San Yuan Li (2003) & Town Migration (1999)

San Yuan Li (2003) & Town Migration (1999)

Tuesday, October 19, 2004 - 7:00pm to 8:30pm
Auditorium (Room 101), Henry R. Luce Hall See map
34 Hillhouse Avenue
New Haven, CT 6511

Free and open to the public. All films have English subtitles.

San Yuan Li
Directed by Ou Ning and Cao Fei, 2003 (44 min, Black & White)

This is a case study of a typical village-amid-the-city phenomenon in the process of the urbanization of Guangzhou presented by Ou Ning and Cao Fei under the commission of the 50th Venice Biennale. This work samples San Yuan Li Village. The crew penetrates San Yuan Li Village as “City Flaneur,” rethinking back into the depth of its history, the confrontation and reconciliation between the process of modernization, and the patriarchal clan system, as well as the rural community system in Guangdong. The bizarre architectures and views of humanity have been captured, all encapsulated into this black and white cine-poem.

Town Migration
Directed by Gou Xizhi, 1999 (94 min)

Datong is a 2,000-year old ancient town. The municipal government intends to reconstruct the town, which means that the locals on Herui Old Street will have to move as their houses are slated to be torn down. There are many reasons that the local people oppose this move, but most explain that they cherish the past of Herui Old Street and do not have enough money to build a new house. For local officials, migration and reconstruction are irreversible stipulations. The film depicts the seesaw battle between the government and town locals and presents a view of how common people strive for their own rights in an ancient town in China.

China Documentary Film Series – Showcasing films from REC Foundation’s REEL CHINA Documentary Festival 2004

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