itself - on a good day - on multiculturalism

It's a bit unfair, perhaps, to use the word diaspora in the title of this article.


A diaspora, after all, is technically a group migration. More particularly, it is often used to describe a particular ethnic group's expulsion from a land.


We use it here less specifically to refer to a group living in a country other than that which they would consider their 'homeland' or even to describe those who are two or three generations from a migration but still feel pangs of pseudo-nostalgia or, more charitably, participate in their diaspora's culture.


In the UK, a country that prides itself - on a good day - on multiculturalism, diaspora groups are generally loud and proud.


Asia


The Indian, Bangladeshi and Pakistani community has, in particular, left a huge mark on the collective UK imagination and they are of particular interest to this article since they bring with them a love of Bollywood film.


By leaving out other Indian film cultures at this point the aim is not to exclude but rather to acknowledge the sheer size of the Bollywood industry and its consequent influence on Asian diaspora around the world, sometimes an influence that will propel a movie to profit even though it's not so popular in its country of origin.


In any case, as a result of the popularity of these productions they are extremely accessible to the diaspora through UK DVD rental sites.


Poland


For other, smaller, groups the films of a particular place and time can be harder to come by.


For example, the Polish community is now massive in the UK as a result of a relaxation in EU laws about travelling between countries, making it easier for Poles to work in the UK, and as a result of a baby boom in the eighties, when Poland was under martial law.


Even so, the UK's largest site - lovefilm - only has thirty six Polish language films.


For this reason, members of smaller diaspora - though they may find it easier to find films through online DVD rental as compared with other methods - should test out several services before settling to find the best selection.


Some sites are better than others and many specialize in certain countries, picking up slack where others have left it.


Unfortunately, also, world films tend to be available only on DVD and not available for blu ray rental.


All in all, groups that are far from their homelands tend to find it again in the cinema. For this purpose, online DVD rental is perfect.