Comment on Through Navajo Eyes

The whole idea of giving unfamiliar media to a group of people and asking them to correctly represent themselves is, in my opinion, really productive. It is difficult to film something from a different cultural perspective when our own eyes are rooted in subjective nature. We had previously discussed the notion that the camera, in some cases, becomes the extension of oneself. If this is true, then giving that camera to a member of a certain group will give us a new take on the things that we may have been missing out on. I think this reading went really well with the one from Tuesday because this is the tangible part of a theoretical discussion. While I was reading this, I was reminded of the way paintings of the Battle of Little Big Horn were analyzed. The paintings done by the Souix were drastically different from the American versions where Custer stood brave and tall in the center of the battle while turmoil swirled around him. I think that what is extracted from a film has almost everything to do with the eye behind the camera and by viewing the portions of life that are deemed worthy of filming by the cameraman, we can learn the weight at which they are valued in a culture.

Salut Cousin!

Allouache’s film “Salut Cousin” depicts the tale of two Algerians, Mok and Alilo experiencing highs and lows in a slum of Paris. They are both confused about their own personal identities, Mok lies about his background and tries to convince people that he is from a lower class than he really is in order to gain some sort of credibility. At the same time, Alilo is the “country boy” who is confused about life in the “big city.” Because of this cultural collision, we get a humorous look at the ongoings of these two somewhat out of place individuals. This film reminded me more of an episode of “Perfect Strangers,” than anything. The comedic spin made it interesting, yet, at times, seemed to take away from the rich cultural issues that were at hand.
The transnational Identity exists within the Algerian people living in Paris. When we see Mok’s parents watching Algerian Television we are aware of their hunger to belong to their country which is ravaged by the Islamic Fundamentalist Revolution, they know they will never be able to, yet they also know that they will never feel at home in France.
Both cousins have Algerian commonalities that bond them in recognition of a “true self.” As they traipse through the nightmare of being an “other” Mok realizes that his stylish city clothing and aspiring rap career are nothing more than a veneer to project a sense of belonging.
Racism is a powerful theme in the movie, depicting it graphically in the scene where Fatoumata gets attacked by skinheads in the telephone booth. This contrasts the carnival style melting pot image that we are first shown. The Parisian dream is crushed for Alilo as he becomes conscious of the Algerian struggle that is not remedied by leaving home and living the fast life.