Up the Yangtze

Documentary filmmaker Yung Chang followed one family, and one daughter specifically, as their lives flow, literally, with the Yangtze River. The Three Gorges Dam has been a highly controversial endeavor, as its construction and changing of the river’s flow can uprooted millions of people living along its edge. Visit the official web site for the documentary, where you can learn more about the Three Gorges Dam, the Yangtze River and its history and relation to Chinese civilization, and Cindy Yu Shui and her family. The movie has been released on DVD; rent it on Netflix or find it for sale on Amazon.

Outsourced

The 2008 John Jeffcoat film Outsourced is a wonderful collection of elements of modern-day India. After a young American businessman is informed that his job is being outsourced, he must aid his own doom by training the man who will replace him for much less money. Shipped over the India, he at first is annoyed and alienated, but learns the nuances of Indian life– against the backdrop of stunning colors and customs that exist there. He flirts with love, and winds up making some big waves in more lives than his own, for better or worse. Great music, too. Netflix recommended it to me, and it is a spot-on story and quirky well-made film.