Dear all,
The Centre of Research and Education in Arts and Media *(CREAM)* at
University of Westminster will present *a screening-seminar series:*
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*Polyphonic China - Chinese new independent documentaries*
* *
Venue: NLT2 Lecture Theatre 1 & 2 (Old Cinema), Regent Campus, University
of Westminster, 309 Regent Street, London W1B 2UW
Time: Tuesdays, 10th / 24th Feb, 10th /24th/ 31st Mar, 2009, 6pm -9 pm
All films are *subtitled in ENGLISH* and *FREE ENTRY* to everyone.
Except *Though
I am gone, all others* are *PREMIERE* in UK.
Please see the attachment for the poster and the programme detail.
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*The First section: *Tuesday 10th February 2009, 6pm – 9pm.**
Screening: *Crime and punishment* (2007), by director *Zhao Liang*. This
film has won:
· *The Best Director* at International Human Rights Documentary Film
Festival 2008
· *The Golden Balloon* at Festival des Trois Continents France 2008
· Also screened at Taiwan International Documentary Festival 2008
*With a presentation: "On the Edge: Zhao Liang and the Chinese Independent
Documentary Scene" *
Speaker: *Professor Chris Berry,* Goldsmiths College, University of London.
Chris Berry argues that China's independent documentary scene at the cutting
edge of its screen culture, even if it appears to be on the margins of
Chinese culture. Among the practitioners of this alternative culture, Zhao
Liang is one of the edgiest directors. He not only works with marginal
people, like drug addicts (Paper Airplane) or cops and criminals in the
Northeastern borderlands (Crime and Punishment). Furthermore, his reliance
on personal friendships to make people reveal potentially incriminating
behaviour takes his films to the limits of the ethically acceptable. Is this
"cruelty" (as Wang Yiman has called it) a fair price for documenting
unsettling truths, or is it exploitation of his subjects for our
spectatorial pleasure? Or both?
* *
*Synopsis of the film:*
There is more to today's China than the hypermodern urban complexes and
dazzling sports centres which we find in the media. The film offers an
unexpectedly authentic everyday portrait of the microcosm that is a police
station in the border regions, where the impact of China's economic boom has
not been felt. Reinforced units fight crime, though the results are often
confused and grotesque despite the diligence of the inexperienced young
officers. A mentally ill man calls them out over a "corpse" he has found in
his bed which turns out to be a crumpled duvet. Another man suspected of
robbery cannot be made to answer questions, even using violence, because he
is most likely dumb.
We are* *Looking forward to your participation and could you please forward
the event to scholars, students and anyone who would be interested in it!
Best wishes for the Year of Ox! **
* *
Tianqi Yu **
Ph.D candidate
Research Assistant of
Centre of Research and Education in Arts and Media
The school of Media, Arts and Design
University of Westminster
Watford Rd, Northwick Park
Harrow
Middlesex HA1 3TP
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