12/12/2022

Asians Are Drinking Less. Why?

South Koreans drink more than any other country. In countries like South Korea, Japan and China, alcohol has been considered a “gift from the gods”. Historically, warriors drank before battles and after victories, and masculinity was tied to ability to drink copious amounts of alcohol. But what does drinking culture expose today? If you’re drinking a bottle of Soju, a can of sake, or a glass of Baijiu, you’re likely partaking in a drinking culture that is steeped in tradition and history. Alcohol can represent hospitality, vulnerability and openness–and it used to come with guidelines to ensure it was a healthy ritual. Today, excessive drinking can uphold workplace patriarchy, undue pressures on employees, and toxic masculinity. South Koreans, the most hardcore drinkers in the world, intake 13.7 shots of alcohol on average weekly. With the negative, life-threatening effects of excessive drinking, it’s time to reexamine our relationship with drinking.

About the Filmmaker

12/12/2022

Asians Are Drinking Less. Why?

South Koreans drink more than any other country. In countries like South Korea, Japan and China, alcohol has been considered a “gift from the gods”. Historically, warriors drank before battles and after victories, and masculinity was tied to ability to drink copious amounts of alcohol. But what does drinking culture expose today? If you’re drinking a bottle of Soju, a can of sake, or a glass of Baijiu, you’re likely partaking in a drinking culture that is steeped in tradition and history. Alcohol can represent hospitality, vulnerability and openness–and it used to come with guidelines to ensure it was a healthy ritual. Today, excessive drinking can uphold workplace patriarchy, undue pressures on employees, and toxic masculinity. South Koreans, the most hardcore drinkers in the world, intake 13.7 shots of alcohol on average weekly. With the negative, life-threatening effects of excessive drinking, it’s time to reexamine our relationship with drinking.

About the Filmmaker

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The Partition of India Was Decided by Englishmen

Ms. Marvel pushes the 1947 Partition into pop culture through female teenage superhero Kamala Khan, inciting different reactions. Though histories and narratives of India, Pakistan & Bangladesh’s mass migration aren’t a monolith, they share one thing: pain. Kamala, played by Iman Vellani, is trying to figure herself out and learning about her family’s history. Talking to her Nani, Kamala learns about this pain that Partition caused to all involved. While some viewers resonated, others called it whitewashed or felt confused. To understand this varied response, it’s important to first understand what exactly happened in 1947 to create one of the largest forced migrations in history - one that led to 14 million displaced people, two million dead, and countless separated families–all created by the British. After 200 years of colonial rule, India was divided recklessly; Winston Churchill called Britain’s departure a “shameful flight”. As writer Urvashi Butalia noted, Partition was more than just a division of properties or politics, it was a 'division of hearts.' This year marked the 75th anniversary of Partition. After years of tense relations between the countries, four wars fought between them and persecuted minorities in both regions, the pain of Partition has never left. CREDIT Host & Producer Manal Ahmed Producer Stephanie Tangkilisan & Yuhong Pang & Yudistira Dilianzia & Joy Jihyun Jeong Director of Photography Muhammad Abbas Parkar Editor Rendy Albi Special Thanks Nishant Upadhyay Writer and Researcher Manal Ahmed & Sonia Baweja Editor in Chief Keshia Hannam Head of Production Stephanie Tangkilisan Animator Fitra Pratama Sound Mix David Alba Graphic Design Samuel Kang & Fitra Pratama & Annie Zhao

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Asian Horror Implies Misogyny Is Thriving

What Asian horror movies have proven is that there is nothing scarier than a woman, free from her shackles, wreaking havoc on society to get justice. Why is the ghostly, vengeful woman such a prevalent trope, and how does it represent misogyny across Asian cultures? From the infamous virgin ghost, to the seductive “femme fatale” archetypes, there are consistent depictions of the vengeful female spirit throughout Asian stories. The pale, long black-haired woman in a white dress is the scariest ghost of all. While these characters might begin as victims, they become terrifying villains, making it difficult to sympathize with their pain. It’s the unfair deaths these female characters experience that turn their spirits into monsters that are feared and not souls free to rest. There is little understanding of their suffering, or even their existence, mirroring the reality of many. It’s possible this trope persists because scary stories have often been the only outlet to name the violence women face. In patriarchal societies that view women as subservient, many women die in unfair suffering: murder, death connected to sexual assault, and forced suicide. Asian horror has evolved to incorporate deeper commentaries about women’s issues over time like marital anxiety, dissociative identity disorders, and becoming a widow. But irrespective of final outcome,being abused and thus vengeful continues to be the most natural character foundation of Asian women in horror stories and films.

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Asians Are Drinking Less. Why?