Presenting River Elegy and more

Presenting River Elegy

1988. China. Directed by Xia Jun, Mi Ling Tsui. Sprung from the intellectual openness of reform-era China in the 1980s, this six-part TV documentary inspired fierce public debate. Its outspoken criticism of traditional Chinese culture as an obstacle to social progress was unprecedented for a nationally televised series. Following the Tiananmen Square incident of June 4, 1989, the documentary was censored and some of its creators fled China or were arrested. This one-hour condensed version conveys the film’s legacy as a progenitor of the independent documentary movement. Courtesy of Deep Dish TV and Shu Lea Cheang. In Mandarin; English subtitles. 58 min.

i.Mirror by China Tracy (aka: Cao Fei) Second Life Documentary Film

2007. China. Directed by Cao Fei. Artist and documentarian Cao Fei recorded her "experiences" within the online social platform Second Life. The result is a wistful, surreal vision of an alternative reality sprung from the pop culture fantasies and hyper-consumerism of contemporary urban China, while also trying to transcend its real-life limitations. It can be seen as an answer to the challenge posed by River Elegy: how to envision a new Chinese destiny founded on principles of individuality, creativity, discovery, and freedom. The film also reflects the contemporary condition of the virtual supplanting our experience of the real. In Mandarin; English subtitles. 28 min.