The New Chinese Documentary Film Movement

By: Chris Berry

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Synopsis: The New Chinese Documentary Film Movement is a groundbreaking project unveiling recent documentary film work that has transformed visual culture in China, and brought new immediacy along with a broader base of participation to Chinese media. As a foundational text, this volume provides a much-needed introduction to the topic of Chinese documentary film, the signature mode of contemporary Chinese visual culture. These essays examine how documentary filmmakers have opened up a unique new space of social commentary and critique in an era of rapid social changes amid globalization and marketization. The essays cover topics ranging from cruelty in documentary to the representation of Beijing; gay, lesbian and queer documentary; sound in documentary; the exhibition context in China; authorial intervention and subjectivity; and the distinctive "on the spot" aesthetics of contemporary Chinese documentary. This volume will be critical reading for scholars in disciplines ranging from film and media Studies to Chinese studies and Asian studies. Chris Berry is the professor of film and television studies at Goldsmiths, University of London. Lu Xinyu is professor and director of the Broadcasting and Television Department of the Journalism School at Fudan University in Shanghai. Lisa Rofel is professor of anthropology at University of California, Santa Cruz.