Preview of Maria full of grace

Maria full of grace I a film about a 17 year old girl who becomes a "mule". a mule is a person who smuggles in from Colombia. By swallowing pellets of cocaine. Maria is the main character her best friend Blanca is her best friend who always seems to do what Maria wants to do. Maria gets pregnant by her boy friend Juan. They have trouble deciding what to with the baby. Things get ever worse when Maria quits her job because of her employer. Thats when she decides to become a Mule.

Reaction to Afghan star

The film was a little different from what I expected it focused a lot more on the culture then the American Idol spin off. It started out discussing the general culture of the area and how there are several different tribes in each area that are at war with each other. One of the neat things that is film did was it showed a transition of people voting across the boarders of their tribe. The other cultural key was the Taliban. Who for a wile was in control of the country. Another ethnic group that they are similar to are the Amish where they don't believe in TVs or Radios or any technology but unlike the Taliban the Amish don't kill you for expressing your self. It's a big deal in Afghanistan that you can sing or listen to any music in fact so the idea of a TV show where the main focus is singing is a big deal. A large up roar is caused when the last female contestant is voted off and in her final good bye song she dances. Afghanistan has come along way but it is still not allowed for people to dance and to pour salt on the wound she lets her head wrap fall off all on the nations largest live TV program. She receives several death threat but makes it home OK. Over all i enjoyed the film but in some parts it was a little dry

Afghan star

contestant on Afghan Star

map of Afghanistan

Out newest film is called Afghan star. From reading the back of the Netflix case i found out that its about several people from Afghanistan who risk their lives to be in a show similar to American idol. I look forward to this film because I think the political situation is almost a reality show of its own and to throw a real reality show would make it very interesting. I'm also exited to learn a little more about the people in Afghanistan from some where els other than the American media.

pre view of mongolian ping pong

Our next film is called Mongolian Ping Pong. Like the title suggests it takes place in Mongolia. It is about three boys who like in the weeping camel are nomadic headers but unlike the other Mongolian film this wasn't a Documentary it instead is a full length film about a boy who finds a ping pong ball in the river wile fetching his father his beer.

Review of The Weeping Camel

After watching the film i thought is wasn't all that good it was some where between a documentary and an indie film (although it describes its self as a documentary). In the beginning it starts out by showing the life styles of the nomadic herders who live in the Gobi desert. one of the funnier things was when the grand mother tied the little girl to the main pole of the yurt to keep her away from the hot fire stove. This reminded me of a time when we were at Disney world and a couple had their kid on a leash to keep him from running off. he was a bit older than this child was but a yurt isn't the same size as Disney world. The plot starts to move when the first colt of the season is born. Then another camel gives birth to a rare white camel. The mother how ever wont let its baby nurse. The family trys every thing from tieing the camel's legs together to having the baby sneak up on it's mother. I t was around this point of the movie where i began to think that is a re-telling of the "ugly duckling story" but instead with camels. The two sons venture into town on camels to try to get a music teacher. Its a long journey into town on the way they encounter a sand storm and had to stop at another person's tent. I wasn't sure if they were relatives of the boys or if Mongolian culture is such that in the event of a sand storm you can be allowed in-side any body's home. These people have a TV and the younger boy is mesmerised by it. Eventually the boys make it into town and go to the market there they get six batteries for their grand father. This reminds me of my own grandfather who had a box of batteries all ways lying around. With the help of an older woman who I expect to also be related to them they find the music teacher. Its not until later that we know what the music teacher is for. When they get home they inform their parents that the music teacher will come. The next scene is done very well we see a motor cycle come over the horizon. The music teacher plays a banjo/violin and the mother of the boys sings and to the mother camel who first begins to cry and eventually lets the baby nurse.

The Weeping Camel

The first film we will study is The Weeping  Camel. It takes place in Mongolia. I is about a Family of nomadic camel herders.  They live in large tents called yurts. These are usually heated by wood fire stoves.

A map of Mongolia