I come from a large family of opinionated individuals. Being exposed to the tastes of older siblings, who refused to take me to see Ghostbusters (1984), because Dune (1984) was considered worthier of viewing, meant that I saw a film I would never ordinarily have watched. In the days when households generally had only one TV and a mere four channels available, this was not the first time that I was nudged beyond my comfort zone as a viewer. My parents and my brothers have influenced my taste in films tremendously; because of my mum I devotedly watched a whole series of Hitchcock films and it was my Dad’s love of westerns that inspired my affection for movies like True Grit (1969).
I grew up understanding that if I wanted to see people of colour in the movies, I needed to look for them in the margins to which they were always consigned. I hadn’t watched a film with my brothers for many years by the time I saw East is East (1999). At University in Leeds by this time, I remember its impact clearly and I wished my family and I had had the chance to watch this film together. As the first cinematic depiction of a dual-heritage family that I saw, East is East made a huge impression on me. Yes I see its flaws, the missed opportunities to do greater justice to the story of the mother and father in particular, but I love the movie regardless of these. East is East is the first time I saw a film family I could connect with however remotely and that meant a great deal to me, then and now.
Maria @MariaKaladeen
I grew up understanding that if I wanted to see people of colour in the movies, I needed to look for them in the margins to which they were always consigned. I hadn’t watched a film with my brothers for many years by the time I saw East is East (1999). At University in Leeds by this time, I remember its impact clearly and I wished my family and I had had the chance to watch this film together. As the first cinematic depiction of a dual-heritage family that I saw, East is East made a huge impression on me. Yes I see its flaws, the missed opportunities to do greater justice to the story of the mother and father in particular, but I love the movie regardless of these. East is East is the first time I saw a film family I could connect with however remotely and that meant a great deal to me, then and now.
Maria @MariaKaladeen
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