Belonging is an inherited element, which can be both intrinsic and extrinsic. Belonging consists a complex of key aspects including notion of identity, which allows one to explore who they are and where they belong. The perception of belonging can be shaped within cultural and social context, as a person’s social and cultural identity can create barriers in achieving a sense of belonging.
The concept of belonging can be exposed through my two texts ‘in the eye of the beautiful boxer’ and ‘once were warriors’. Both texts convey the notion of belonging in different ways. The beautiful boxer is based on a true story depicting the life of Nong Toom, a transsexual thai boxer who embarks a road of self discovery as he challenges the social conformities and the stereotypical boxer. He soon realizes his true identity that contributes to his individual belonging. This could be evident in the scene when Toom started to box with lipstick and performed traditional female dancing before his fights. The composer used juxtaposition to contrast the femine side of Toom with his boxing side, which shows how in his physical state, he is a boxer but in his emotional state he is a woman. By doing so, the composer conveys the notion of challenging stereotypes by presenting Toom as a transvestite boxer. This had allowed him to recognize his true identity as a woman and fulfilled his belonging within himself, which was developed through defying the social conformities.
By turning to his femine side and expressing his individuality he found himself rejected from society, as he does not conform to social expectations of a stereotypical boxer. This is evident when Toom finds himself alienated, as the crowd believes that he had degraded the sport through his presentation of female qualities. The film represents this through a visual hallucination of him being a woman. The combination of first person perspective and muted music of toom dancing, expresses his internal conflict due to...