The Multicultural Nation in New Zealand Cinema

This book is about representation and the importance
of visibility and inclusivity in the stories we tell
each other about ourselves. It is therefore also
about power and local access to the means of
representation in an increasingly globalised world.
This book uses one film, "Broken English" (1996), as
a case study to explore in depth 'where New Zealand
is at' as a nation. This choice is based on the
proposition that this feature film at the time
presented a significant 'break' in New Zealand
cinema: where feature films before 'imagined' New
Zealand overwhelmingly in either monocultural or
bicultural terms, this film specifically and
deliberately provided a multicultural perspective.
By analysing this particular film on different
levels and from many different angles, this book
works through issues of national identity, by using
concepts like ethnicity, race and diaspora. Through
interviews with key people and a series of focus
groups, the book explores where policy makers, film
makers and viewers from a variety of ethnic
backgrounds situate themselves and others within
contemporary Aotearoa/ New Zealand.

Autorentext

Henk Huijser, PhD: Lecturer (Learning and Teaching Support Unit)
and Researcher (Public Memory Research Centre) at the University
of Southern Queensland, Australia.

Klappentext

This book is about representation and the importance
of visibility and inclusivity in the stories we tell
each other about ourselves. It is therefore also
about power and local access to the means of
representation in an increasingly globalised world.
This book uses one film, "Broken English" (1996), as
a case study to explore in depth 'where New Zealand
is at' as a nation. This choice is based on the
proposition that this feature film at the time
presented a significant 'break' in New Zealand
cinema: where feature films before 'imagined' New
Zealand overwhelmingly in either monocultural or
bicultural terms, this film specifically and
deliberately provided a multicultural perspective.
By analysing this particular film on different
levels and from many different angles, this book
works through issues of national identity, by using
concepts like ethnicity, race and diaspora. Through
interviews with key people and a series of focus
groups, the book explores where policy makers, film
makers and viewers from a variety of ethnic
backgrounds situate themselves and others within
contemporary Aotearoa/ New Zealand.