|
Japanese and Chinese Language Programs |
| CHINESE FEATURE FILMS: | ||||
|
At Middle Age |
China: The Dragon's Ascent (Series): A Day on the Grand Canal with the Emperor of China |
|||
Dramas:At Middle Age Lu Wenting, a middle-aged female eye doctor, is stressed. Once her days were filled with romantic moonlit walks with her husband, but now kids, work, and the daily business of life leaves her with no time to relax. The madness is interrupted when, after doing three operations in one day, she suffers from a myocardial infarction and is hospitalized. She awakes hopeful with her husband at her side and the road before her uncertain. A Beautiful New World It is a story of a countryman Bow Gun and his rude introduction to city life in Shanghai . He arrives at Shanghai to claim his prize, an apartment, but discovers that he must wait a year and a half for the apartment to be built. Surrounded by cast of characters including his scheming aunt Jin Fang, the gritty subway musician Ah Liang, the beautiful lady Ah Hai and her boyfriend Xiao Bai, Bao Gun must make a go at life in the big city. Beautiful Courtesan Du Shiniang sacrifices everything to be with her lover, Li Jia, but his father is less than thrilled. When Sun Fu, who has designs on acquiring Du for himself, learns of this, he persuades an already waffling Li Jia to sell Du. Outraged at the selfishness of both men, Du throws her gems, one by one, into a river, and then jumps in herself, thereby taking control of her own destiny. Stars award winning actress Pan Hong. The Blue Kite Banned in China, where the director was under close government scrutiny for making the film “without permission”, The Blue Kite is one of the most acclaimed and controversial of all of the films to come out of the new Chinese cinema. Told from the perspective of a young boy, Tietou, it traces the fate of a Beijing family and their neighbors as they experience the political and social upheavals in 1950’s and 60’s China. Tietou’s parents, a librarian and school teacher, both loyal Communist party members, soon learn that even the most innocent criticisms can be interpreted by the Party as imperialist propaganda. Over the next fifteen years, Tietou observes the adverse effects of party policy on various members of his family. The only image of hope and freedom offered in the film is a blue kite given to Tietou by his father, which he later passes on to the next generation. Country Teachers A young woman… seeking a better life in rural Mainland China, must
take a job as a Country Teacher where without tax income, education funding
is not guaranteed, nor is the pay. At a time, not so long age, when government
sponsored Chinese higher education and the State University Admissions
exams were the best hope for rural area boys and girls to overcome poverty,
she must learn with her three colleagues, the hope for only one endorsement…
the struggle to become a Certified Teacher, a federal government employee
with guaranteed salary, a pension and even medical benefits. Here then
is the sensitive story of life in a country village, for its children
and elders, and their relationship with the country as a whole…
a seductive tale that leads you into thinking you're about to watch a
situation in Chinese education created by poverty, only to wind up understanding
the universal nature of the problems and ideals that educators face all
over the world. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon Two master warriors are faced with their greatest challenge when the treasured Green Destiny sword is stolen. A young aristocrat prepares for an arranged marriage, but soon reveals her superior fighting talents and her deeply romanti past. As each warrior battles for justice, they come face to face with their worst enemy—and the inescapable, enduring power of love. Set against 19th-century China’s breathtaking landscape, this was an action-packed, box office smash hit in the U.S. Crows & Sparrows The most renowned of China 's social commentary
films of the 1940s, Crows and Sparrows is hailed by film historian Jay
Leyda as "a milestone in Chinese film history." Capping the
richly creative period of pre-revolutionary Chinese cinema, the film is
also a landmark in Neo-Realism (a major movement within European cinema
of the era). Crows and Sparrows The most renowned of China's social commentary films of the 1940s, Crows
and Sparrows is hailed by film historian Jay Leyda as "a milestone
in Chinese film history." Capping the richly creative period of pre-revolutionary
Chinese cinema, the film is also a landmark in Neo-Realism (a major movement
within European cinema of the era).
A charming story of love, family, and tradition. Trouble is cooking for widower and Master Chef Chu, who’s about to discover that no matter how dazzling and delicious his culinary creations might be, they’re no match for the libidinous whims of his three beautiful but rebellious daughters. A master surgeon in the kitchen, Chu is at a loss when it comes to the ingredients of being a father. Every Sunday this kitchen samurai whips up a delicacy of dishes for his ungrateful daughters who are so self-consumed that they don’t see his attempt at showing them love—gastronomically. So, as relationships sour and communications break down, Chu concocts a sure-fire recipe that will bring his family back together—he creates his own love affair to rival his daughter’s affections! The Emperor and the Assassin A visually stunning epic, exploring the devastating price one country pays for peace and one man pays for power. Ying Zheng, the King of Qin, has one driving ambition: to unify China’s seven kingdoms into one magnificent empire. Impressed by her lover’s convictions, Lady Zhao (Gong Li) helps Yinig Zheng concoct an assassination plot that would justify the conquest of Qin’s most powerful enemy. When Ying Zheng’s peaceful mission explodes into a brutal holocaust, a disillusioned Lady Zhao is forced to quetsion her loyalty and her lover’s destiny. The Emperor's Shadow The Emperor's Shadow is a majestic tour-de-force that captures both the epic sweep of the formation of China 's first ruling dynasty and the poignant struggle of star-crossed lovers against the cold hand of tradition and the relentless march of history. Driven by the desire to unite China 's disparate kingdoms under his rule and become its first emperor, Ying Zheng calls upon his childhood friend, Gao Jianli to compose a national anthem that will win the people's hearts and minds. When Gao, now a much-admired musician and composer, falls in love with Ying's daughter Yueyang, who is already pledged to the leader of the imperial army, the lovers are forced to conceal their affair. When their liaison is discovered, Ying becomes enraged and deep conflicts arise even as his powerful crusade advances. Still the lovers find each other, and the story hurtles to a moving crescendo with timeless love and the cruel momentum of national destiny tragically poised against each other. Farewell, My Concubine (VHS, 2 copies)
We follow the story of two Beijing opera singers, from their boyhood training during the Warlord period, through the Japanese occupation and on into the Cultural Revolution. A woman comes between them, and heartbreak and tragedy ensue for all parties involved. Rumor has it that Chen Kaige made this movie as an apology to his father, whom he publicly denounced as a boy during the Cultural Revolution. Flowers of Shanghai A mesmerizing and seductive tale of sexual intrigue set in the elegant brothels of late 19th century Shanghai. An insular world with its own highly ritualized codes of behavior, the film traces the destinies of the beautiful “flower girls”, whose lives depended on their ability to win, and then hold, the affections of their wealth callers.
At the turn of the century, a pampered and lively twelve-year-old girl is whisked off to a remote village and straight into an arranged marriage with a two-year-old boy. As she ripens into womanhood, she develops sisterly affection for her toddling husband but finds more substantial companionship in a furtive love affair with a young farmer – which places her in danger from the village’s sever restrictions against adultery. Good Men, Good Women Modern-day actress Liang Ching is set to star in a film about the White Terror, the Taiwanese government’s crackdown on suspected Communists during the early 1950’s. Caught up in rehearsals, Liang Ching finds herself imagining the film she will be starring in, but her visualization of scenes from the script seem inflected more and more by her personal memories which are awakened by the mysterious receipt of faxed pages from her old diary. As a result, she is forced to relive the past, blurring the lines between her movie role and real life. A Great Wall Chinese-born Leo Fang ventures to his homeland 30 years after coming to America. He takes along his American-born Chinese wife and his teenage son to stay with his sister’s family in Beijing. Leo nostalgically searches for the traditional China he left behind, while his son Paul charms cousin Lili with his “wild” Western ways. Culture clashes make for hilarity as each family finds things different than expected. Filmed in Beijing amidst the shadows of ancient monuments, this was the first American movie shot on location in China. Hero Horse Thief This film tells the tale of Norbu, a horse stealer, who is driven out by his tribe in an effort to purge it of evil. Forced to live in harsh isolation with his family, Norbu repents after the death of his son, but he must revert to stealing after the birth of another child. The Invisible Net Luo Xuan, a gymnastics coach, takes her boyfriend Chen Zhiping, a footballer, home to meet her parents. She fully expects her parents’ approval, and is already dreaming of a happy future. Yet the first meeting sets a bad tone. How could the parents, both of whom are professors, approve of their only daughter marrying a footballer? As it happens, Chen’s parents have an equally negative response. They worry about their son being snubbed and discriminated against. He finally gives in and marries a worker, a marriage arranged by his parents. At this Luo Xuan leaves her family in anger. She defies her parents by rashly marrying a shipyard worker whom she never loved. He is killed soon after they marry. According to the film cover blurb, “the remnants of feudal values going back several thousand years still bind Chinese society like an invisible net. One cannot find love and real happiness unless one has the courage to break through.”
The uplifting story of four remarkable friends, middle-aged Chinese women living in America, whose extraordinary lives are filled with joy and heartbreak. Their lifelong friendship reveals a mosaic of the startling events and conditions that have shaped their lives, and how these experiences have affected the hopes and dreams they hold for each of their children. Ju Dou (DVD) They were destined, if not doomed, to be together. She was the mill owner’s battered bride; he was his overworked nephew. Out of their plight grew a profound and powerful secret love. Their hearts were free, but only murder could free the lovers from the tyranny of the mill owner. Or could it? The King of Masks (VHS, 1 copy; DVD, 1 copy) The streets of 1930’s Sichuan province set the stage fo this award-winning tale of hope and transformation in the face of poverty and loneliness. As a rare master of an ancient art, the skills of “The King of Masks” are sought out by even the most beloved star of the esteemed Chinese Opera. But tradition dictates that the aging master’s trade only be passed on to a male heir. Desperate for his art to survive, “The King of Masks” finds an apprentice in a destitute child purchased on the black market. When the child reveals an unexpected secret, their relationship is suddenly tested by both the old man’s stubborn sense of tradition and the established customs of China. The Last Emperor (VHS, 1 copy; DVD, 1 copy) The story of Pu Yi, the last emperor of China, who comes from a long history of a tradition that is irreversibly altered by two world wars and fierce political upheaval. Guided by his English mentor, played by Peter O’Toole, Pu Yi is forced to leave the lavish, protective walls of the Forbidden City and somehow find the strength to build a new life in a strange world he has always longed to explore, but has never really known. Winner of “Best Picture” at the Academy Awards in 1987. Life on a String Set against the awesome backdrop of the barren mountains and plains of
Inner Mongolia, this film unfurls a profound tale of a master and pupil,
old and young, both completely blind, who wander the sun-scorched earth
in an aimless quest for enlightenment. They express themselves through
heartfelt song and fragile lutes they carry, living for the fulfillment
of the prophecy that when the thousandth string breaks, the player will
be rewarded with the sight and wisdom they so vigilantly pursue. The path
before them is laden with new experiences: for the student, a sexual awakening
with a peasant girl; for the “saint”, an ongoing battle with
his failing health. At other times they confront more frightening obstacles,
as when they stumble onto a battle in which massive armies clash in the
desert wasteland. Chen Kaige, the writer and director, made this film
“in the hope of a better future, not only for the Chinese, but for
the world.” The Little Chinese Seamstress Set in China , in the middle of the Cultural Revolution in the early 1970s, in a small village where the intellectuals are "re-educated" by the peasants, the film focuses on three people. Ma is a violinist. Her friend Luo has renamed one of Mozart's sonatas as Mozart thinks about Chairman Mao in order to please the village head. The two accomplices meet a little seamstress with whom they hatch an amorous and literary plot, through the medium of literary classics by Flaubert, Dumas, Tolstoy and Balzac that they read in Secret. New Year Sacrifice A film based on one of the great writer Lu Xun’s most famous short
stories. Not One Less (VHS, 1 copy; DVD, 1 copy) In the crushing povery of rural China, a young woman is ordered to a remote village to be their substitute teacher. Barely older than her students, the shy girl is charged with keeping the class intact for one month or she won’t be paid. Faced with overwhelming family debt, her biggest little troublemaker disappears into the city to find work. The stubborn teacher, however, is determined to follow the boy and bring him back to school. Once in the city, her simple peasant pleas fall on deaf ears, and only when the local television station sympathizes does her search bear fruit. The Peacock Princess The king of the Peacock Kingdom had seven beautiful daughters, but his favorite was the seventh, Nan Muluna. Being a peacock princess, she could fly, and one day she flew to the Golden Lake where she met the Prince of Mengbanzha. It was love at first sight, and they were married. But the prince’s father, the King, was under the sway of an evil vulture who had transformed himself into a magician. This magician hated the young prince and did everything in his power to cause him unhappiness. The magician slandered the princess as an evil spirit, and forced her to fly back to the Peacock Kingdom. It wasn’t until the prince did battle with this force of evil that he was finally reunited with his beloved Nan Muluna. Realism at its finest. Postmen In The Mountains A village in southern China , a father, who has been retired from his job as rural postman, is showing his son-the new postman-the ropes on his last round through his route. Both of them have a heavy heart when walking along the roads. The son feels that mountain roads seem to be never ended, the father recalls the days of being a postman. It is a touching story between a father and a son. The Puppetmaster Based on the actual memoirs of Li Tien-lu, Taiwan’s most celebrated
puppeteer and official “national treasure”, this film tells
the epic tale of one man’s struggle against a seemingly insurmountable
adversary. Spanning the years from Li’s birth in 1909 to the end
of Japan’s fifty-year occupation of Taiwan in 1945, this remarkable
true story captures the puppetmaster’s hardships as well as the
tragic sweep of this war-torn era. Qiu Jin – A Revolutionary After leaving her husband and children, Qiu Jin leaves for Japan amidst the upheaval of early 20th century China to study. Upon returning, she becomes a revolutionary and joins the Restoration League and the Revolutionary League. Calling on Chinese women to resist the current regime, she led uprising in Anhui and Zhejiang provinces. She was eventually captured by Qing officials and executed at Shaoxing. Raise the Red Lantern Sotry of an educated woman, played by Gong Li, who is sent off to become the newest wife of a feudal nobleman in 1920’s china. Nearly isolated in his spooky, palatial home, she develops relationships with several of the other wives and slowly becomes aware of a hideous legacy of punishment toward more willful women. Red Cherry (VHS, 2 copies) Based on a true story, this horrifying tale follows two orphaned friends as they struggle to survive during World War II. Chuchu and Luo Xiaoman’s lives are filled with typical childhood experiences of budding youth and childhood pranks. When war shatters their tranquility, Chuchu and Luo must face the chaos, bloodshed, and often hellacious struggle to stay alive. Red Firecracker, Green Firecracker Set against the close of the Ching Dynasty at the turn of the 20th century, this is a tale of forbidden love, loyalty, and passion. With no male heirs to run their fireworks factory, the Chai family’s beautiful daughter has been groomed for the role of master. Renounced of her femininity, she is clothed like a man and forbidden to marry, a role which she dutifully accepts until a rebellious young artist becomes employed at the factory. He unleashes in her an unbridled passion that challenges her loyalty to her ancestral heritage and threatens the tradition that has bound her family with the people of the facoty, leading to an explosive climax that will change their lives forever. Red River Valley "Red River Valley" is more sincere, poignant and strongly emotive
than Hollywood films "Seven Years in Tibet", "Kundun",
or "Red Corner". "Red River Valley" is based on the
book by British author Peter Fleming, "Bayonets to Lhasa", the
last full account of the British Invasion of Tibet in 1904. Red Sorghum (VHS, 2 copies) Beginning as a lusty romantic comedy about a nervous young bride’s arrival and ensuing seduction at a remote winery, and ending as a heroic and harrowing drama of partisan resistance during the Japanese occupation, the builds to a spell-binding, explosive climax. Restless Catherine Kellner is Leah Quinn, a late twenty-something American who
has been living in Beijing for three years, and has yet to find the love
or serenity she has searched the world for. Weigi Master Sun Zhan may
be the great love she has been seeking, or another in a string of heartbreaks.
Either way, he will show Leah aspects of Beijing, and of herself, that
she never knew existed. David Wu is Richard Kao, a Chinese-American who
visits Beijing for the first time to deliver his Grandfathers ashes to
an ancestral burial ground. While in China, Richard falls for his sheltered
cousin Ling Qing Qing and finds out he has more to learn about his heritage
then he could ever have imagined. Written and Directed by Jule Gilfillan,
Restless is the first U.S.-Chinese co-production filmed entirely in Beijing,
and is a tale of international romance caught between the conflicts of
cultural traditions. Rickshaw Boy An unprecedented event in the history of motion pictures was one of the
first contemporary feature films from The People's Republic of China ever
to be exhibited in the Western Hemisphere. Rickshaw Boy, based on the
well known story by famous Chinese novelist Lao She, Stars Zhang Fengyi.
A box office sensation, the film did remarkably well earning eight Chinese
and International Film awards and making Zhang a household name. Veteran
director's Ling Zifeng's work tells the classic Chinese tale of a hardworking
peasant who tries to make his way in the Chinese capital. After three
years of back-breaking labor to establish a business of his own, the daughter
of the rickshaw company falls in love with him. This story has a tough
Chinese twist-revealing much about the collision of ancient class distinctions
in the preservation of capital, family and wealth. The Road Home (VHS, 2 copies) A romantic drama whose story is as beautiful as the cinematography. When
his father dies, Luo Yusheng returns from the city to his childhood village
where his father was the much-revered local teacher. But what begins as
a short trip to bury his father becomes much more when he learns his mother
wants a traditional burial for her beloved husband. Shadow Magic An enchanting drama that depicts the wondrous influence of movies in Peking, China, at the turn of the 20th century. Photographer Liu is intrigued by the inventions and western technologies that are coming to his small community. When an Englishman named Raymond Wallace arrives with talk of “moving pictures,” Liu helps bridge the gap between Raymond and the Chinese, unintentionally defying the traditions of his culture in the process. Conflicted by his loyalty to his family and friends, and the opportunity to better his standing in society so he can marry the woman he loves, Liu must decide whether or not to risk everything to help bring the motion picture industry to China and make his dreams come true. Shanghai Triad The charms of an alluring prostitute are used as bait between feuding ganglords against a dramatic backdrop of 1930’s Shanghai in this exotic and captivating thriller. Winner of various awards for cinematography, one critic commented: “From the glowing artifice and warm surfaces of chich Shanghai to the natural blues and greens of the misty countryside where the tale leads, it is, in the truest sense, poetry in motion.”
When successful business man Da Ming is summoned by his younger brother to come home to his father’s old-style bathhouse in Beijing, he can’t wait to return to his fast-paced modern life. But time amongst the crazy cast of characters that frequent the bathhouse gives him a new appreciation for traditional old ways. When a tragic event causes sudden change, Da Ming must choose between the prosperous life he’s made for himself and his responsibility to his family and his heritage. The Silk Road Countless men died defending the great Silk Road, that in ancient times was the trade route between China and the west. As it cut a jagged ribbon across 5,000 miles of Asian desert, it was home to the rebel armies who preyed on merchants transporting their goods between China and the Middle East and Europe. An educated young Chinese man named Zhao is travelling with a group that is suddenly ambushed by a ruthless rebel army regiment. Zhao is made into a soldier and marched off to the great battle of the South. The resourceful Zhao proves himself a skilled fighter, single-handedly rescuing a captured princess. Alone, Zhao and the princess make their way across a treacherous desert, falling in love, unaware of the dangers that lay ahead. This is mostly an entertainment film, but the final scenes purport to explain how the amazing manuscripts found in the caves of Dunhuang in northwestern China came to be hidden there for many centuries before being uncovered in modern times. A Soul Haunted By Painting (DVD, 1 copy) "A Soul Haunted by Painting" is based on the true story of Chinese painter, Pan Yiliang, whose work was celebrated in Paris yet rejected at home. At fifteen years old, she was sold into prostitution. Her life changes when she marries with a high official. Through her husband, she finds expression in western painting and furthers her studies in Paris . Although internationally acclaimed as an artist, painter and sculptor, her past always continued to haunt her at home in China ; and it was only after her death that she finally received the acceptance she so desperately sought. Pan Yuliang is played by Gong Li, China 's best known movie star. Directed by Huang Shuqin, a women famous for highlighting the influence of tradition on gender issues, among the movies themes is the debate over the use of live, nude models for painting, an issue first raised in the 1920s and still unsettled in China today. The Story of the Weeping Camel Springtime in the Gobi Desert . A family on nomads assist in the births of its camel herd. They face a crisis when one while calf is rejected by its mother after a particularly difficult birth. When all hope seems lost, the family sends its two young boys on a journey to a far-off village to fetch a musician capable of performing a magical ceremony. The Story of the Weeping Camel is a work that combines hard-hitting truth with uplifting drama. The film's sweeping vistas and magical photography capture the very essence of this part of the world, while its emotionally charged story of separation and reconciliation reminds us that the heart, whether human or animal, knows no borders. The Story of Qiu Ju (VHS, 2 copy; DVD, 1 copy) Starring Gong Li as a stoic peasant woman who demands an apology when her husband is kicked in the groin by the village Chief. But the Chief is a proud man who refuses to apologize, sending Qiu Ju on a futile trek through the complicated Chinese court system. From her small village to a nearby city and finally to the large and impersonal district court, hers is a universal battle against bureaucracy and indifference. The Story of Xinghua Meet Xinghua. Obedient servant. Compliant wife. Her husband’s submissive possession. Bound by ancient traditions, she dutifully accepts a loveless marriage and endures her husband’s cruelty. Until inescapable passion draws her into a dangerous and forbidden love affair which unleashes her senses… and releases her to dream of the unimaginable: freedom. Strange Friends A disaffected woman boards a train in Beijing and confounds her fellow passengers by her moroseness and apparent stupor. A disconcerted man reports this to police, but the woman slips away when the train arrives in Nanjing. She goes to the Yangzi River Bridge, where she stands and contemplates the “ten chaotic years” (presumably a reference to the Cultural Revolution from 1966-76). She has tried to begin life anew but is discriminated against; she is about to throw herself into the river when she is saved by Tongsheng, the man who reported her to the police. Temptress Moon ** The captivating story of a beautiful young woman, her seductive lover and their struggle for power, passion and revenge—so shocking, it was banned in the director’s own country. Highly provocative and filled with unforgettable sensual imagery. That Mountain, That Man, That Dog (Chinese w/
NO subtitles) A truly beautiful and sweet film, not yet available with English subtitles. The Chinese dialogue is quite simple, however, and the story is such that it can be enjoyed and understood even without a knowledge of the language. The story is about a rural postman in the remote countryside of Hunan province in the modern day. He is basically the only contact with the outside world that the villages to whom he delivers the mail ever have. Because of the strenous nature of his work, delivering mail over the mountains on foot accompanied only by his faithful German shepherd, by his mid-40’s he knows he will not be able to continue his work much longer. He convinces his son to take over his route for him. One last time the father sets out with his dog to deliver the mail, with his son along to learn the ropes. It is a journey of discovery for the young man, as he comes to really know and respect his father, and realizes for the first time all his father has meant to the villagers whose life he has touched. To Live (VHS, 2 copies; DVD, 1 copy) Set against four decades of Chinese political turmoil, To Live follows the lives of one couple, Fugui and Jiazhen, as they struggle to survive their own changing station within the upheaval. When Fugui gambles away his family’s fortune and loses their home, he is left with nothing but a trunkful of puppets by which to make his living. But his ability to entertain with the puppets lands him at first in the company of the Nationalist army…and then the Red army! As the years go by, bringing bizarre twists, tragic losses, and profound hope, Fugui and his family steel themselves to accept what the future has in store for them by doing the one thing they know how to do best: “To Live”. Together When violin prodigy Xiaochun and his father head to Beijing seeking fame and fortune, they soon discover a fierce world of cutthroat ambition. But when Xiaochun is "adopted" by a famous music tutor, success finally seems within reach-until a shocking discovery begins to unravel his entire world, and the boy must make the most difficult choice of his life. Can he achieve the fame his father had always hoped for without losing the extraordinary passion that sets him apart?
Yang Kuei-Mei and Chen Chao-Jung (both from the hit comedy Eat, Drink, Man, Woman) star as May, a chic and seductive real estate agent, and Ah-Jong, a street merchant. This mesmerizing film revolves around the two young people and their encounters in one of the thousands of vacant, anonymous apartments that fill Taipei, Taiwan. After a chance meeting, the couple use the apartment for their impulsive sexual liaisons. A third person, a shy young gay man, hides in the same apartment, and spies on the couple, creating a bizarre love triangle. A compelling mix of quirky wit and eroticism reminiscent of the best works of Michelangelo Antonioni. The Wedding Banquet A gay Taiwanese yuppie who lives with his American lover tries to end his family’s endless matchmaking attempts by announcing he’s engaged. His parents immediately fly in to meet the bride, an illegal Chinese alien in need of a green card. Within days, they turn the planned quickie City Hall marriage into a banquet with hundreds of guests – and their son’s easy deception becomes a very complicated affair. Woman Demon Human Woman Demon Human is a shining example of the "New Chinese Cinema"
woven with the Chinese "opera film" whose brilliant allegories
reveal so much with extraordinary flair. No less could be expected from
the masterful hand of the brilliant female director Huang Shuqin. Born
into the world of her parents' Peking Opera Company, a young girl follows
her dreams and becomes a professional actress. With her personal world
marked by trauma, she submerges herself into her stage roles. Yet she
dreams of more: she wants to play the major "male" roles. Will
this struggle for modernity and equal rights come through? Or will she
be forever trapped in the confinements of traditional culture, living
with her own personal ghosts? Women from the Lake of Scented Souls An ancient legend from a rural Chinese village tells the story of two
young girls who drowned themselves in the local lake. The following day
they were seen flying off in the form of two beautiful birds. The lake
has since been known as “Soul’s Lake”. Xiang Ersao is
the driving force behind her family’s successful sesame oil mill.
The sesame oil they produce is famous for its flavor and attracts a Japanese
business woman who invests in the factory. With her new found wealth,
Xiang earns power and status in the village. Woman's Basketball Player No. 5 Before liberation, basketball player Tian Zhenhua and Lin Jie, daughter of the basketball team manager are in love. Once in a tournament, since the manger was bribed, he wants the team to lose the game. But Tian Zhenhua being a loyal and patriotic to the country, instead, let the team win. The manager order goons to hurt Tian Zhenhua and force his daughter to marry a rich person. After 18 years, Tian Zhenhua becomes the trainer of Shanghai Woman's basketball team. Lin Xiaojie, daughter of Lin Jie is a promosing basketball player. Due to the influences of her family and friends, she got a wrong concept about the sport. Tian Zhenhua taught and trained her patiently. One time, Lin Xiaojie was badly injured in a game that she had to enter hospital. When visiting Lin Xiaojie in the hospital, Tian Zhenhua and Lin Jie met again after a long time. Both settled their differences and reconciled. Now, Lin Xiaojie was chosen to represent China in the woman's basketball team. Xiu Xiu: The Sent Down Girl ** (a few short
scenes) This film tells two stories. Many youths in China were “sent down” to the countryside by the government during the Cultural Revolution for specialized training. This is one girl’s story and the compassionate deed that inspired a man everyone who hears her tale. The young and beautiful Xiu Xiu dreamt of becoming a horse trainer in the wide open plains of Tibet, far away from her busy city home. Her journey begins with a training camp in the isolated plains with a solitary and mysterious man. Slowly, Xiu Xiu discovers that she is unlikely to ever see her home again without a wealthy sponsor. Her world becomes a horrifying cage, where “patrons” promise her escape in exchange for sexual compromise. Xu Mao and His Daughters Peasant Xu Mao has nine daughters, all with varying personalities, but this film focuses on two of them, the third and fourth daughters. The Cultural Revolution tears the family apart and turns Xu Mao into a hard-hearted old man. Afterwards the family tries to pick up the pieces in its wake. Yellow Earth Set in the barren wilderness of northern Shaanxi province, this film tells how the life of a fourteen year-old peasant girl is changed forever by the arrival of Gu Qing, a communist soldier who has been sent out to collect folk songs for the use of the revolutionary armies. As the young Cui Qiao slowly falls in love with this soldier, she learns from him that she does not have to remain bound to her lonely, traditional life. Inspired to action she flees from her arranged marriage and escapes across the great Yellow River.
|
||||
NOTE:
Films that have an asterisk (*) by the title have some particularly violent
content that may disturb some viewers. Films that have two asterisks (**)
have some erotic content that may offend some viewers.
|
||||
 |
|
|
|
|
 |
||||
 |
Apply Financial Aid Visit Campus Request Info. |
About Calvin Giving to Calvin Hekman Library Contact Calvin |
Majors & Minors A-Z Index People at Calvin Calvin's website |
Larry Herzberg |
