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BUDDHISM
CHINA
Ancient China (50 minutes)
From the creation legend of Pan Ku to the demise of the Han Dynasty, this
program traces Chinese history and explores the roots of Chinese culture today. Visit the
Great Wall if China as scholars discuss why it remains even today a symbol of oppression,
exemplified in the legend of the weeping woman; the Imperial Palace and how it exemplifies
Chinese beliefs in harmony; and the Beijing Opera, whose works are an elaborate retelling
of traditional folktales. The influences of Buddhism, ancestor worship, and Taoism in
China are also discussed, along with stunning footage of the Buddhist caves and the Terra
Cotta Army.
<Purchase $129 / Rental $75>
[FHS]
China's Cosmopolitan Age: The Tang
(1993) (60 minutes)
Written and produced by Professor Chung-wen Shih, examines the golden age
of Chinese culture. During the Tang dynasty (seventh-ninth
centuries), China was remarkably open to foreign trade and ideas. It was
great era for music, dance, poetry, and art and represented the period in
Chinese history where Buddhism had its greatest influence. Parts of the
documentary are extraordinary, but its pacing is uneven. There is a review of
this film in Education About Asia (v. 2 n.1, spring 1997).
<Available for [IU]
rental: $12.45; Also available from PBS>
Heart of the Dragon, The
Produced by Peter Montagnon and a British film crew in 1981-1983 and originally broadcast
in the US in 1985, this twelve hour series features outstanding looks at everyday life in
rural and urban China. The crew had remarkable access and examined the full
range of human activity. Programs include:
-Remembering (interaction
between tradition and modernity in today's China)
-Eating (agriculture, food,
festivals), Living (village life)
-Believing (Confucianism, Buddhism, and
Daoism's persistence in China)
-Caring (mental health treatment)
-Marrying (rural marriage, ceremonies, and
celebrations)
-Mediating (divorce)
-Working (industrial labor)
-Correcting (law, courts, and punishment)
-Creating (art, music)
-Understanding (science, ecology)
-Trading
(economic development, foreign trade)
Though some segments are a bit dated
(particularly those dealing with economic matters), this remains the best
comprehensive series on contemporary China. A series of 26 half-hour lessons has been recently constructed from the original
programs along with new presentations from specialists. This series is called
"The Chinese." [PBS]
The University of Michigan Center for Chinese Studies has published
two editions of
"The
Chinese" to accompany the series and there are also student and teacher guides
available.
Legacy: China (60
minutes)
One of the segments in the six part series written and hosted by Michael Wood. Looks
at religion, philosophy, bureaucratic government, and trade.
[PBS]
INDIA
Ancient India (48
minutes)
The antecedents of modern Indian culture can be traced back to the Harappan civilization,
which flourished between 2300 and 1500 BC in what are now Pakistan and Afghanistan. This
program examines the religious tension between Hinduism, Buddhism, and Islam, and the
historical events that shaped the great Indian civilizations, from the Mauryab Empire
through the Mogul Empire. Maps and scholars provide insight into a culture that remains
vibrant and diverse today.
<Purchase $129/Rental $75>
[FHS]
Legacy: India (60
minutes)
One of the six part series written and hosted by Michael Wood. Looks at religion,
philosophy, government, and trade.
[PBS]
JAPAN
Japan: Past and Present
This five part series traces Japanese history from the seventh century
centralization along the Chinese model to the modern society which maintains
many traditions. Series include:
Buddha in the
Land of the Kami (7th-12th Centuries)
(53 minutes)
Begins with Japanese creation myth and then addresses
the adoption of Buddhism and the creation of Heian aristocratic culture.
<The series is available for $749
and individual parts may be purchased for $159 or rented for $75>[FHS]
NEPAL
Nepal: Land of the Gods (62
minutes)
Studies Buddhism as practiced in Nepal.
[F]
TIBET
17th Karmapa's Return to Tsurphu, The (100 minutes)
Follows the 17th Gyalwa Karmapa's return to his original seat in the Tsurphu monastery in
summer 1992.
[F]
Heart of Tibet
Coverage of the Dalai Lama's visit to Los Angeles.
[F]
Ossian: American Boy/Tibetan Monk (27 minutes)
A documentary on a twelve year old American who lived as a Tibetan monk, the reincarnation
of a high lama, since he was four.
[F]
Tantra of Gyuto (52
minutes)
The Dalai Lama explains Tantric rituals that enhance consciousness. Includes footage
of Tibet.
[F]
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cATHOLICISM
CHINA
Beyond the Clouds (240 minutes)
Investigates life in Lijiang, a Naxi minority region of Yunnan province.
Follows
police investigation of a murder, the activities of an independent businessman, the effort of a college teacher to help her handicapped daughter, and the concerns of a doctor
that his practice be continued. Fascinating, but clearly teachers will need to select
short segments for presentation to the class.
[NG and PBS]
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CHRISTIANITY
CHINA
China Call, The (58
minutes)
Subtitled "American Missionaries in China" and the second in a six part series
"The Dragon and the Eagle." Interviews and diary accounts are supplemented
with newsreel footage and film from personal collections.
[FHF]
JAPAN
Japan: Past and Present
This five part series traces Japanese history from the seventh century
centralization along the Chinese model to the modern society which maintains
many traditions. Series include:
The Coming of the
Barbarians (1540-1650)
(52 minutes)
Sometimes called "Japan's Christian
Century," this period represented a high point of Japanese-European cultural and
economic exchange, a
period which came to an end with the prohibition of Christianity and unauthorized
contact with the West.
<The series is available for $749
and individual parts may be purchased for $159 or rented for $75>[FHS]
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to TOP
CONFUCIANISM
CHINA Biography: Confucius
(50 minutes)
The ideas of Confucius, who lived about the same time as Socrates and the
Buddha, had enormous influence on intellectual and cultural lives of East
Asian peoples for centuries.
[A&E]
Heart of the Dragon, The
Produced by Peter Montagnon and a British film crew in 1981-1983 and originally broadcast
in the US in 1985, this twelve hour series features outstanding looks at everyday life in
rural and urban China. The crew had remarkable access and examined the full
range of human activity. Programs include:
-Remembering (interaction
between tradition and modernity in today's China)
-Eating (agriculture, food,
festivals), Living (village life)
-Believing (Confucianism, Buddhism, and
Daoism's persistence in China)
-Caring (mental health treatment)
-Marrying (rural marriage, ceremonies, and
celebrations)
-Mediating (divorce)
-Working (industrial labor)
-Correcting (law, courts, and punishment)
-Creating (art, music)
-Understanding (science, ecology)
-Trading
(economic development, foreign trade)
Though some segments are a bit dated
(particularly those dealing with economic matters), this remains the best
comprehensive series on contemporary China. A series of 26 half-hour lessons has been recently constructed from the original
programs along with new presentations from specialists. This series is called
"The Chinese." [PBS]
The University of Michigan Center for Chinese Studies has published
two editions of
"The
Chinese" to accompany the series and there are also student and teacher guides
available.
Legacy: China (60
minutes)
One of the segments in the six part series written and hosted by Michael Wood. Looks
at religion, philosophy, bureaucratic government, and trade.
[PBS]
Back to TOP
DAOISM
CHINA
Ancient China (50 minutes)
From the creation legend of Pan Ku to the demise of the Han Dynasty, this
program traces Chinese history and explores the roots of Chinese culture today. Visit the
Great Wall if China as scholars discuss why it remains even today a symbol of oppression,
exemplified in the legend of the weeping woman; the Imperial Palace and how it exemplifies
Chinese beliefs in harmony; and the Beijing Opera, whose works are an elaborate retelling
of traditional folktales. The influences of Buddhism, ancestor worship, and Taoism in
China are also discussed, along with stunning footage of the Buddhist caves and the Terra
Cotta Army.
<Purchase $129 / Rental $75>
[FHS]
Heart of the Dragon, The
Produced by Peter Montagnon and a British film crew in 1981-1983 and originally broadcast
in the US in 1985, this twelve hour series features outstanding looks at everyday life in
rural and urban China. The crew had remarkable access and examined the full
range of human activity. Programs include:
-Remembering (interaction
between tradition and modernity in today's China)
-Eating (agriculture, food,
festivals), Living (village life)
-Believing (Confucianism, Buddhism, and
Daoism's persistence in China)
-Caring (mental health treatment)
-Marrying (rural marriage, ceremonies, and
celebrations)
-Mediating (divorce)
-Working (industrial labor)
-Correcting (law, courts, and punishment)
-Creating (art, music)
-Understanding (science, ecology)
-Trading
(economic development, foreign trade)
Though some segments are a bit dated
(particularly those dealing with economic matters), this remains the best
comprehensive series on contemporary China. A series of 26 half-hour lessons has been recently constructed from the original
programs along with new presentations from specialists. This series is called
"The Chinese." [PBS]
The University of Michigan Center for Chinese Studies has published
two editions of
"The
Chinese" to accompany the series and there are also student and teacher guides
available.
Legacy: China (60
minutes)
One of the segments in the six part series written and hosted by Michael Wood. Looks
at religion, philosophy, bureaucratic government, and trade.
[PBS]
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ENLIGHTENMENT
CHINA
Japan Series, produced by the National
Film Board of Canada. Series include:
Satori in the
Right Cortex (29 minutes)
"Satori" is a sudden flash of
enlightenment. Examines Japanese philosophical traditions and their persistence in
contemporary life.
[CC]
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HINDUISM
INDIA
Ancient India (48
minutes)
The antecedents of modern Indian culture can be traced back to the Harappan civilization,
which flourished between 2300 and 1500 BC in what are now Pakistan and Afghanistan. This
program examines the religious tension between Hinduism, Buddhism, and Islam, and the
historical events that shaped the great Indian civilizations, from the Mauryab Empire
through the Mogul Empire. Maps and scholars provide insight into a culture that remains
vibrant and diverse today.
<Purchase $129/Rental $75>
[FHS]
Four Holy Men: Renunciation in Hindu Society (37
minutes)
<$11.50 rental>
[IU]
Fourth State, The: A Hindu's Quest for Release (1984) (40
minutes)
<$11.50 rental>
[IU]
Loving Krishna (40 minutes)
Examines the link between the cult of Krishna, commerce, and
everyday life.
Serpent Mother (27 minutes)
Myth of the goddess, Manasha, is studied. Includes scenes
of manufacturing images and of the festival of the snakes.
Sons of Shiva
4 day annual festival celebrates the god of destruction (and
creation). Includes scenes of chanting and of sadhus (wandering ascetics).
[CC]
Hindu Ascetics (44
minutes)
Focuses on the sadus (penitents), fakirs, and yogi -- Hindu holy men. There is also
a
comparison of their beliefs and practices with those of ancient Hindu and Buddhist
devotees.
<$149/$75>
[FHS]
In the Name of God (1991)
(96
minutes)
<$27.75>
[IU]
Legacy: India (60
minutes)
One of the six part series written and hosted by Michael Wood. Looks at religion,
philosophy, government, and trade.
[PBS]
Wedding of the Goddess
Part I (36 minutes)
-History of the Chittirai festival in Madurai,
Tamilnadu.
Part II (40 minutes)
-Film of the 19 day festival honoring the Goddess.
Only in Indonesia: Arts and Culture (30
minutes)
The melting pot of southeast Asia, includes Hindu temple remains and dances.
[CC]
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ISLAM
INDIA
Ancient India (48
minutes)
The antecedents of modern Indian culture can be traced back to the Harappan civilization,
which flourished between 2300 and 1500 BC in what are now Pakistan and Afghanistan. This
program examines the religious tension between Hinduism, Buddhism, and Islam, and the
historical events that shaped the great Indian civilizations, from the Mauryab Empire
through the Mogul Empire. Maps and scholars provide insight into a culture that remains
vibrant and diverse today.
<Purchase $129/Rental $75>
[FHS]
Legacy: India (60
minutes)
One of the six part series written and hosted by Michael Wood. Looks at religion,
philosophy, government, and trade.
[PBS]
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MISSIONARIES
CHINA
China Call, The (58
minutes)
Subtitled "American Missionaries in China" and the second in a six part series
"The Dragon and the Eagle." Interviews and diary accounts are supplemented
with newsreel footage and film from personal collections.
[FHF]
JAPAN
Hidden Japan, The (25 minutes)
Produced by Maryknoll Media. Looks at Japanese outcasts: homeless, drug
addicts, and alcoholics. Follows the efforts of Maryknoll missionaries and
Japanese volunteers to address these social problems.
[F]
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to TOP
MONKS
TIBET
Ossian: American Boy/Tibetan Monk (27 minutes)
A documentary on a twelve year old American who lived as a Tibetan monk, the reincarnation
of a high lama, since he was four.
[F]
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RELIGIOUS
PRACTICE
CHINA
Religion and Culture in China
(28
minutes)
A Maryknoll Media documentary on the revival of religious practice in contemporary China.
[F]
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ZEN
CULTURE
JAPAN
Principles and Practice of Zen, The
(100 minutes)
Explains the process leading to satori. Includes coverage of tea
ceremony, flower arranging and other aspects of Zen culture.
<$159>
[FHS]
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