East Is East Movie

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ESSAY ON EAST IS EAST “Searching for an Identity” East is East is a film produced by Director Damien O’Donell and based in Ayub Khan-Din’s book with the same name. The movie is settled in Salford, a town close to Manchester at the beginning of the 1970’s. The film is about the Khan family. This family consists of George Khan, a Pakistani raised man who came to the U.K. searching for safety after India declaring war to Pakistan. Mr. Khan had already married a Pakistani woman and raised a family; but they were reluctant to travel to Britain. Once in England, Khan re-married to a British born woman, Ella, with whom he got 7 children, six boys and one girl. Nazir, Abdul, Tariq, Maneer, Saleem, Sajid and Meenah respectively. The story focuses mainly on Khan’s children, who are overwhelmed and concerned with their identity in a mixed race household with two parents with a very strong vision of themselves. On one hand George Khan is an abusive, cult centered man who wants to impose Pakistani traditions, language and religion in a mixed race family. He wants his children to be accepted by the Muslim community and to live by its rules and customs. On the other hand, Ella is a catholic British woman who has accepted his husband’s culture. Even though she has agreed get marry with him, she is still a Catholic and has influenced her children with her ideas. While George is traditionalist, we can see that Ella is more liberal and open minded. The film considered the struggle suffered by their children while trying to create their own sense of identity. In the first place, the ideas of religion are present. Are they Muslim or Catholic? At the beginning of the movie we can see Khan’s children in a Catholic parade, carrying banners and even a statue of Virgin Mary. When they notice they may be caught up by their father, they run and hide for him not to notice what

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