Pearls of the East: Contemporary Chinese Cinema
In the post-1990 era, Chinese cinema has seen a return of the amateur filmmaker. Restrictions after the Tiananmen square demonstrations have produced an edgy underground film movement loosely referred to as the Sixth Generation. Lacking in state funding and backing, these films were shot often quickly and inexpensively, using materials like 16mm film and or digital video with mostly non-professional actors and actresses. Set broadly across genres, these offerings are representative of both urban and rural life, vividly depicting the diversity of perspectives that comprise contemporary Chinese society. These selected films deal with an array of political, social, economic, and historical issues that are extremely important in China today.
Tape (Jiao Dai)
dir. Li Ning. China, 2010, video, 168 mins, Mandarin w/English subtitles
Performance artist Li Ning turns his life into art in this epic work of experimental documentary. For five grueling years, Li Ning documented his struggle to achieve success as an avant-garde artist while contending with the pressures of modern life in China. He is caught between two families: his wife, son and mother, whom he can barely support; and his enthusiastic but disorganized guerilla dance troupe. Li’s chaotic life becomes inseparable from the act of taping it, as if his experiences can only make sense on screen.
“A riveting portrait of an artist’s attempts at expression and conflicts with societal norms.” – Museum of Modern Art
IHP’s Pearls of the East series is supported in part through the generous contributions of the following companies and organizations:
