Book People Archive

Filipino Film Industry

I know this is currently off-topic, but I like to have
the last word in things...

A few weeks ago, we were having a rather animated
discussion about globalization and its effects on
local culture. I was arguing againt a treaty that, I
felt, would inhibit cross-cultural transfers and
knowledge. While I understood the concerns of many
about "Americanization" I was still more in favor of
"A World Connected"

David Starner made the point that trade liberalization
had "killed" the once vibrant Filipino Movie Industry.
However, at least 2 Filipino journalist see the issue
some what differently, arguing that the movies content
didn't appeal to a broad enough stratum of Filipino
society, that they were un innovative, and were
inhibited by govt over-regulation. Under THOSE
circumstances, it could not compete with the foreign
products.

http://www.newsflash.org/2004/02/tl/tl012522.htm
http://www.philnews.com/2005/wa.html


I know that this conversation was a long time ago, but
it had just been bugging me lately.

One way or another, we are coming into a more
culturally globalized worlds, and I for one, think
these exchanges are beneficial. After all, most of the
major Hollywood franchises in the past few years could
not have happened with out large British, Aussie,
Kiwi, and Canuck input. The first phase of this new
movement toward cultural cosmopolitanism seems to be
to bring the countries speaking the same language
closer together.

The advent of mass book digitalizations has an obvious
positive effect on this movement. Pretty soon, almost
every important English language book will be on-line,
and that will mostly be appreciated by folks in the
Anglo-shpere.