China on Film: An Introduction to Chinese Language Cinema

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With Philippa Lovatt This course is designed to provide an introduction to Chinese Language Cinema from the first ‘golden period' of the 1930s to the present day, including both Mainland Chinese film and the cinemas of Hong Kong and Taiwan. Organised around a weekly screening and seminar, it aims to provide a historical, political and cultural framework against which to view the films and an informal space in which to discuss their artistic merits. Over the 10 week course participants will cover a wide range of material including: the Shanghai film studios of the 1930s, the emergence of the female star figure, and the development of Chinese social realism; the growth of Chinese film genres such as the melodrama, the martial arts movie and the historical epic; the international success of the ‘Fifth' and ‘Sixth Generations'; and finally, censorship and the growth of digital and documentary filmmaking in today's PRC.