Week 1: Pacific Arts Blog

Hey guys,

So for my class I am required to have a weekly blog post about my experiences during my time volunteering at the San Diego Film Festival hosted by the Pacific Arts Movement. The event happens for the next five weeks so bear with me until then. 

Exactly one hundred years ago, here in San Diego, the California Panama Exhibition opened for the very first time in Balboa Park. The exhibition then was run by Americans (whites) and people of color were used as attraction. Many foreign races were brought to the fair in all their primitive glory for other Anglo-Saxons to see. This display of "lesser" people, only confirmed that what the Anglo-Saxons were doing, i.e. conquests of these nations, was the right thing to do. To them, a hundred years ago, it was their moral duty to bring civilization to these cultures that would otherwise have been left savage. Back then, the fair was an incredibly self-righteous and narcissistic way of patting themselves on the back and confirming for themselves that whites were indeed greater than other races and that it was their duty to conquer and bring civilization to lesser nations.

This year marks the centennial of Balboa Park and during its celebration, ethnic American media programs are going to be curated for an international film festival for all to see. My involvement in this grand event bears a striking contrast to this event had it been run a hundred years ago. If I was around back then, I'd have likely been part of the many attractions created for the event. Now, a hundred years later, it is both remarkable and ironic that a festival once celebrating white supremacy is now a place where non-Americans get to share films that they have made to tell their own stories and not have others tell it for them.

Initially, I didn't realize how much of a big deal this was, as I was born into a culturally and ethnically tolerant time (at least relatively speaking). It was when I had learned about the history of the World Fairs throughout American history, that I could come to appreciate the significance of my role in this centennial celebration.

As the weeks progress, I am very excited to be a part of this historic moment, and having screened a few of the films that were submitted for viewing, I can say that I am very interested to see the myriads of genres and stories I will come across. For those of you in the Southern California Area, feel free to join the free event held every Thursday Evening until the end of July at the organ Pavilion at Balboa Park.

For more information about Pacific Arts Movement:  Click here
For more information about Culture, Art, and Technology at UCSD: Click here