Families in Modern China:
An Exploration of What Makes a Family
in Changing China
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欢迎参加来自中国的当代经典电影盛典！所有影片都将以双语形式（汉语和英语）呈现，每次放映之后均将由知名汉语研究专家引发讨论。
时间：2月28日、3 月7 日、14日、21日；
地点：堪萨斯Overland Park 的 Rio Theatre, 赞助单位：堪萨斯大学孔子学院(CIKU)、堪城中华联合会(KCCA)
Saturday, February 28, 2009, 10:00 a.m.Warm Spring (Nuan chun, 2003)Directed by Wulan Tana.
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Family roles and responsibilities are questioned when an elderly father welcomes a foster child into his home despite the adamant disapproval of his son and daughter-in-law. Winner of Best Story, Chinese Hua Bio Awards and Best Debut Film, Chinese Golden Rooster and Chinese Hua Bio Awards.
Introduction and discussion: Dr. John Kennedy, Assistant Professor of Political Science, University of Kansas
Saturday, March 7, 2009, 10:00 a.m.You and Me (Wo men lia, 2005)Directed by Liwen Ma.Run time: 88 minutes plus pre and post film discussion
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Winner of Best Director and Best Actress at China's most prestigious Golden Rooster Awards, this film explores non-traditional family relationships, in a moving story of an unlikely bond that develops between a cantankerous old woman and her feisty young tenant.
Introduction and discussion: Jie Zhang, Assistant Professor of Linguistics, University of Kansas
Saturday, March 14, 2009, 10:00 a.m.Still Life (Sanxia haoren, 2006)Directed by Zhang Ke JiaRun time: 11 minutes plus pre and post film discussion
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"Set and shot in Fengjie, a real Chinese town that was being dismantled and demolished as Jia was filming in 2006 to make way for the massive Three Gorges hydroelectric-dam project, Still Life is the story of two people in transit — a rural coal miner (Han Sanming) in search of the ex-wife and teenage daughter he hasn’t seen in a decade, and a woman (played by Jia’s frequent muse, the luminous Zhao Tao) looking for her estranged engineer husband. The two story lines parallel one another without ever intersecting, each of them affording Jia and his ace cinematographer, Yu Lik Wai (shooting once again in crisp, high-definition video), to commemorate the disappearing Fengjie landscape — and with it, a few thousand years of Chinese history — in all its decrepit, gutted-out majesty. Everywhere Jia looks, he sees the clash between China’s past and its rapidly accelerating present: Men in hazard uniforms with spray cans make their zombielike way through the ruins. A demolition team unearths artifacts dating from the Han dynasty. A gutted building literally blasts off into the stratosphere, like a rocket ship to the moon. I’ve said before in these pages that Jia (whose previous films include The World, Unknown Pleasures and Platform) is the greatest Chinese filmmaker of his generation. In Still Life, his great subject — that of a nation making “progress” faster than its own people can keep up with it — reaches its fullest and most painfully beautiful expression yet. Simply one of the best films of last year, this year, or any year likely to come." www.laweekly.com Introduction and discussion: Jessey Choo, Assistant Professor of History, University of Missouri-Kansas City
Saturday, March 21, 2009, 10:00 a.m.Together With You (He Ni Zai Yi Qi, 2002)Directed by Kaige Chen.Run time: 116 minutes plus pre and post film discussion |
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A compelling story of the challenges Xiaochun and his father face as they leave their provincial town and begin life in Beijing. As father and son, they struggle to succeed in this new environment as they confront the fragility of their small family unit and, finally, re-strengthen the family bond.
Introduction and discussion: Yang Lu, Assistant Professor of History, University of Kansas
Saturday, April 4, 2009, 10:00 a.m.The Post-Modern Life of My Aunt (Yi ma de hou xian dai sheng huo, 2006)Directed by Ann Hui.Run time: 110 minutes plus pre and post film discussion |
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"The Postmodern Life of My Aunt presents a China undergoing rapid change, where good old-fashioned values are quickly being replaced by selfish materialism. Ye Rutang is a member of the old guard, not politically but morally, and her steadfast righteousness ultimately cannot withstand the societal changes sweeping through modern China. Despite the downbeat subject matter, Postmodern Life of My Aunt is lively and warm, possessing an evocative score from Hisaishi Joe (Spirited Away) and animated performances from its accomplished cast, including Shaw Brothers veteran Lu Yan (The 14 Amazons) and Vicki Zhao Wei (Shaolin Soccer) as Ye Rutang’s estranged daughter. Filled with surprising comedy, sharp melodrama, and engaging characters, The Postmodern Life of My Aunt is an original and affecting work from one of Hong Kong’s most renowned modern filmmakers." www.thesupermovie.com
Introduction and discussion: Sheree Willis, Executive Director of the Confucius Institute, University of Kansas and Xiang Ping, Associate Professor, Huazhong Normal University and Visiting Scholar at the Confucius Institute at the University of Kansas
Films will be shown at the Rio Theatre in Overland Park, Kansas (80th and Metcalf Ave, one block west of Metcalf). All programs start at 10:00 a.m. All films are in Mandarin Chinese with English subtitles. The audience is invited to participate in the bilingual group discussions following each showing. For reasons beyond our control, programs may be subject to change without notice.
所有影片均将于堪萨斯Overland Park的 Rio Theater 剧院放映 (80th and Metcalf Ave)，放映时间为上午１０时，所有影片均为中文版本，附英文字母。放映结束后，欢迎观众参加双语影评。如因不可抗因素而有所变动，恕不另行通知。
A $1 per person donation is suggested. Seating is limited and is available on a first-come, first-served basis.
座位有限，先来先得。
Films may contain adult themes, images, and language. Parents should be aware that these films may be inappropriate for young children.
影片可能包含不适宜于未成年人的主题、画面或话语，敬请监护人注意.
For more information, contact the Confucius Institute at the University of Kansas, (913) 897-8613, ciku@ku.edu.
更多详情，敬请联系堪萨斯大学孔子学院！电话：（９１３）８９７－８６１３，Email: ciku@ku.edu.
Principal funding for this program is provided by the Kansas Humanities Council (www.kansashumanities.org), a nonprofit cultural organization promoting understanding of the history, traditions, and ideas that shape our lives and build community.
本次活动主赞助单位为堪萨斯人文学科委员会(www.kansashumanities.org)。堪萨斯人文学科委员会是一个旨在提升我们对历史、传统、观念的了解以塑造我们的生活、推进社区建设的非赢利文化组织。
