Asian CineVision presents Films from Contemporary China
Friday, 05/09/2008, 6:30–8:30pm
Rapid and irreversible change is the constant reality that China faces up to now. Whether preserving Shangri-la or exploring the “village-amid-the-city” phenomenon in Guangzhou, this program of five short films – featuring the latest works of Jia Zhang-ke and Guo Xiaolu – strive to make sense of the changes and capture pieces of history that are being eroded away fast.
TEN YEARS (WO MEN DE SHI NIAN)
Director/Writer: Jia Zhang-ke
Cast: Zhao Tao, Tian Yuan, Liang Jing Dong
2007 | 8 mins | Video | Color | Narrative | Mandarin w/ES
A woman and a photographer see each other on a train year after year as it passes through cities and fields. The two women never converse, yet their virtually wordless bond expresses a world of emotions.
A HOUSE ON A PLAIN
Director: Li Qiang
2006 | 18 mins | Video | Color | Documentary | Chinese w/ES
Lao Li is the last farmer left in Fangshan in the Jiangsu Province. As the rural landscape literally shrinks, Lao Li and his wife struggle to maintain their livelihood in this moving and lyrical documentary.
ADDRESS UNKNOWN
Director/Writer: Guo Xiaolu
2006 | 10 mins | Video | Color | Experimental | Mandarin w/ES
From an apartment in Beijing, a woman writes postcards to a man in London. We do not see the woman or the man, only everyday scenes of Beijing that the camera fixes on with a sense of melancholy and longing.
GUARDING SHANGRI-LA
Directors: An Tongqing, Li Xiaoming, Xie Qin
2005 | 35mins | Video | Color | Documentary | Chinese w/ES
The legendary Shangri-la is situated in Jinjiang in the Yunnan Province, where the most spectacular site is the Tiger Leap Gorge. The gorge area, however, is about to be transformed by a new dam. The villagers decide to oppose the planned changes and seek to express their concerns.
SAN YUAN LI
Directors: Cao Fei, Ou Ning
2003 | 45 mins | Video | Color | Experimental Documentary | Chinese w/ES
Commissioned by the 50th Venice Biennale, this cine-poem explores the “village-amid-the-city” phenomenon of San Yuan Li, or "triple prime back lane," in the rapidly urbanizing city of Guangzhou. The filmmakers penetrate the village as a kind of “city flâneurs,” capturing the architecture and tension brought on by the changes.
Organized by: Center for Architecture
Curated by: Asian CineVision, Inc. Co-sponsored by REEL China and dGenerate Films
Sponsored by: Patron: Digital Plus
Supporters:Beyer Blinder Belle: Architects & Planners; EDAW ; Jerome and Kenneth Lipper Foundation
Friend:Bartco Lighting; Häfele; Ibex Construction; Let There Be Neon; Calvin Tsao
Location: Center for Architecture, 536 LaGuardia Place (Directions)
Price: Free
Telephone: 212.358.6121
• Show all events for Friday, 05/09/2008
• Return to calendar
• Submit your own calendar event