The document Moving the Image explains how films in the late 1900s were often made by white men. In fact, most minority filmmakers were ignored and often times even unfavorable. Most audiences would immediately shut down the idea of watching a movie merely because it was made by an Asian American. When people thought of Asian Americans, they thought of teachers or saints, but never film artists. However, in this document, author Renee Tajima argues that people should view Asian American film producers with the same respect as other producers.
“We were worried about financing our films, getting a decent airdate…” (13) Many Asian American movie producers struggled to find work and often times were forces to accommodate with what they were given despite it being below adequate. But because there were so few of them, receiving any sort of payment was considered a blessing. As the author put it, “Asian American filmmakers were small fish in a small pool and even the Film Fund was a bastion to conquer.” (21) Through this sentence the author shows that even things that were made to help film producers were considered hurdles to them.
The document does discuss the term multiculturalism on page 13. It is described as the support or embracement of other cultures or races. In the author’s own words, other cultures and races refers to white women, white gays/lesbians, and people of color.
In the documentary film “Forbidden City,” many Asian Americans being interviewed discussed the hardships of going against the norms of Asian Americans. They described how their actions were, initially, poorly received from both Asians and white Americans. But overtime, people began to accept their decisions and even went so far as to support some of them. Similarly, in Moving the Image, the author explains how Asian Americans struggle to find funding and support for their films and productions. However, unlike “Forbidden City,” Moving the Image is more advocating than explaining as the argument of the document is still under debate and has not yet become a reality.
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