we have. In my
response to A Separation, I write about the significance of the title and the different
separations that occur throughout the film. In this film, Nader and Simin seek a
divorce. This is a separation of a husband and wife and of family members.
Numerous times, Termeh is forced to choose between her parents. Her choice would
always result in her being separated from one of them. Religion can also result in
separation. It can cause division among people or inspire people to live in a way
that is separate from the world in order to pursue holiness. This lifestyle is modeled
by Razieh the caregiver. Finally, I chose my response to The Syrian Bride as one of
my best. This film explores the issues of borders. Instead of just physical borders
that keep people in or out, there are other borders that are noted in The Syrian
Bride. It is interesting to examine the borders that exist in our lives. Some of these
borders are emotional while others are traditional. In The Syrian Bride, many

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characters experience what is called a moment of grace. In this moment a
significant change occurs in a characters life or mind and their humanity is visible.
An example of a moment of grace in The Syrian Bride is when Hammed embraces
his son Marwin after many years of not acknowledging him or his wife because he
married outside of what was considered traditionally and culturally acceptable. In
that moment he made the decision that family comes first.
I decided to use the theme Older Adults in Society and Culture for my Film
and Cultural Issues section of my portfolio. I wasnt able to make it a portfolio wide
theme, but I did want a chance to explore more in depth about what I learned about
the life course in different cultures through film class this semester. The three films
this semester that I believe best captured the issues that older adults face in society
are The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, Departures, and A Separation. The Best Exotic
Marigold Hotel reflects the cultures of two different places: The United Kingdom and
India. A group of elderly people were provided an all-expense paid trip to India to
stay in a hotel for the elderly and beautiful because it was an Indian mans dream to
do away with growing old. Muriel, the xenophobe, feared everyone and everything
she wasnt familiar with whether it be people of different races, foreign cultures, or
new experiences, but she was the first person to speak to the hotel maid breaking
down barriers of racism. Sexual identity is also an important theme in this film.
Graham is a gay identified individual who reunites with the Indian man he was in
love with when he was younger, but was forced to be separated from. Evelyn is
infatuated with Douglas who is married to Jean, but their marriage is crumbling
because both of them are seeking more in a relationship. This film also explores the
differences of social class. When Madge requests a seat beside the richest man at
the country club, she is surprised to be pointed in the direction of a scraggly,

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unkempt older man. She immediately finds another place to sit. Sonnys mother is a
very professional woman, but the female maid is never spoken to because of her
low position in society. This film gives us so much positive information about what it
means to be an older adult. Sexual identity and sexuality is very important in the
lives of older adults. It is seen over and over again in The Best Exotic Marigold
Hotel. The importance of sex and sexuality in older adults is an example of the
continuity theory of aging which basically states that as people age they continue
activities and behaviors that were enjoyed in the past. (Continuity Theory) The
aging population of this world is so diverse and this film reflects that. Older adults
differ by sexual orientation, political and religious views, talents, and personalities.
These are just a few of the many things that diversify the aging. The Best Exotic
Marigold Hotel also teaches us that older adults have so much to add to the
workforce. At first, Evelyn is turned down a job because it was only a job for
extremely energetic and motivated young people. However, she was given a job
and revolutionized the way telemarketing was done. This film does an excellent job
of capturing the positive and beauty of the aging process. One of the cultural
concepts of Departures is filial piety. Filial Piety is a practice deeply rooted in Asian
cultures that involves adult children caring for their aging parents. From a very
young age, people are taught to respect and honor their elders. This is based on the
teaching of Confucius: "A youth who does not respect his elders will achieve nothing
when he grows up." (Kuchikomi) I dont see the respect for our elders in the United
States being as strong as it is in Asian cultures. However, these values do exist in
America and were carried over from China and Japan. Asian-American elderly in the
United States have some of the lowest nursing home rates because of the cultural
obligation of caring for our own. (Moody and Sasser, 307) Even though Daigos

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father deserted him when he was young, he still shows admirable respect to his
father by performing an encoffination ceremony for him with love and forgiveness in
his heart. Because of the negative cultural stigma of death, Daigos job was frowned
upon by many, including his own wife. She leaves him as she made him choose
between her and his career which he has come to find his purpose in. Personal
journeys and progress is made by both Daigo and his wife and reconciliation is
found. There are many cultural issues that are reflected upon in A Separation. One
of these is religion. Razieh is probably the most religious character in the film. She
covers her head and calls the hotline in order to make sure she is not committing a
sin. Religion is also seen in the courts. Instead of separation of church and state that
we have here in the United States, swearing on the Quran is upheld as a defense in
the court room scene. In A Separation, Middle Eastern women arent portrayed as
oppressed, but rather liberated. Simin is a working woman and it was she that
initiated the divorce. Often men in the Middle East are stereotyped as being violent
toward women. When Nader goes to throw Razieh out of his house, I expected him
to hit her. He didnt. There are many issues involving older adults that are brought
to light in A Separation. Naders elderly father has Alzheimers disease. Alzheimers
disease and other related dementias affect over 35 million people worldwide and
that number is expected to double every 20 years. (Duthey). Not only does this
issue affect older adults, but world economies, health institutions, and loved ones.
Many adults choose to care for their aging parents or higher caregivers to care for
them in their homes rather than put them in nursing home facilities. Caring for an
elderly person can be a stressful job that can often lead to caregiver burnout. Stress
and burnout has the potential to lead to elder abuse and neglect. Sadly, we see this
in A Separation when Razieh begins to get worn out. Her daughter is tampering with

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the elderly mans oxygen. He manages to wander out of the house and out into the
busy streets before Razieh even notices he is gone. She ties him to the bed to
prevent him from escaping again and leaves him. That is when Nader comes home
to see the Razieh is nowhere to be and finds his father had fallen on the floor with
his wrist tied to the bed. Elder abuse occurs worldwide and often times, it is not
reported by the caregivers.
In conclusion, my worldview has definitely changed this semester. An
influential part of that was Chimamanda Ngozi Adichies talk entitled The Danger of
a Single Story.(Adichie) There are consequences that come with basing your
perception of a culture or different country from one source or story. Often these
consequences are misrepresentations of people in cultures. These
misrepresentations only encourage stereotypes. One important thing I have learned
this semester is to be cautious of the sources I use to find information as well as
consult many different writings, articles, books, or films in order to form an
educated view of culture and people. Doing this we usually find that most of what
we believe is far from true because we have never taken the time to expand our
knowledge. Another thing I have learned is that we as Americans may consider
certain cultural practices to be oppressive, but the ones who have those practices
often consider it liberating. An example of this is wearing of hijabs as seen in A
Separation and Wadjda. Many women may consider it to be sexist, but hijabs are
worn as a symbol of modesty and that can be a very freeing thing. I read this article
for my social work class called Don't say I'm oppressed because I'm an Arab
woman. It denies me the right to my own experience by Randa Kattan, but it is
relevant here as well. (Kattan) This article talks about the importance of not labeling
other cultures practices as oppressive based on our own sociocultural views

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because of the perpetuation of untrue stereotypes and denying a person the right to
his or her own life and experiences. It was a very eye opening read. Some of the
stereotypes Ive had (mainly fueled by media) about Middle Eastern culture and
religion have been proven false through the films this semester and the research
with it. My view on aging has also changed drastically as I have become more
passionate about the study of gerontology. It is important to watch foreign film for
some of my reasons above. They have the ability to open us up to new ideas and do
away with stereotypes like they have for me. Foreign film also allows us to learn
about a different culture from someone who actually is immersed within it rather
than learning about it from the media on television or the internet. Overall, I have
thoroughly enjoyed this semester. Not only film class, but my other ones as well.
There were many common themes shared by my classes. As a social work major, I
believe it is very important to become culturally competent and I am grateful that
HONR 3702 has given me the opportunity to do that.

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Works Cited
Adichie, Chimamanda N. "The Danger of a Single Story." TED. TEDGlobal, 1 July
2009. Web. 27 Apr. 2015.
<http://www.ted.com/talks/chimamanda_adichie_the_danger_of_a_single_stor
y?language=en
#t-174860>.
"Continuity Theory - Boundless Open Textbook." Boundless. Web. 27 Apr. 2015.
<https://www.boundless.com/sociology/textbooks/boundless-sociologytextbook/aging-18/thefunctionalist-perspective-on-aging-128/continuity-theory-723-3593/>.
Duthey, Batrice. "Alzheimer Disease and Other Dementias." World Health
Organization. WHO, 13 Feb.
2013. Web. 27 Apr. 2015.
<http://www.who.int/medicines/areas/priority_medicines/BP6_11Alzheimer.pdf
>.
Kattan, Randa. "Don't Say I'm Oppressed Because I'm an Arab Woman. It Denies Me
the Right to My
Own Experience." The Guardian. 16 Mar. 2015. Web. 27 Apr. 2015.
<http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/mar/17/dont-say-imoppressed-becauseim-an-arab-woman-it-denies-me-the-right-to-my-own-experience>.
Kuchikomi. "Filial Piety -- It's Back in Style." Japan Today. Japan Today, 15 June 2011.
Web. 27 Apr. 2015.

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<http://www.japantoday.com/category/kuchikomi/view/filial-piety-its-back-instyle>.
Moody, Harry R., and Jennifer R. Sasser. "Social and Economic Outlook for an Aging
Society." Aging:
Concepts and Controversies. 8th ed. Thousand Oaks: Pine Forge, 2015. 565.
Print.