The film and television industries have a long way to go in terms of diversity. This means putting different people on screen and showing their cultures correctly. Disney aims to have different people and stories in its films. But sometimes, it misses the mark.
Disney movies have covered a wide range of cultures and locations. For example, The Lion King is set in Africa, while Mulan is based on ancient Chinese stories. Hercules was inspired by ancient Greek mythology. Lilo and Stitch shows life and culture in Hawaii.
Unfortunately, Disney has upset some people with its films. Sometimes, the movies use stereotypes.
The 1992 film Aladdin was set in the fictional kingdom of Agraba in the Middle East.
One sentence in the song “Arabian Nights” said the region was “barbaric”. It also called it a place “where they cut off your ear if they don’t like your face”. Arab-Americans said the phrase was racist and harmful. They didn’t like the way the film showed their culture.
The next time you watch a Disney film, pay close attention to the setting and the characters. You might learn something new about a different culture. However, you should be sceptical about whether the movie shows the characters correctly.
Rewrite your favourite film in Hong Kong
Materials
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a film you really love
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pen and paper
Instructions
1. Pick a film you love and have seen a few times before. Watch the movie and pay attention to the details, particularly the setting.
2. Once you finish watching the film, pick your favourite scene. Rewatch it and write down the dialogue, what the characters do and the location.
3. Now, you can rewrite the script as if it were taking place in Hong Kong! What would change about the setting? Make sure to write where in the city this scene would take place. Try to add some Hong Kong-specific moments. Perhaps an angry character storms away and hops on the tram. Or maybe the characters head to a dai pai dong to chat.
4. Once you have rewritten the setting and dialogue, compare your scene to the one in the movie. You could even recruit a friend or sibling to act it out!
Understanding characters in your favourite show
Materials
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pen
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paper
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an age-appropriate show that you like to watch
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a family member to watch the show with
Instructions
1. Watch an episode of a TV show with real people (not a cartoon) with a family member. Ideally, choose a show set somewhere outside of Hong Kong.
2. Pick a few key characters to focus on as you watch. Think about their background and identity. We’ve included some questions to think about below:
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What country is the character from?
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How old are they?
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What is their gender?
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Do they come from a wealthy background?
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Do they have any disabilities?
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What kind of family do they have?
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Are they a good person or a villain in the show?
You might only be able to answer some of them, depending on the show and character, but they can get you thinking about a character’s identity and how it plays a role in the show.
3. Once you finish the episode, discuss the characters’ identities with your family member. What sort of things did they pick up on? Did you have a different understanding of how this character’s identity is portrayed in the show?
