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Educational Films on ASIA

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NOTES:  The number listed along with film titles refers to video length in minutes.  Where two prices are listed, the first is for purchase and the second for rental.  In many instances discounts are available for purchase or rental of more than one title.  Sources for these videos are indicated by the abbreviation following the capsule description.  See "FILM SOURCES" for a key to the abbreviations and for addresses, phone numbers, and weblinks.

While this is an extensive list, there's obviously much that I have not included.  If you have any suggestions or comments please contact me at <cdube@isop.ucla.edu> or Clayton Dube, UCLA Center for East Asian Studies, 11266 Bunche Hall, Los Angeles, California 90095-1487 or (310) 825-0007.  I would like to make this list more useful to educators by including films and videos particularly appropriate for elementary and junior high school students.  Most of the titles listed here are intended for senior high or college students.

I have found many feature films useful in teaching about Asia, but I have not included these excellent resources (e.g. Zhang Yimou’s To Live [Huozhe] for China since 1945, Ray’s Apu triology for rural India, and Imamura’s Black Rain for the prejudice suffered by atomic bomb survivors) here. In time, I hope to develop a teacher's guide to such films, but in the interim, I encourage you to visit the excellent USC Asian Films Online website.

Clayton Dube
July 1997, updated June 2001