June 6, 2009
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Room For Debate
Let’s keep it short this week:
In film, is it a good thing to have minority representation even if the portrayal is possibly offensive or plays on stereotypes? Is it worth it to have diversity at the expense of accuracy? How would you feel if you were an actor/actress playing such a character? One example is the Indian janitor in The Terminal. His character's back story hints at corruption in the Indian police force. I don't know if there is widespread corruption or this was the case of one individual, but the emotional context of Gupta Rajan's (the character) story informs my knowledge of India from that point on. To this end, do filmmakers have a responsibility for making sure what they present is in line with reality -- creative license and all?
Comments (2)
I think accurate representations are more important than diversity for the sake of diversity, because inaccurate representations will lend themselves to prejudice, stereotyping, etc.
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