DOCSLIB.ORG

One of the Joys of Watching Chinese Movies Is That They Open up a New World of Exotic Traditions

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
One of the Joys of Watching Chinese Movies Is That They Open up a New World of Exotic Traditions 1 Inhabiting Other Lives Course: IDH 2003-2004 Date: 2011- 2012 Instructor: Scott Kass Email: [email protected] Phone: 305.919.5933 Office: BBC Library 210 Office Hours: Tuesdays-Fridays, 8 am – 3 pm, and by appointment COURSE DESCRIPTION Daily we are bombarded with images and news stories about China, but what do we know about China? How do we get our information about it? How do we know whether our information is reliable? How do we test our information? What are the limits of our knowledge of China and the Chinese? 2 In this course we will screen films representative of the internationally acclaimed new Chinese cinema. These films, from mainland China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong, are in Chinese and subtitled in English. They are intended to (1) help you understand China’s culture, history, politics, economy, society, and aesthetic conventions in different decades of the twentieth and early twenty-first centuries; (2) give you a sense of China’s struggle to modernize and its attempt to redefine the relationship between individual and society; (3) expose you to issues of human commonality and diversity; and (4) invite you to investigate and understand the interconnectedness of another culture, time, and set of life experiences. One of the joys of watching Chinese movies is that they open up a new world of exotic traditions; amazing settings; fascinating architecture; strange costumes, objects, and people; and customs you’ve never heard of. You see different moments in China’s cultural history. You read subtitles and listen to the sounds of a language you don’t speak. You get to observe people behaving under extremely different circumstances but acting a lot like you. This is not a film appreciation course or a survey of modern Chinese history-- although it comprises these interdisciplinary elements. Rather, it is a course that uses film for engaging interdisciplinary topics, such as gender relations, family, centuries-old tradition versus modernity, feudalism, the strategies of filmmakers in dealing with state censorship, individual versus state, Maoism, post-Maoism, the impact of the Cultural Revolution, concubinage, dining etiquette, diaspora, Chinese opera, gay China, censorship, treatment of children, contemporary Chinese filmmaking, treatment of women, attempts at defining “Chineseness” and much more. In short, we seek to understand Chineseness in the filmic imagination. Who are these people and how are they similar to or different from us? Above all, how do we know what we know about the Chinese? Can we be certain about what is going on in China, where it is headed, and how all of this will affect our own lives in the West? In addition to viewing films, we will screen several excellent documentaries that provide a socio-historical context. There will also be guest lectures, and dialogues and exchanges with FIU’s own Chinese faculty and students who have lived under Mao and after Mao, and who can give us insight into the world’s most populous country. Mainland Chinese students will come to class and discuss their knowledge of the US before they came to study here this year, and compare it to their knowledge of FIU and the US after having lived and studied here in the intervening months. I will invite the students to ask you the same: What do you know about China? How do you know what you know about China? How reliable is your knowledge? You will also have readings, as well as Chinese websites and blogs to monitor (see the last pages of this syllabus). 3 COURSE OBJECTIVES Honors College Learning Objectives for this course are that you accomplish the following: (1) Demonstrate the principles and skills of conducting research; and analyze, evaluate, and contribute to scholarly work. (You will demonstrate this through a major research project and presentation.) (2) Demonstrate the application of ideas, methods, and/or knowledge from multiple disciplines within one assignment. (See course description.) (3) Demonstrate an understanding of international issues and an appreciation of global cultures. (See course description.) (4) Demonstrate an appreciation of the importance of cultural literacy and and fluency with some of its associated issues; and demonstrate an under- standing of the creative/artistic process. (See course description.) (5) Demonstrate leadership in the classroom. (You will participate in class discussions and lead the class in a presentation.) Global Learning Outcomes for this course are that you accomplish the following: (1) Global Awareness: Students will be able to demonstrate knowledge of the interrelatedness of local, global, international, and intercultural issues, trends, and systems. (2) Course Learning Outcome: Students will demonstrate knowledge of the interrelated dynamics (social-cultural, political, economic, etc.) that shape the actions of multiple figures in diverse cultural contexts. (3) Global Perspectives: Students will be able to develop a multi-perspective analysis of local, global, international, and intercultural problems. (4) Course Learning Outcome: Students will be able to analyze the multiple causal forces that shape the perspectives of historical individuals/persons — economic, political, sociological, technological, cultural, etc. (5) Global Engagement: Students will be able to demonstrate a willingness to engage in local, global, international, and intercultural problem solving. (6) Course Learning Outcome: Students will demonstrate a willingness to engage in negotiation regarding actions of global import within the context of the class simulation. 4 You assignments will assess your ability to demonstrate these outcomes. They will be collected at the end of the academic year (spring). I hope you will Learn how a society other than your own addresses human needs and concerns Develop an understanding of a non-Western culture’s traditions, beliefs, and values Interpret patterns of behavior reflecting values and attitudes of the society Develop an understanding of key historical concepts: periodicization, change, continuity, conflict, and complexity Develop an understanding of China’s diverse geography and environment Develop an understanding of the ways in which culture, gender, and class affect individual and collective identities and experiences Develop an understanding of pre-modern and modern Chinese political ideas, institutions, personalities, struggles, and conflicts Develop an understanding of political, economic, social, and cultural institutions and organizations created by the Chinese Learn of beliefs, sentiments, values, and issues that unite and divide the Chinese people Understand complex relationships between the working poor, middle class society, and the elite, and the role of the Chinese government in the evolution of these complex social relationships Acquire a taste for foreign films CITY AS TEXT Did you know that Miami has at least one Chinatown? Fortunately, it is near us, along NE 163rd/167th Street, from Biscayne Boulevard to I-95. There are Chinese restaurants, bakeries, grocery stores, vegetarian restaurants, and much more. There are many other Chinese cultural and commercial events and venues throughout South Florida. One of your assignments this year will be to explore Chinatown on you own or with me. Details will be forthcoming. TEXTS I will provide you with a free copy of this syllabus. I will provide you with a free course packet about Chinese cinema. You will access additional readings online (to be explained in class). You will regularly peruse various websites and blogs devoted to China. You will read the free New York Times distributed on campus or accessible via the internet 5 METHODS Film screenings Lectures Discussion and analysis Active participation in discussion Library research Oral presentations Formal writing assignments or multimedia productions, e.g., films Guest lecturers Field trips to explore “City as Text” COURSE REQUIREMENTS View all films View documentaries outside of class Attend all classes Actively participate in class discussions Submit all work on time Participate in Honors College functions Adhere to University and Honors College regulations Engage in “City as Text” field trips GRADING Midterm and final quizzes covering films, lectures . 25% Research project on topic to be assigned . 25% Group or Individual Presentation. 20% City as Text field trip(s) . 15% Class participation . 15% COURSE POLICIES Attendance, Tardiness, Late Work Class attendance is mandatory; excessive absences will result in a lower grade. Please come to class on time and stay for the entire time; excessive tardiness will result in a lower grade. Please submit work on time; late submissions will result in a lower grade. Exceptions will, of course, be made for illnesses, emergencies, and religious holidays. Modification of Syllabus I retain the right to modify the course syllabus for any reason throughout the semester provided that (1) fair and adequate notice is given to enrolled students either by email or in writing, (2) modifications to the syllabus are not arbitrary or capricious, and (3) students are not unfairly disadvantaged by mid-semester changes to grading standards, attendance standards, or performance measure. 6 HONORS COLLEGE POLICIES University Requirements Academic Honesty and Plagiarism FIU Academic Misconduct Statement Florida International University is a community dedicated to generating and imparting knowledge through excellence in teaching and research, the rigorous and respectful exchange of ideas,
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Karrin E. Wilks, Interim President, BMCC Monday | March 30, 2020
    Welcoming Remarks: Karrin E. Wilks, Interim President, BMCC Monday | March 30, 2020 | 9:15 am- 9:30 am | Theatre 2 Opening Remarks: Maria Enrico, Chair, Modern Languages Department Monday | March 30, 2020 | 9:30 am-9.45 am | Theatre 2 Wonder Women! The Untold Story of American Superheroines Monday | March 30, 2020 | 10: 00 am-11: 30 pm | Theatre 2 Bande de filles | Girlhood Monday | March 30, 2020 | 12:00 pm- 2: 30 pm | Theatre 2 Bellisima Monday | March 30, 2020 | 3.00 pm-4:45 pm | Theatre 2 Welcoming Tuesday | March 31, 2020 | 9:15 am- 9:30 am | Theatre 2 وجدة | Wadjda Tuesday | March 31, 2020 | 9:30 am-11:30 am | Theatre 2 Not One Less | 一个都不能少 | Yīgè dōu bùnéng shǎo Tuesday | March 31, 2020 | 12:00 pm-2:30 pm | Theatre 2 Roma Tuesday | March 31, 2020 | 3:00 pm-5:40 pm | Theatre 2 Closing Write a review of your favorite movie O U R P E O P L E MARIA ENRICO (CHAIR) · RAFAEL CORBALÁN · EDA HENAO · SILVIA ÁLVAREZ-OLARRA · MARGARET CARSON · If you want to write reviews that carry PETER CONSENSTEIN · RACHEL CORKLE · ·BERENICE DARWICH · MARÍA DE LOS ÁNGELES DONOSO MACAYA · some authority, then you need to learn everything you can. GERMÁN GARRIDO · EVELIN GAMARRA-MARTÍNEZ · AINOA ÍÑIGO· LAURIE LOMASK · LING (EMILY) LUO · Some believe that in order to be a truly good film critic you must ALICIA PERDOMO H. · PATRIZIA COMELLO PERRY · SILVIA ROIG · SOPHIE MARÍÑEZ · JOHN THOMAS MEANS · have worked as a director, or that in order to review music you CHUN-YI PENG · NIDIA PULLÉS-LINARES · ÁLISTER RAMÍREZ-MÁRQUEZ · MARILYN RIVERA · FANNY M.
    [Show full text]
  • Warriors As the Feminised Other
    Warriors as the Feminised Other The study of male heroes in Chinese action cinema from 2000 to 2009 A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Chinese Studies at the University of Canterbury by Yunxiang Chen University of Canterbury 2011 i Abstract ―Flowery boys‖ (花样少年) – when this phrase is applied to attractive young men it is now often considered as a compliment. This research sets out to study the feminisation phenomena in the representation of warriors in Chinese language films from Hong Kong, Taiwan and Mainland China made in the first decade of the new millennium (2000-2009), as these three regions are now often packaged together as a pan-unity of the Chinese cultural realm. The foci of this study are on the investigations of the warriors as the feminised Other from two aspects: their bodies as spectacles and the manifestation of feminine characteristics in the male warriors. This study aims to detect what lies underneath the beautiful masquerade of the warriors as the Other through comprehensive analyses of the representations of feminised warriors and comparison with their female counterparts. It aims to test the hypothesis that gender identities are inventory categories transformed by and with changing historical context. Simultaneously, it is a project to study how Chinese traditional values and postmodern metrosexual culture interacted to formulate Chinese contemporary masculinity. It is also a project to search for a cultural nationalism presented in these films with the examination of gender politics hidden in these feminisation phenomena. With Laura Mulvey‘s theory of the gaze as a starting point, this research reconsiders the power relationship between the viewing subject and the spectacle to study the possibility of multiple gaze as well as the power of spectacle.
    [Show full text]
  • Western Criticism, Labelling Practice and Self-Orientalised East Asian Films
    Travelling Films: Western Criticism, Labelling Practice and Self-Orientalised East Asian Films Goldsmiths College University of London PhD thesis (Cultural Studies) Ji Yeon Lee Abstract This thesis analyses western criticism, labelling practices and the politics of European international film festivals. In particular, this thesis focuses on the impact of western criticism on East Asian films as they attempt to travel to the west and when they travel back to their home countries. This thesis draws on the critical arguments by Edward Said's Orientalism: Western Conceptions of the Orient (1978) and self-Orientalism, as articulated by Rey Chow, which is developed upon Mary Louise Pratt's conceptual tools such as 'contact zone' and 'autoethnography'. This thesis deals with three East Asian directors: Kitano Takeshi (Japanese director), Zhang Yimou (Chinese director) and 1m Kwon-Taek (Korean director). Dealing with Japanese, Chinese and Korean cinema is designed to show different historical and cultural configurations in which each cinema draws western attention. This thesis also illuminates different ways each cinema is appropriated and articulated in the west. This thesis scrutinises how three directors from the region have responded to this Orientalist discourse and investigates the unequal power relationship that controls the international circulation of films. Each director's response largely depends on the particular national and historical contexts of each country and each national cinema. The processes that characterise films' travelling are interrelated: the western conception of Japanese, Chinese or Korean cinema draws upon western Orientalism, but is at the same time corroborated by directors' responses. Through self-Orientalism, these directors, as 'Orientals', participate in forming and confirming the premises of western Orientalism.
    [Show full text]
  • Technical Program
    MONDAY, JULY 30 11:00AM 1801770 Polysaccharide Composites as Barrier Materials Jeffrey Catchmark, Penn State, University Park, PA TECHNICAL PROGRAM United States (Presenter: Jeffrey Catchmark) (Jeffrey MONDAY, JULY 30 Catchmark, Kai Chi, Snehasish Basu) 9:30AM-12:00PM 11:15AM 1800994 Production and characterization of in situ synthesis of silver nanoparticles into TEMPO-mediated oxi- The purpose of these Sessions is the open exchange of dized bacterial cellulose and their antivibriocidal ac- ideas, therefore, remarks made by a participant or mem- tivity against shrimp pathogens Sivaramasamy Elayaraja, Zhejiang University, ber of the audience cannot be quoted or attributed to ei- Hangzhou, Zhejiang China, People’s Republic of (Pre- ther the individual or the individuals’ company. NO senter: Sivaramasamy Elayaraja) (Sivaramasamy Ela- RECORDING of the participants’ remarks or discussion is yaraja, Liu Gang, Jianhai Xiang, Songming Zhu) 11:30AM 1801330 Design, Development, Evaluation of Gum Arabic permitted. Pictures of any material shown here are not Milling Machine permitted. Eyad Eltigani, University of Khartoum, Khartoum, Khar- toum Sudan (Presenter: Eyad Eltigani) (Eyad Mohamed Eltigani Abuzeid, Khalid Elgassim Mohamed Ahmed, In respect for the presenters and the people attending the Hossamaldein Fadoul Brima) conference, ASABE would request that anyone having a 11:45AM 1801112 The Design of Longitudinal - axial cylinder for the combine pager, cell phone, or other electronic device please turn Meng Fanhu, Sandong University Technology, Zibo, them off. If your situation does not allow for these devices Shandong province China, People’s Republic of (Pre- to be turned off, please reseat yourself close to an exit senter: Meng Fanhu) (Meng Fanhu) such that everyone can benefit from the information pre- sented here without disruption.
    [Show full text]
  • Perspectives in Flux
    Perspectives in Flux Red Sorghum and Ju Dou's Reception as a Reflection of the Times Paisley Singh Professor Smith 2/28/2013 East Asian Studies Thesis Seminar Singh 1 Abstract With historical and critical approach, this thesis examined how the general Chinese reception of director Zhang Yimou’s Red Sorghum and Ju Dou is reflective of the social conditions at the time of these films’ release. Both films hold very similar diegeses and as such, each generated similar forms of filmic interpretation within the academic world. Film scholars such as Rey Chow and Sheldon Lu have critiqued these films as especially critical of female marginalization and the Oedipus complex present within Chinese society. Additionally, the national allegorical framing of both films, a common pattern within Chinese literary and filmic traditions, has thoroughly been explored within the Chinese film discipline. Furthermore, both films have been subjected to accusations of Self-Orientalization and Occidentalism. The similarity between both films is undeniable and therefore comparable in reference to the social conditions present in China and the changing structures within the Chinese film industry during the late 1980s and early 1990s. Although Red Sorghum and Ju Dou are analogous, each received almost opposite reception from the general Chinese public. China's social and economic reform, film censorship, as well as the government’s intervention and regulation of the Chinese film industry had a heavy impact upon each film’s reception. Equally important is the incidence of specific events such as the implementation of the Open Door policy in the 1980s and 1989 Tiananmen Square Massacre.
    [Show full text]
  • MOUNTAINS MAY DEPART (SHAN HE GU REN) a Film by Jia Zhangke
    MOUNTAINS MAY DEPART (SHAN HE GU REN) A film by Jia Zhangke In Competition Cannes Film Festival 2015 China/Japan/France 2015 / 126 minutes / Mandarin with English subtitles / cert. tbc Opens in cinemas Spring 2016 FOR ALL PRESS ENQUIRIES PLEASE CONTACT Sue Porter/Lizzie Frith – Porter Frith Ltd Tel: 020 7833 8444/E‐mail: [email protected] FOR ALL OTHER ENQUIRIES PLEASE CONTACT Robert Beeson – New Wave Films [email protected] New Wave Films 1 Lower John Street London W1F 9DT Tel: 020 3603 7577 www.newwavefilms.co.uk SYNOPSIS China, 1999. In Fenyang, childhood friends Liangzi, a coal miner, and Zhang, the owner of a gas station, are both in love with Tao, the town beauty. Tao eventually marries the wealthier Zhang and they have a son he names Dollar. 2014. Tao is divorced meets up with her son before he emigrates to Australia with his business magnate father. Australia, 2025. 19-year-old Dollar no longer speaks Chinese and can barely communicate with his now bankrupt father. All that he remembers of his mother is her name... DIRECTOR’S NOTE It’s because I’ve experienced my share of ups and downs in life that I wanted to make Mountains May Depart. This film spans the past, the present and the future, going from 1999 to 2014 and then to 2025. China’s economic development began to skyrocket in the 1990s. Living in this surreal economic environment has inevitably changed the ways that people deal with their emotions. The impulse behind this film is to examine the effect of putting financial considerations ahead of emotional relationships.
    [Show full text]
  • SOUL on a STRING (PI SHENG SHANG DE HUN/皮绳上的魂) a Film by Zhang Yang
    presents SOUL ON A STRING (PI SHENG SHANG DE HUN/皮绳上的魂) A film by Zhang Yang “Stunningly shot Tibetan western has a nicely laconic magical-realist flavor.” – Sino-Cinema China / 2016 / Drama / Tibetan with English Subtitles 142 min / 2.35:1 / Stereo 2.0 and 5.1 Surround Sound Film Movement Contacts: Press: Genevieve Villaflor | (212) 941-7744 x215 | [email protected] Theatrical: Clemence Taillandier | (212) 941-7715 | [email protected] Non- Theatrical and Festivals: Maxwell Wolkin | (212) 941-7744 x211 | [email protected] Assets: Official US Trailer: TBD Downloadable Hi-res Images: http://www.filmmovement.com/filmcatalog/index.asp?MerchandiseID=542 www.FilmMovement.com 1 SYNOPSIS After discovering a sacred stone in the mouth of a slain deer, Taibei, a young Tibetan cowboy, embarks on a mission to bring it back to the holy mountain of Buddha’s handprint. His journey proves to be long and difficult as black market traders seek the priceless artifact for themselves, and two brothers – Kodi and Guori – seek revenge for the murder of their father. An obstinate woman, Joan, and a psychic elf, Pu, soon decide to join him. The trio’s earthly conflict is suddenly thrown off course by strange and mystical events. SHORT SYNOPSIS After discovering a sacred stone in the mouth of a slain deer, Taibei, a young Tibetan cowboy, embarks on a mystical mission to bring it back to a holy mountain. His journey proves difficult, especially since he is on the run from two brothers, Kodi and Guori, who are seeking vengeance since their father was killed by Tabei's father.
    [Show full text]
  • Cinematic Reconstruction of Historical Trauma in Twenty-First Century China
    Does Time Heal?: Cinematic Reconstruction of Historical Trauma in Twenty-first Century China By Shiya Zhang B.A., Jilin University, 2004 A Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirement for the Degree of MASTER OF ARTS in the Department of Pacific and Asian Studies ©Shiya Zhang, 2018 University of Victoria All rights reserved. This thesis may not be reproduced in whole or in part, by photocopy or other means, without the permission of the author. ii Supervisory Committee Does Time Heal?: Cinematic Reconstruction of Historical Trauma in Twenty-first Century China By Shiya Zhang Bachelor of Arts., Jilin University, 2004 Supervisory Committee Dr. Richard King, Supervisor (Department of Pacific and Asian Studies) Dr. Katsuhiko Endo, Departmental Member (Department of Pacific and Asian Studies) iii Supervisory Committee Dr. Richard King, Supervisor (Department of Pacific and Asian Studies) Dr. Katsuhiko Endo, Departmental Member (Department of Pacific and Asian Studies) Abstract While the whole world is talking about China’s rise in wealth and power, most focus has been placed on understanding China’s present policies and future orientations. However, very little attention is devoted to examining how historical consciousness affects present China. People take for granted that the past—particularly the landmark traumas of the communist decades— is a far-reaching historical discontinuity, and that China’s profound changes in every aspect of society have rendered the past increasingly irrelevant. However, this thesis argues that this assumption is wrong. This thesis explores the ways that Chinese filmmakers rearticulate the historical traumas which continue to affect Chinese society in the post-WTO era.
    [Show full text]
  • How to Face Violence Against Women
    Step by step HowEMANU to face violence against women ELA 5ªD Cambridge 0 EmanueLiceo Scientifico Statale “Gaetano Salvemini”, Bari Index Preface 1 Violence against women in the past and in the present: spot the differences 2 Women’s voices for change 9 The strange case of misogyny 16 Women: muses in art and objects in real life 22 Violence behind the screen and the musical notes 27 Two pandemics: violence against women and COVID-19 32 Rape culture: the monster in our minds 35 41 Words and bodies: verbal violence and prostitution Conclusion 45 Bibliography 46 1 Preface The idea for this book was born during an English lesson, on an apparently normal Wednesday. However, it was the 25th of November 2020, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against women, and our teacher decided to focus on something which is not included in our school programme. By exchanging our opinions, we understood that our knowledge about the issue was not deep at all, no matter how many newspapers we read or news we watch. That pushed us to start this journey through all the aspects of violence against women. We did it by dividing us into groups and doing several types of research on many different websites and books (you can find our sources on page 46). We discovered that this problem is much wider than what we expected; it has influenced our world in endless ways, affecting all the fields of knowledge, such as art, cinema and music. We ended up reading hundreds of stories that touched us very deeply; that’s how we decided to give life to these pages.
    [Show full text]
  • The Bombay the Terrorist Ti Koun .
    644 CHAPTER 26 Beyond the Industrialized West 26.1 0 The Bandit Queen: Phoolan 26.1 1 Bombay's vision of a united India: as the parents are reunited with their Devi protects her wounded lover. children, hands drop weapons and stretch out in friendship. critical cinema. "In India, there is no salvation outside Yet local audiences remained loyal to the national the commercial cinema." 1 Also pursuing this path was product-which was now incorporating more sexuality Mani Rathnam, a Tamil filmmakerwho found great suc­ along with MTV dance styles (e.g., Trimurti, 1995). Juras­ cess with Nayakan ("Hero," 1986), an adaptation of The sic Park was unable to trump another 1994 release, the Godfather. Rathnam's Bombay (1994) denounces the traditional romantic comedy-drama Hum Aapke Hain bloody religious strife of the early 1990s. A Hindu jour­ Koun ... ! ("Who Am I to You? "). Filled with sparkling nalist marries a Muslim woman, and the couple and their studio-shot dance numbers (Color Plate 26.5), it became children are thrust into the middle of anti-Muslim riot­ the most popular filmof the decade. Even after restric­ ing. Bombay neighborhoods are spectacularly re-created tions were lifted, American imports claimed no more than in a Madras studio, riot scenes are shot and edited for 10 percent of the box office. In a country where nearly visceral force, hand-held cameras race through the half the population earned only a dollar a day, admission streets, and children watch as people trapped in cars are to a local filmran only about fifty cents while Hollywood burned alive.
    [Show full text]
  • The History of Cinema and America's Role in It: Review
    Reason Papers Vol. 35, no. 1 The History of Cinema and America’s Role in It: Review Essay of Douglas Gomery and Clara Pafort- Overduin’s Movie History: A Survey Gary Jason California State University, Fullerton The book under review is an expanded and updated new edition of a book that was originally published a decade ago.1 The authors, Douglas Gomery and Carla Pafort-Overduin, have written a clear, comprehensive, and compelling history of cinema that is wonderfully useful as a reference text for philosophy and film courses, and as a main text for history of film courses. The book has some problems, however, which I will explore after I summarize its contents. The first section of the book (Chapters One through Five) discusses the silent era (1895-1925). The first chapter appropriately explores the earliest era of film, looking at the basic innovations. These innovations included magic lanterns (such as the 1861 patented kinematoscope), George Eastman’s celluloid-based film, the Lumiere brothers’ cameras and projectors, and Edison’s early crucial role in spreading the new technology. The authors also review the early era of film distribution and exhibition, through channels such as Vaudeville, fairs, and the nickelodeon. In Chapters Two and Three, Gomery and Pafort-Overduin discuss the early success of Hollywood, from the rise of the major studios and special venues (“picture palaces,” or large movie theaters) in 1917. They note a point to which I will return in due course, namely, that from roughly 1920 to 1950, the major Hollywood studios not only produced America’s films, but distributed and exhibited them (in their own movie theaters) as well.
    [Show full text]
  • Teaching Chinese Film in an Advanced Language Class
    30 Guest-Edited Section—Teaching About Asia Teaching Chinese Film in an Advanced Language Class Luying Chen St. Olaf College Instructors often face a dilemma when using film in language classes. While film is appealing for the rich cultural and linguistic information it offers, finding the balance between teaching content and building language skills can present significant challenges for an instructor. Common approaches to using film in courses taught in English, such as screening one film a week, reading critical essays about the films, and class discussions and lectures, seldom offer the same benefits in a foreign language course due to the fact that students with only three years of foreign language study frequently lack the language skills necessary to discuss films in a foreign language. Yanfang Tang and Qianghai Chen, authors of the textbook Advanced Chinese: Intention, Strategy, & Communication (2005), have argued that “[n]either interpreting textual meanings nor decoding linguistic patterns leads naturally to the productive skills needed” for communicating in the target language at the advanced level.1 They further suggest that “practice, in a conscious but meaningful way is the key to successful transformation of input knowledge into productive output skills.”2 When we use films in language classes, the focus is for students to understand the textual meanings and linguistic patterns within the film, but training productive output skills in students, while fostering cultural proficiency and developing critical thinking skills, can prove to be somewhat difficult to accomplish within normal classroom time constraints. Recently published textbooks, including Readings in Contemporary Chinese Cinema (Chou, 2008, hereafter Readings)3 and Discussing Everything Chinese (Li-li Teng Foti, et al., 2007, hereafter Discussing)4, have recognized this challenge and ASIANetwork Exchange Teaching Chinese Film in an Advanced Language Class 31 experimented with different approaches to using Chinese film in advanced language classes.
    [Show full text]