Hong Kong-made film “Ip Man” is loosely based on the life of Yip Man, Bruce Lee’s legendary martial arts teacher. Although most of the events of the movie are completely fictional, we see Ip Man fulfilling a father role that would fit the ideal archetype in Western culture; heroic, brave, slightly mysterious.

To me this is an example of Asian pop culture paralleling American pop culture in regards to the father figure in media. Ip is humble, strong, quiet, and at first he tries to avoid conflict until his family is threatened, which in turn causes him to unleash a sort of righteous vengeance on the vilified Japanese Army. In American movies the vengeful father is sometimes portrayed as “macho” and tough like John McClane in “Die Hard” but in other movies like “Taken,” directed by Pierre Morel, the father seems more reserved and humble and is just trying to do what’s best for his family.

My own father fits the ladder type, he’s gentle and kind at heart but would defend his family selflessly and ferociously if he had to. This is a way that I grew up relating to this popular Chinese film and others like it, even though I was reading subtitles; I could see my own father in Ip’s decisions and demeanor in a way that transcended race and cultural boundaries.  For me that ability to relate cross-culturally becomes of similar characters and themes is what brings the people of the world closer together.