Beijing Film Academy Yearbook 2017

Wentao Ma, Hiu Man Chan

Description

The annual Beijing Film Academy Yearbook continues to showcase the best academic debates, discussions, and research published in the prestigious Journal of Beijing Film Academy from the previous year. This volume brings together specially selected articles, covering the most up-to-date topics in Chinese cinema studies appearing for the first time in English, in order to bridge the gap in cross-cultural research in cinema and media studies, as well as to encourage new conversations. 

Notes on Translation

Preface

Chapter 1: Discussion Panel on the Survival of Film Festivals and Arthouse Cinema Exhibitions in China

Wu Guanping, Zhang Xianmin, Sha Dan and Yang Cheng

Chapter 2: A Series of Essays on the Historical Experience of Chinese Film Criticism and Its Ongoing Challenges

Dai Jinhua, Wang Yichuan, Rao Shuguang, Zhang Yiwu, Zhang Wei, Chen Xuguang and Chen Xiaoyun

Chapter 3: The Ambitious Position of Subjectivity in Mr Six

Zhang Huiyu

Chapter 4: Political Pedagogy, Entertainment and Religious Doctrine: The Triple Identity of Cinema in Republican Era China

Lui Dishan

Chapter 5: The Awkward Spectator and Dormant Subjectivity: The Reconfiguration and Reconceptualisation of Subjectivity in Film Spectatorship According to the 'Bullet Curtain' Phenomenon

Zhao Yue

Chapter 6: The Generic Discourse of Taiwanese Social Realist Crime Films (1979–83): An On-Screen Reflection of Taiwan in the 1970s

Li Ying

Chapter 7: The 'Suffering Narrative' and New Crude Stage Play

He Liang

Chapter 8: Revisit and Re-review: Producing Yan Ruisheng and Rethinking Its Significance in Chinese Film History

Zhang JuanJuan

Notes on Contributors

Journal of BFA Advisory and Editorial Board

Notes on Intellect China Library Series

Sujets

• Media Studies
• Social Science
• Sociologie, société et politique
• Cinema of Asia
• General officer
• General

Informations

• Publié par: Intellect Books
• Date de parution: 15 février 2019
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781783209323
• Langue: English

Extrait

First published in the UK in 2019 by
Intellect, The Mill, Parnall Road, Fishponds, Bristol, BS16 3JG, UK
First published in the USA in 2019 by
Intellect, The University of Chicago Press, 1427 E. 60th Street,
Chicago, IL 60637, USA
Copyright © 2019 Intellect Ltd
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission.
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
Series title: Intellect China Library
Series editor: Hiu Man Chan
Series ISSN: 2059-1985
Copy editor: Emma Rhys
Cover designer: Alex Szumlas
Production editor: Jessica Lovett
Translator: Wentao Ma
Typesetting: John Teehan
ISBN 978-1-78320-931-6
ePUB ISBN 978-1-78320-932-3
ePDF ISBN 978-1-78320-933-0
Printed and bound by TJ International, UK
Contents

Notes on Translation
Preface
Chapter 1: Discussion Panel on the Survival of Film Festivals and Arthouse Cinema Exhibitions in China
Wu Guanping, Zhang Xianmin, Sha Dan and Yang Cheng
Chapter 2: A Series of Essays on the Historical Experience of Chinese Film Criticism and Its Ongoing Challenges
Dai Jinhua, Wang Yichuan, Rao Shuguang, Zhang Yiwu, Zhang Wei, Chen Xuguang and Chen Xiaoyun
Chapter 3: The Ambiguous Position of Subjectivity in Mr Six
Zhang Huiyu
Chapter 4: Political Pedagogy, Entertainment and Religious Doctrine: The Triple Identity of Cinema in Republican Era China
Lui Dishan
Chapter 5: The Awkward Spectator and Dormant Subjectivity: The Reconfiguration and Reconceptualization of Subjectivity in Film Spectatorship According to the ‘Bullet Curtain’ Phenomenon
Zhao Yue
Chapter 6: The Generic Discourse of Taiwanese Social Realist Crime Films (1979–83): An On-Screen Reflection of Taiwan in the 1970s
Li Ying
Chapter 7: The ‘Suffering Narrative’ and New Crude Stage Play
He Liang
Chapter 8: Revisit and Re-review: Producing Yan Ruisheng and Rethinking Its Significance in Chinese Film History
Zhang JuanJuan
Notes on Contributors
Journal of BFA Advisory and Editorial Board
Notes on Intellect China Library Series
Notes on Translation

The practice of delivering clear and accurate English representation of Chinese names has always been a challenge in translation. Many different attempts have been made, but an agreed format has yet to be established. The Intellect China Library series has also been experimenting with different methods of translation since its inception, in order to determine the clearest representation to our readership, both with or without knowledge of the Chinese language.
Throughout this volume, several new methods have been applied in order to distinguish Chinese surnames and given names. In this book we have decided to set editor and contributor surnames in bold. We have retained the chapter text as this is only an experiment in terms of representing Chinese names in English, we would like to hear your feedback and suggestion to improve our future practices.
Most English representations of Chinese characters in this volume are based on their Mandarin pronunciation. An endnote with the original characters will be included at the end of each article, if necessary, for the clarification of specificities.
Preface

Initiated by Mark Lewis, Managing Director of Intellect and Professor Wu Guanping, Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Beijing Film Acacademy , this is the third publication of the Beijing Film Academy Yearbook project, as part of the Intellect China Library series.
What this particular project aims to do, is in a hope to enhance a cross-cultural academic conversation on the research on cinema, through introducing the latest research on cinema by Chinese scholars to Intellect’s readers. Any academic translation project is not easy, our BFA Yearbook in English is still learning and developing. As an annual practice, articles are selected at the end of each year by the Beijing Film Academy Yearbook editorial board, they are then translated and compiled into a volume in English. The only regret we have of this project is its slight delay in publication; each Yearbook is approximately one year behind the materials’ original release, due to the process of translation, editorial and production. However, this is a necessary period, from the series editor and the publisher’s point of view, in order to ensure its quality.
Indeed, some of the contents in these Yearbooks are more like a piece of criticism rather than a style which follows a standard peer-reviewed article. What these translated materials can offer to scholars who work in English-language academia, however, is their domestic insights, opinions, commentaries, industrial updates which will open many new opportunities and ideas toward the research of Chinese cinema and cinema in general. It is the belief of the Intellect China Library series, that only through translating outstanding research and writing by Chinese scholars into English, may we achieve a cross-cultural intellectual dialogue and mutual understanding. Beijing Film Academy Yearbook is only at the beginning of this ambition, and the wider project.
Beijing Film Academy Yearbook 2017 would not have been possible without the commitment of Wentao Ma , translator of this volume; Katie Evans and Jessica Lovett from Intellect, production managers of this project; Aleksandra Szumlas, designer of the book cover; and finally Beijing Film Academy, for their trust and faith in Intellect to deliver their academic voices to the globe on their behalf.
Chapter 1

Discussion Panel on the Survival of Film Festivals and Arthouse Cinema Exhibitions in China
Wu Guanping, Zhang Xianmin, Sha Dan and Yang Cheng
Date: 4 December 2015 Location: Department of Film Studies, Beijing Film Academy Panelists: Wu Guanping (Professor of Film Studies, Beijing Film Academy; Editor-in-Chief of the Beijing Film Academy Journal ) Zhang Xianmin (Professor of Literature, Beijing Film Academy) Sha Dan (Programmer, China Film Archive) Yang Cheng (Art Director, China Independent Film Festival; Founder of the ‘Rear Window Exhibition’; Vice President of Laurel Films)
Wu Guanping (hereafter referred to as Wu ): When considering Chinese art cinema in the past, we primarily focused on making a case for its existence, and on how to make a space for its survival. However, the recent change in the status of the Chinese film industry has altered the attitude of arthouse filmmakers. The issue of survival has subtly progressed to the question of arthouse cinema exhibition. Today, film exhibition ranges from regular screenings at the China Film Archive in Beijing, to more specialized curation at commercial cinema chains. Will these changes motivate a diverse model for Chinese cinema exhibition in the future? And how would this affect the development of Chinese arthouse films and the dynamics of Chinese film festivals and exhibitions? We will also discuss the multiple exhibition spaces provided by the film festival and the issues that have arisen as a result of changes in modern forms of communication. Professors Zhang Xianmin, Sha Dan, Yang Cheng and I would also like to offer some insights into the commitment of the Beijing Film Academy to continue to organize film festivals and curate film exhibitions in China. Let us now begin our discussion around these topics.
Zhang Xianmin (hereafter referred to as Zhang ): Generally speaking, there are two perspectives that dominate the topic of film festivals and exhibitions in China: the horizontal perspective and the vertical perspective. In my opinion, horizontally, commercial cinema is always globalized, perhaps the only regionality is through its representation of ethnicities and nations. However, when it comes to this type of representation, it does not necessarily have to be a commercial model, nor must it have a direct relationship with globalization.
Hence, arthouse cinema in some European countries is not intended to make a profit, but endowed with certain ideas on the freedom to promote cultural difference. We are also aware that the Academy Awards (aka the Oscars), the most important award ceremony in Hollywood, is not a film festival but a commercially driven forum. In the specific context of China, there is also the horizontal integration of national politics in film to consider.
The integration of national politics in film is reflected in the government regulation of the Shanghai International Film Festival (SIFF). Obstacles arise when certain provincial governments or large corporations attempt to establish regional film festivals, such as the Wanda corporation’s involvement with the Qingdao International Film Festival. Political integration in film is beset with conflicts, so I very much doubt the assertion that film festivals and exhibitions contribute to political integration. To most political leaders, the larger a festival is, the more it should be included in the commercial tendency of globalization. In this sense, horizontal integration, no matter whether it is led by Hollywood or another political or commercial power, does not tolerate any form of multiplicity or diversity.
Consequently, does the share and dispersion of power shift, considering cultural awareness relies on the greater vision of government? Or does it rely on the value of film itself in the specific context of China? In my opinion, there are two types of horizontal integration: the first is commercial globalization and the second is the intensification of political power.
Vertically speaking, we need a more complex system in order to evaluate the complexity of film itself. And such complex system should be starting from an historical perspective. However, there is currently only one evaluation system, which is the box office. The period between 1910 and 1950 was a golden age of cinema in China, but the box office