Volume 1, Issue 6 / September 1997

Mainly Asian

This “mainly Asian” issue features a potpourri of essays on Indian cinema, Iranian cinema, the cinema of Central Asia, and a report on the Asian Cinema Studies Association gathering. The single non-Asian essay is a fascinating close textual analysis of the cinema of Martin Scorsese by Andre Caron.

1) The Last Temptation of Travis Bickle
Andre Caron, – 03-09-97

Winner of the Palme d’Or at the 1976 Cannes Film Festival, the film celebrated its twentieth anniversary last year and remains as powerful and disturbing as ever, particularly in regard to the ambiguous ending in which psychopath taxi driver Travis

2) asian-hot
Donato Totaro , – 17-09-97

There is no doubt about it, Asian cinema is hot, hotter and hottest on the International film circuit. Montreal, always on the vanguard where foreign film is concerned, has caught the bug.

3) Asian Cinema Studies Society
Donato Totaro , – 17-09-97
The (ACSS) Asian Cinema Studies Society held its fifth biennial Conference for the first time ever in Canada. The result was a hotbed of wide-ranging activities and academic pursuits from scholars across the world.

4) India x 2
Donato Totaro , – 17-09-97
The two great pillars of Indian cinema, Satyajit Ray and Ritwik Ghatak, made remarkable, though considerably different, films in 1958: The Music Room and Ajantrik.

5) Asian Potpourri
Donato Totaro 17-09-97
Review of eight Iranian and Central Asian films.