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Aug 9, 2012

<i>Meishi Street</i> Reviewed in Senses of Cinema

In the online journal Senses of Cinema, Luke Robinson reviews the documentary Meishi Street (directed by Ou Ning) which will screen this weekend at the Melbourne International Film Festival, as part of “Street Level Visions“, a series of contemporary Chinese independent documentaries. Meishi Street shows ordinary Beijing citizens taking a stand against the planned destruction of their homes for the 2008 Olympics. An excerpt from Robinson’s review: An independent commission f

Shelly on Film: Fall Festival Report, Part One: Keeping Independence in Beijing

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Dec 5, 2011

Shelly on Film: Fall Festival Report, Part One: Keeping Independence in Beijing

By Shelly Kraicer Just having a party: This year's Beijing International Film Festival had to take a more casual tone. (photo: ArtInfo) I’m often asked how it is that I keep track of new Chinese independent films. One answer: just be in China for a few weeks in October and November. The film festival season here is packed right now. Two major indie film festivals have just concluded: the 6th Beijing Independent Film Festival (BIFF, in the Beijing exurb of Songzhuang) and the

A Review of <i>Beijing Besieged By Waste</i>, Screening Saturday at Asia Society

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Oct 28, 2011

A Review of <i>Beijing Besieged By Waste</i>, Screening Saturday at Asia Society

By Isabella Tianzi Cai Police inspect illegal cooking oil, better known as 'drainage oil', seized during a crackdown in Beijing (Photo: AFP/GETTY) Part of the documentary film series Visions of a New China at the Asia Society Beijing Besieged by Waste Dir. WANG Jiuliang 2011. China. 72 min. Digibeta. English subtitles. October 29, 2011 – 3:00pm – 4:20pm New York 725 Park Avenue, New York, NY $7 members; $9 students/seniors; $11 nonmembers (Series discount available. Clic

Beijing New Youth Film Festival sets stage for young directors

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Oct 19, 2011

Beijing New Youth Film Festival sets stage for young directors

By Genevieve Carmel Participating filmmakers at the 2nd Annual Beijing New Youth Film Festival (photo: Genevieve Carmel) The 2nd annual Beijing New Youth Film Festival was held from September 9-18. Organized by the Trainspotting Culture Salon, this young festival makes space for new directors to showcase their work, connect with more experienced filmmakers, and receive feedback from peers and critics. Screenings and discussions were held at CNEX, Trainspotting, and the Wenjin

Ai Weiwei on Beijing, a “Nightmare” of a City

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Sep 8, 2011

Ai Weiwei on Beijing, a “Nightmare” of a City

By Isabella Tianzi Cai The Olympic Stadium in Beijing, designed by Ai Weiwei in the city he now calls "a nightmare" In his essay posted on The Daily Beast on August 28, 2010, artist Ai Weiwei rants about Beijing being a nightmarish city for anyone to live in. He says that the rapid economic progress of China has ironically made its capital unrecognizable and its people identity-less, and the country’s political rigidity has only worsened these problems. In a depressing overvi

History in Progress, with Gaps: The National Museum of China, Part Two

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Aug 3, 2011

History in Progress, with Gaps: The National Museum of China, Part Two

By Shelly Kraicer Visitors seem dazzled by the might of painterly propaganda in the "90th anniversary of the CCP" painting exhibit. A major function of the National Museum of China is its definition and display of Chinese history under the Party. This section, somewhat romantically entitled “The Road of Rejuvenation” takes up a major part of NMC’s northern section. I walked through it all, from the Opium War to “China in Space.” Inside the Grand Hall. If it looks like an eleg

Heavenly Culture, with Product Placement: A Tour of the National Museum of China, Part One

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Aug 2, 2011

Heavenly Culture, with Product Placement: A Tour of the National Museum of China, Part One

By Shelly Kraicer The gallery of Ancient Chinese art in the National Museum of China may be the new highlight of anyone's visit to Beijing. Beijing’s new National Museum of China opened in March 2011. It’s been steadily expanding inside since, opening more and more galleries to the public. Recently, the galleries of ancient art were finally opened, so I decided it was time to make a thorough visit (I’d been once before in early May just to take a look at the building) and see

Beijing Demolition for Subway Sprawl Provokes Resistance

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Jul 26, 2011

Beijing Demolition for Subway Sprawl Provokes Resistance

By Kevin B. Lee Demolition Dominates the Residents of Beijing in "Meishi Street" In China Beat, Jared Hall reports on the spate of public protests that have been prevalent throughout the expansion of the Beijing subway system. Hall focuses on the story of Wang Shibo, whose family shop was slated for demolition to make way for a subway station, at the risk of ruining the family financially: According to Wang, the family invested practically everything they had to renovate the

Shelly on Film: Beijing’s First Official Film Festival

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Jun 14, 2011

Shelly on Film: Beijing’s First Official Film Festival

By Shelly Kraicer I previously wrote here about the cancellation of the 2011 Beijing Independent Documentary Film Festival (DOChina) at Songzhuang. As a companion piece, let’s take a look at the other important film event scheduled for roughly the same time in Beijing, the First Beijing International Film Festival (Di yi jie Beijing guoji dianying ji), which took place from April 23 to 28, 2011. The BJIFF Opening Gala was more than spectacular, as far as these things go. An o

Beijing Independent Documentary Festival Cancelled

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Apr 21, 2011

Beijing Independent Documentary Festival Cancelled

Jonathan Landreth reports for the Hollywood Reporter: BEIJING – Organizers of a long-standing Chinese independent documentary film festival pulled the plug on their own May 1-7 event a day after the state-run First Beijing International Film Festival announced a documentary section, local media reported Wednesday. Organizers of the Eighth Documentary Film Festival China in the Beijing suburb of Tongzhou surprised participants by canceling the event that for seven years has be

CinemaTalk: Conversation with Ying Liang at the Beijing Apple Store

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Nov 16, 2010

CinemaTalk: Conversation with Ying Liang at the Beijing Apple Store

Director Ying Liang Director Ying Liang was interviewed at the Apple Store Sanlitun Beijing, as part of the “Meet the Filmmakers” series, co-presented by the Apple Store in Beijing and dGenerate Films, an ongoing series to showcase China’s newest filmmakers powered by digital technology. Ying Liang graduated from the Department of Directing at the Chongqing Film Academy and Beijing Normal University. He directed his first feature film,Taking Father Home (2005), which won awar

Zhao LiangâˆšÂ¢â€šÃ‡Â¨â€šÃ‘Â¢s Beijing Landscape Exhibition, now through December 7

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Nov 15, 2010

Zhao LiangâˆšÂ¢â€šÃ‡Â¨â€šÃ‘Â¢s Beijing Landscape Exhibition, now through December 7

Poster for Beijing Landscape exhibition (click to englarge) By Sara Beretta In depicting the instability of China’s social environment, the work of Zhao Liang is a wake-up call to audiences. Zhao reflects his perspective through a range of visual approaches – photography, video and documentary – offering a valuable space for self-reflection and awareness. His gaze is elegant and artistic, gently detached yet sharply observant in picturing daily contradictions and human traged

Olympic Artist Ai Weiwei the Latest in China’s Long List of Evictees

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Nov 8, 2010

Olympic Artist Ai Weiwei the Latest in China’s Long List of Evictees

Artist Ai Weiwei (source: Archinect) By Isabella Tianzi Cai Chinese architect and artist Ai Weiwei, designer of the famous “Bird’s Nest” Olympic Stadium in Beijing, and whose current “Sunflower Seeds” exhibition is receiving critical acclaim in the Tate Modern Gallery in London, now faces the demolition of his Shanghai art studio demolished later this month. According to the Chinese government, Ai’s studio was erected illegally and had to be removed by law. But according to t

Zhou Hao Interviewed – Films screening at UCCA Beijing

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Oct 29, 2010

Zhou Hao Interviewed – Films screening at UCCA Beijing

Using (dir. Zhou Hao) Chris Hawke profiles documentary filmmaker Zhou Hao in the Global Times. In the past, Zhou’s probing work has screened on CCTV and other Chinese mainstream broadcast outlets, but his three most recent documentaries “on drug users, policemen, and a cadre accused of corruption” have been off-limits as of yet. Zhou maintains that his purpose in filmmaking is not politically motivated: “My films have no political purpose. I observe people, I don’t judge them

MEET THE FILMMAKERS: Yang Jin at Apple Store Xidan Joy City, Beijing – November 2

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Oct 27, 2010

MEET THE FILMMAKERS: Yang Jin at Apple Store Xidan Joy City, Beijing – November 2

Film Director Yang Jin dGenerate Films and the Apple Store in Beijing continue their ongoing series showcasing China’s newest filmmakers powered by digital technology. Next Tuesday, November 2, acclaimed digital filmmaker Yang Jin will show clips from his films and discuss his creative process. Yang Jin’s talk is part of the series “Meet the Filmmakers,” a collaboration between the Apple Store in Beijing and dGenerate Films. Digital tools, from digital video cameras to editin

Documentaries by Zhou Hao screening at UCCA Beijing

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Oct 25, 2010

Documentaries by Zhou Hao screening at UCCA Beijing

Using (dir. Zhou Hao) A former Xinhua News Agency and Southern Weekly photographer, Zhou Hao began making independent films in 2002. Among his perceptive and socially-conscious documentaries are Houjie Township (2003), about migrant workers in a Chinese export-processing zone; Senior Year (2005), about high school students preparing for the gaokao, college entrance exams; Using (2008), about a couple struggling with heroin addiction; The Transition Period (2009), about an out

Karin Chien to speak at Movie Art China in Beijing

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Oct 17, 2010

Karin Chien to speak at Movie Art China in Beijing

Karin Chien, President of dGenerate Films Movie Art China at Sanlitun SOHO is the first event of its kind in China with thousands of original vintage China-related movie posters from around the world on show and available to buy. The event will look into the enduring appeal of China in the movies from both a Chinese and foreign perspective. As part of the event, Movie Art China will run a series of talks and screenings, presented by some of China’s leading film experts. 5:00p

Lineup for the Fifth Beijing Independent Film Festival

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Oct 4, 2010

Lineup for the Fifth Beijing Independent Film Festival

By Isabella Tianzi Cai The 5th Beijing Film Festival is taking place from October 1 to 7 this year. It is organized by the Li Xianting Film Fund. The event will take place at Songzhuang Art Center in the outskirts of Beijing. A full list of filmmakers and films screening in their respective categories follows after the break. Feature, Fiction Lim Kahwai: After All These Years Gao Wendong: Ant City Simon Chung: End of Love Hu Lifuzzzz: Happy to Death Zhao Dayong: The High

Defending Culture and Democracy in Chinese Independent Documentaries

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Aug 30, 2010

Defending Culture and Democracy in Chinese Independent Documentaries

By Isabella Tianzi Cai In the article, Teng gives a comprehensive overview of the civic documentary movement in China for the past few decades. While the facts are impressive in both volume and numbers, the ideas aren’t all new to us. He writes, Information monopoly is designed to benefit those in power, while Citizens Documentary can eliminate the cover-ups in certain extent. Only a few documentaries can already make the dictatorship pay a huge price. One can imagine that wi

Shelly on Film: Bumping against Boundaries in Chinese Film Culture

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Jul 21, 2010

Shelly on Film: Bumping against Boundaries in Chinese Film Culture

Thomas Mao (dir. Zhu Wen) By Shelly Kraicer During a recent interview with an independent Chinese journalist, I was somewhat taken aback, but also quite amused by her rather pointed question to me: “In an online discussion of an article you wrote recently, some [anonymous] commenter was skeptical that Westerners could be so interested in debating Chinese movies and ideology, when in fact it has nothing to do with them. What do you think?” What could I think? I remember readi

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