Cultures and Psychology APS IG Newsletter - APS Member Groups

Cultures and Psychology APS IG Newsletter
April
2012
Our next newsletter will focus on the “issues related to the assessment of CALD
clients”. We intend to prepare some articles and tip sheets on this topic. You can
submit for the next newsletter, your dilemmas, ideas and tips associated with
“assessment of a CALD client.
Finally, Dr. Johnson, who has been on the committee, is returning home to the
USA. The committee thanks him for his contribution and wishes him well in his
future career and life.
Regards, Nigar G. Khawaja.
THREE VANACANCIES ON THE COMMITTEE
Please join the committee
Members from Qld, Vic and WA are particularly requested to consider joining
the committee (email n.kahawaja@qut.edu.au)
By Nigar G. Khawaja
Film review: Live and Become
“Live and Become” is a French film with subtitles. It is directed by Radu
Mihaileanu. The film portrays the childhood and the adulthood of Sholomo, a
young Ethiopian boy, who has fled Ethiopia due to famine and unrest. He is
stationed at a Sudanese camp along with his mother. The camp also has many
Ethiopian Jews, who are airlifted to Israel as part of “Operation Moses”.
Sholomo’s mother pushes him to leave with other Jews, as a Jewish boy, when
in reality he is a Christian. It shows the dilemmas of parents, who push their
children to flee and also reveals the pain of the minors, who are in another
country without any family. The film depicts the boy’s pain of being separated
from his mother and his culture. The boy is adopted by a family in Telaviv. It
also reveals his interactions with the Jewish faith and Western society. The boy
faces cultural shock and internal turmoil over letting go of his own beliefs and
practices and adopting the new ways of life. He is torn between identities. The
locals also find it difficult to accept a black Jew. He finds it very hard to
develop a sense of belonging. The film also has themes of prejudice, religious
intolerance, and sense of self and the complex realities of immigrant experience.
Moreover, the harsh reality of refugee experience is presented in a very
effective manner. The film has won many awards and is a must for all those
who are interested in the theme of acculturation stress, migration, refugees, and
identity crises. It is also useful for academics and trainers who cover culture
related courses and topics.
I have given the film 5 stars.
Culture and Psychology APS IG Newsletter July 2011 Page 2