----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>Ulf Dalquist <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
>> This is an***international*** discussion list. [...] the tremendous US
>>ethnocentricism makes me sick from time to time.
>
>No doubt most of us North American Screen-L subscribers are guilty
>of 'ethnocentrism' and so, for that matter, are most of the Northern
>European Screen-L subscribers guilty of eurocentrism (at least).
>
>That's the nature of the industry and the academic establishments
>that purport to analyze said industry. Maybe its just human nature.
>
>I think you meant to accuse us of cultural imperialism and jingoism.
>Guilty, guilty, guilty.
>
>Howse about youse euro-guys puttin-on some posts fer our edyfication
>every now an agin. Huh?
 
>David Smith
>[log in to unmask]
===================================
'taint funny.
>Howse about youse euro-guys puttin-on some posts fer our edyfication every
>now an agin. Huh?....
... is a cop-out and passes the buck....
 
And it absolutely wrong to say that
>most of the Northern European Screen-L subscribers guilty of eurocentrism
>(at least).
 
The consciousness  of cinema in Europe is light years ahead of that in the USA.
The Brits, the Scots, the Irish, the Welsh, the French, the Italinas, the
Greeks, the Czechs, the Poles, the Spaniards, the Portuguese, the Belgians,
tghe Dutch, the Swiss, the Swedes, the Nowegians, the Finns, the Danes, the
Luxembourgois,the Austrians, the Germans, the former Yugoslavians, the
Bulgarians,the Cypriots, the Hungarians (am I missing someone? The
Albanians perhaps? the Maltese? The Slovaks? or the Turks of Ankara and
Constantinople)
....are very strong (at least in circles equivalent to ours) in American
cinema, while we are near-zero on non-American cinemas.
 
In Madrid, London, Paris, Barcelona, Geneva, Athens, Brussels, etc.
(speaking from first-hand knowledge) there is a wealth of films from around
the world.
 
Esp.in Paris, between the Cinematheque Francaise and Beaubourg, and the
hundreds of cinemas (some showing over 12 titles a week), world cinema is a
permanent feast. And in the French film magazines, every nation is
discussed. Not just the films of Tarantino and "Forrest Gump."
 
There seems to be a wonderful amount of film movement in New York City. But
that's a rarity I think. The other day, I took a bunch of Village Voices to
my film class and told the students:"The Voice has an amazing coverage of
films from all over, plus experimental, independent, special films. It is
stupendous. Take those issues home, look them over, don't return them."
 
They picked up (not all) one apiece, when they could have taken 2-3.And
they didn't seem particularly curious.
 
 
 
Edwin Jahiel, Cinema Studies, University of Illinois
 
 
" Le mauvais gout mene au crime" (Stendhal)