Chinese studies

Find out what sessions we are able to offer in the area of Chinese Studies

Interactive workshop on Chinese Cinema

Dr Angela Becher

Overview

These sessions can be delivered to either GCSE or A-level cohorts and will discuss different aspects of Chinese cinema, including the following topics:

• Which Chinese films are popular in the West? And why?
• The so-called generations of Chinese filmmakers. How does the director’s personal experience influence how a film is made?
• Popular everywhere: Kung Fu films. Discussion of their origins and appropriation of the genre in Western cinema
• What can film teach us about Chinese history?
• Independent documentaries: addressing what nobody else dares to talk about?

These interactive seminar-style sessions can be tailored for students interested in studying Chinese as well as Film Studies. For students considering taking up Chinese this would include an introduction to the language to get an idea of the exciting world of Chinese characters and tones in the context of China’s long history. 

What we provide/deliver

• Delivery of a session (between 45 and 90 minutes, depending on requirements), including:
• A brief language taster session which introduces the Chinese language to absolute beginners
• Discussion of brief film clips which are placed in the appropriate cultural context
• An entertaining quiz that tests your general knowledge about China
• PowerPoint slides with background materials
• Bibliography with materials for further study

Topics covered / relevance to GCSE and A-level syllabus

• Discussion of films that lie outside the conventional US/European canon
• Discussion of national and global identities and cultures
• Provides an insight into cutting-edge research and materials studied on undergraduate modules