Within the framework of a collaborative project devoted to popular memories of the Mao era funded by the RGC (HK) and the ANR (France), we are pleased to announce the publication of two filmographies of independent documentaries made in China since the early 1990s and devoted to popular memories of the Mao era. Compiled by my colleague Judith Pernin, they list over 80 films made in the last 25 years. Hope others find them useful.
Best,
Sebastian Veg <vegsebastian@gmail.com>
Independent Documentaries on the Mao Era (1992-2015)
This section is dedicated to documentaries made by independent filmmakers on the history of the Mao era (1949-1976) over the last 25 years. It is composed of two separate filmographies, which attempt to provide as full an overview as possible of this specific genre. Contrary to mainstream or official historical documentaries typically focusing on political figures and their actions, independent films attempt to depict the subjective experiences of historical events as they are remembered by « ordinary people ». Personal memories and subjectivity therefore hold an important position in this body of films, even though some independent filmmakers combine this subjective approach with an investigative method or an educational style. Both filmographies have been compiled over the span of two years during research carried out at independent film festivals and archives in the Mainland and Hong Kong, or directly through the help of filmmakers. These films have been selected for their contribution to the understanding of the Mao era, may they address historical issues directly or in a more allusive way. Most of these films have been duly watched, but due to the difficulty to obtain film copies inherent to the independent nature of the works, some titles have not been available. In this case, we relied on extensive descriptions, for instance in film festival catalogs, to assess their relevance.
The first filmography gathers documentaries of various styles and authors starting from 1992, the year following the first independent documentaries ever made in China. Although this list does not claim exhaustivity, it is the first attempt to systematically document what has emerged as a specific sub-genre of independent film in China. The selected works all address past experiences of the protagonists, shedding light on the daily life during the Mao era. However, some of the historical content of these films extends well beyond this period, for instance by relating events preceding the founding of the PRC with the period in scrutiny ; other times, the past is revisited in order to explain the historical causes of contemporary issues.
The Folk Memory Project Filmography (2010-2014)
The second filmography is dedicated to works produced in the framework of the Folk Memory Project (2010-now). Coordinated by documentary filmmaker Wu Wenguang at Caochangdi Workstation, this project initially aimed to provide oral testimonies on the Great Famine in the countryside all around China, with directors fanning out to villages they were familiar with to interview older people. This project quickly evolved towards other topics and an active participation of the filmmakers in the protagonists’ lives in the villages, setting these films apart from other historical independent documentaries. This filmography is the first attempt to provide a full list of films made within the project, and it has been compiled with the help of Caochangdi Workstation’s artists in residence.
New Approaches to the Mao Era: Project description
New Approaches to the Mao Era is a collaborative research project presented by a team of scholars from the University of Hong Kong and the CEFC, and funded under a joint scheme by the French Agence Nationale de la Recherche (ANR) and Hong Kong’s Research Grant Council (RGC). The program starts in March 2013 and runs for 3 years until February 2016. This project aims to lift the disciplinary barriers between various approaches to the unofficial history of the Mao era, as well as breaking new ground in each of the disciplinary areas (access to new archives; field work with hitherto undocumented citizen memory groups). Besides supporting the participants’ own research, this program aims at disseminating and exchanging scholarly findings by means of public workshops, conferences and publications. More information is available on the CEFC website.