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All Under Heaven
(1985) (58 minutes)
Change and continuity in rural China.
Ancient China (50 minutes)
From the creation legend of Pan Ku to the demise of the Han Dynasty, this
program traces Chinese history and explores the roots of Chinese culture today. Visit the
Great Wall if China as scholars discuss why it remains even today a symbol of oppression,
exemplified in the legend of the weeping woman; the Imperial Palace and how it exemplifies
Chinese beliefs in harmony; and the Beijing Opera, whose works are an elaborate retelling
of traditional folktales. The influences of Buddhism, ancestor worship, and Taoism in
China are also discussed, along with stunning footage of the Buddhist caves and the Terra
Cotta Army.
<Purchase $129 / Rental $75>
[FHS]
Battle of China (60
minutes)
Part of the US Government's World War II propaganda series "Why We Fight." This
series was originally intended to indoctrinate US soldiers as they prepared to enter
combat, but President Roosevelt decided that it should be shown to the general public to
help marshal support for the war effort. Directed by Arthur Litvak under the general
supervision of Frank Capra. Interesting for its stark presentation of the
"virtuous Chinese" and the "cunning and determined
Japanese." Most useful for examining American perceptions of East Asia.
<Available from many retailers, including The Scholar’s Bookshelf, for about
$12>
Beyond the Clouds (240 minutes)
Investigates life in Lijiang, a Naxi minority region of Yunnan province.
Follows
police investigation of a murder, the activities of an independent businessman, the effort of a college teacher to help her handicapped daughter, and the concerns of a doctor
that his practice be continued. Fascinating, but clearly teachers will need to select
short segments for presentation to the class.
[NG and PBS]
Biography: Chiang Kai-shek [Jiang
Kaishek] (50
minutes)
Chiang dominated Chinese politics for much of three decades, struggling with
warlords, foreign invasion, and a determined Communist insurgency. Cunning,
Chiang sometimes formed alliances with his rivals and usually managed to
retain control. Ultimately, however, he was defeated by the Communists and was
forced to flee to Taiwan where he kept martial law in place and remained
steadfast in his opposition to reconciliation with the Communist forces
holding the mainland. Chiang died in 1975.
[A&E]
Biography: Confucius
(50 minutes)
The ideas of Confucius, who lived about the same time as Socrates and the
Buddha, had enormous influence on intellectual and cultural lives of East
Asian peoples for centuries.
[A&E]
Biography: Marco Polo
(50 minutes)
Investigates the life and adventures of the medieval merchant who introduced China to
Europe. Includes reenactments.
[A&E]
Back to TOP
China Call, The (58
minutes)
Subtitled "American Missionaries in China" and the second in a six part series
"The Dragon and the Eagle." Interviews and diary accounts are
supplemented
with newsreel footage and film from personal collections.
[FHF]
China in Revolution (110 minutes)
Written, directed, and produced by Sue Williams in 1989. Two parts (1911-1936,
1937-1949) trace the Chinese experience from the 1911 revolution ending the imperial era
to the communist triumph. Rich interviews and use of newsreel footage.
Highly recommended. Easily the best work now available on twentieth-century Chinese
political history.
<$129 or $199 for this set and "The Mao Years."; rental: $17.75 each>
[IU and Z]
China Kaleidoscope
This series was put together by Nan Hai Arts Center from Chinese television news
magazine shows. It provides an opportunity to get a Chinese perspective on
Chinese life. There are four tapes available, each 50 minutes long.
Contact Nan Hai for a detailed list of subjects on the various tapes. For
example, Tape 1 includes Beijing's Markets, The Water Shortage in Xi'an, Life in a
Chinese Village, the Li Yuan Theater in Beijing, China's Pop Stars Go On Tour,
Fashion in Beijing, Women Police Officers in Training, and more. The tapes are
in mandarin with English subtitles.
<Each is $34.95; the set is $125.82>
China Now (30
minutes)
A 1990 WNET production.
<Available for $9.95>
[IU]
China on the March
Enakashi Bhavani's documentary on the early years of Communist rule in China (1949-1958).
[F]
China Yellow, China Blue
(104 minutes)
This two part 1998 film draws upon newsreel footage and contrasts two Chinas:
one rural and of the interior and the other urban and coastal. Ahmed Lallem,
director.
<Purchase: $490/Rental $100>
[FRIF]
China's Cosmopolitan Age: The Tang
(1993) (60 minutes)
Written and produced by Professor Chung-wen Shih, examines the golden age
of Chinese culture. During the Tang dynasty (seventh-ninth
centuries), China was remarkably open to foreign trade and ideas. It was
great era for music, dance, poetry, and art and represented the period in
Chinese history where Buddhism had its greatest influence. Parts of the
documentary are extraordinary, but its pacing is uneven. There is a review of
this film in Education About Asia (v. 2 n.1, spring 1997).
<Available for [IU]
rental: $12.45; Also available from PBS>
China: The Cold Red War
(70
minutes)
Studies the ideological (and sometimes shooting) war between the Soviet Union and the
People's Republic of China in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
[F]
China: The Long March
(48
minutes)
A 1986 production on the thousands of miles retreat to Yan'an.
<$16.50>
[IU]
China: The Middle Kingdom (1985)
(50
minutes)
Addresses the people,
the
environment, and customs.
<Available for rent from Kent State;
$30.50>
[KU]
China: Unleashing the Dragon (1995)
This four part documentary attempts to show how economic reform is changing
China and also looks at Hong Kong's relationship with the mainland. The four
parts, each 50 minutes in length, are:
-Deng's Legacy
-The Fragile Rice Bowl
-The Soul of the Master
-Hong Kong and the Boom Towns
<Purchase: $490/Rental: $150>
[FRIF]
China's Forbidden City
(50 minutes)
This video offers a tour and a bit of the history of the imperial palace at
the center of Beijing. For five centuries, this was the center of imperial
authority.
[A&E]
Chinese Art: Treasures of the National Palace Museum
(41
minutes)
This program spotlights 33 works of Chinese art seldom ever seen outside of
the National Palace Museum in Taiwan. Spanning approximately 5,000 years of history, this diverse
collection of pieces includes a Neolithic pottery jar; bronze fangzun and fangyi
vessels from the late Shang-early Zhou period; a bronze ding
vessel from the Late Western Zhou period; a Tang figurine in sacai glaze; a Ming
cup in doucai enamels; and a Qing cylindrical curio cabinet. Displayed in
chronological order and shown from numerous angles, these cultural artifacts comprise an
indispensable educational resource for art history and Asian studies curriculums. Access
points, provided in index forms, make locating each artifact easy.
<Purchase $129/ Rental $75>
[FHS]
Chinese History Series
Produced for Indiana University, videotapes are available for purchase but not for rent.
16 mm films are available for rent ($20 each). Tapes are
generally 20 minutes long. Programs include:
-The Beginnings
-The Making of a Civilization
-Hundred Schools to One
-The First Empires
-The Great Cultural Mix
-The Golden Age
-The Heavenly Khan
-The Age of Maturity
-Under the Mongols
-The Restoration
-The Manchu Rule
-The Coming of the West
-The Enduring Heritage
For many years, these were the only works available on earlier periods of Chinese
history and they remain unusual in their complete coverage. Some segments are much better
than others. Most consist of narration over still images.
[IU]
Chinese Prison Labor: Inside China's Gulag
(52
minutes)
Harry Wu spent 19 years in China's reform through labor prison camp system. In
the 1980s and 1990s, he has returned to China to investigate and film conditions in
the camps. Here he shows the nature of imprisonment and the economic benefits the regime
derives from prison production. Wu’s films have been shown on British
television and on CBS’s "60 Minutes."
<Purchase $149/ Rental $75>
[FHS]
Back to TOP
Dateline: 1989, Tiananmen Square (23
minutes)
[IU]
Electric Shadows (1993)
(30 minutes)
This film looks at a team of film projectionists who travel rural Sichuan
presenting films. Film fare has changed with the political changes in China.
Now the projectionists show martial arts films and other crowd pleasers. Herve
and Renaud Cohen, filmmakers.
<Purchase: $225/Rental $50>
[FRIF]
Felix Greene's One Man's China
This is a 1973 series, one of the first to come from China. They are on 16 mm film
and are 25 minutes in length. They
reflect the sort of generous view held by many Western progressives about China during the
Cultural Revolution. Series include:
-A Great Treasure House--Medicine in China
-Eight or Nine in the Morning
-Friendship First, Competition Second
-One Nation, Many Peoples
-Self-Reliance
-The People's Army
-The People's Communes
<They can be rented from Kent State;
$15.75 each>
First Emperor of China, The
Qin Shi Huang's story and tomb are explored in this laserdisc. Coverage includes the
initial excavation in 1974 and detailed discussion of the finds so far.
[F]
First Moon
(1987) (37 minutes)
Focuses on rural Chinese celebrations of the lunar new year.
From Courtyard House to Block Apartment (1987)
(23
minutes)
This film by Wynette Yao examines how shifting to modern housing affects
people in Taiwan.
<Purchase: $220/Rental $50>
[FRIF]
Gate of Heavenly Peace, The (1995)
The 1995 Richard Gordon/Carma Hinton (Longbow) documentary for PBS is remarkably well
supported on the web, including links to a wide variety of primary source selections and
biographical entries on key players in the Beijing Spring drama. Highly recommended three
hour documentary which reveals the miscalculations made by student leaders and Chinese
officials. Includes a wealth of interviews. Controversial in China and in the exile
community. Visit the award-winning program website.
Twice shown on PBS’s Frontline series to mark the June 4th anniversary of the
suppression of the movement.
Generations: A Chinese Family (28
minutes)
Produced by Maryknoll Media. Looks at how a contemporary family preserves
its traditions while dealing with the modern world.
[F]
Genius That Was China, The
(1990)
Interesting but often inaccurate depiction of China's glory and relative decline. Based in
large on the Joseph Needham "Science and Civilisation in China" series.
A Film Australia production. There is a well-illustrated book published under a couple of
titles (including "The Genius") to accompany the series. Four 58-minute videos:
-Rise of the Dragon
-Empires in Collision
-The Threat from Japan
-Will the Dragon Rise Again?
<Available for
rent from Indiana
University ($17.75 each) and Kent State ($33.75 each)>
[IU and KU]
Back to TOP
Heart of the Dragon, The
Produced by Peter Montagnon and a British film crew in 1981-1983 and originally broadcast
in the US in 1985, this twelve hour series features outstanding looks at everyday life in
rural and urban China. The crew had remarkable access and examined the full
range of human activity. Programs include:
-Remembering (interaction
between tradition and modernity in today's China)
-Eating (agriculture, food,
festivals), Living (village life)
-Believing (Confucianism, Buddhism, and
Daoism's persistence in China)
-Caring (mental health treatment)
-Marrying (rural marriage, ceremonies, and
celebrations)
-Mediating (divorce)
-Working (industrial labor)
-Correcting (law, courts, and punishment)
-Creating (art, music)
-Understanding (science, ecology)
-Trading
(economic development, foreign trade)
Though some segments are a bit dated
(particularly those dealing with economic matters), this remains the best
comprehensive series on contemporary China. A series of 26 half-hour lessons has been recently constructed from the original
programs along with new presentations from specialists. This series is called
"The Chinese." [PBS]
The University of Michigan Center for Chinese Studies has published
two editions of
"The
Chinese" to accompany the series and there are also student and teacher guides
available.
Immigrant Story (1999) (20 minutes)
Mr. Lo lives in Hong Kong and has managed to bring his three children from
Shan Wei in southern China. His wife, however, is not permitted to migrate,
even after the reunification of Hong Kong with China. The film shows the
family's impoverished living conditions and follows it on a holiday visit back
to Shan Wei. Yvonne Yuen Nan Ng, director.
<Purchase: $185/Rental $45>
[FRIF]
In Search of History: The Boxer Rebellion
(50
minutes)
This video begins by noting the triumphant return of Hong Kong to Chinese
sovereignty and links this to the theme of the Chinese trying to determine
what could be done on their own territory. The Boxer Rebellion of 1900 was a
populist uprising against foreigners and particularly against foreign
religions. The video details the suppression of the movement.
<$20>
[A&E]
Legacy: China (60
minutes)
One of the segments in the six part series written and hosted by Michael Wood. Looks
at religion, philosophy, bureaucratic government, and trade.
[PBS]
Lost Civilizations: China
(48 minutes)
Part of a 10 video series, this segment examines the early Chinese empire.
[A&E]
Back to TOP
Mao: The Real Man (1995) (54 minutes)
Filmmaker Szilvesztor Siklosi uses newsreel footage, photographs, documents,
and well-known historical events to present a wholly fictional story.
<Purchase: $390/Rental: $75>
[FRIF]
Mao by Mao
(28
minutes)
A video examination of Mao's philosophy and practices as revealed in his own
writings.
<$90>
[FHS]
Mao Years, The
(110 minutes)
Part I: Catch the Stars and the Moon, 1949-1960
Part II: It's Right to Rebel, 1961-1976.
Sequel to China in Revolution, written, produced and directed by Sue Williams. Outstanding
narrative history of China during the Mao era. Includes extensive interviews and
documentary film footage.
<$129 or $199 if purchased with "China in Revolution">
[Z]
Misunderstanding China
(52
minutes)
16 mm film, a 1972 CBS Reports production with Charles Kuralt. This is an outstanding, if
dated production drawing on film clips to demonstrate shifting, and usually inaccurate,
perceptions of China. Produced at the time of Nixon’s visit to the PRC. Highly
recommended.
<$24.65>
[IU]
Modern Marvels: China's Great Dam
The Three Gorges Dam under construction on China's Yangzi River will be
607 feet high and 1.5 miles from end to end. Proponents cheer its potential to
help avert floods and to produce much needed energy while opponents condemn
the ecological impact of the project.
[A&E]
Modern Marvels: The Great Wall of China
(50 minutes)
One of the great engineering wonders of the world, China's Great Wall was
unified twenty-two centuries ago and stretches 6,000 kilometers from the sea
to the desert.
<$20>
[A&E]
Nightline: Student Protest in China (30
minutes)
Focus on the Tiananmen Square democracy demonstrations of 1989. Includes interviews with
Chinese reporters, officials, and others.
[F]
North China Commune
(81
minutes)
Produced by the National Film Board of Canada. This video explores life on a
commune in rural North China. Decollectivization of agriculture has occurred
since this video was made, but it is a useful look at practices during the
Mao era.
[F]
Nova: Can China Kick the Habit?
(55
minutes)
Introduced by former U.S. Surgeon General C. Everitt Coop, video examines China's
experience with tobacco and the current effort to reduce addiction. Program looks at
the popularity of foreign brands and the effort to expand market share. Originally
produced in 1989, broadcast in 1994. Raises excellent questions about the ethics of increasing US exports of tobacco while trying to curtail its use by Americans.
[PBS]
Nova: China's Only Child (1987)
(55 minutes)
British production which examines how China's one-child family policy is carried out in
Changzhou, a southern city. Includes interviews with officials and others.
Excellent.
[PBS]
Back to TOP
Old Men (1999) (94 minutes)
Lina Yang, an independent filmmaker who is a graduate of the People's
Liberation Army Art Academy, spent time in 1996 with a group of old men who
gathered everyday in a street near her home. The men were as regular in their
routine as factory workers. The film has received several awards at
international festivals.
<Purchase: $440/Rental: $100>
[FRIF]
One Village in China
Produced by Richard Gordon and Carma Hinton. This team had unparalleled
access to the people of Long Bow, a village made famous by William Hinton's
books on land reform (Fanshen) and collectivization (Shenfan)
there. A half hour high school version of these documentaries are also
available. Excellent videos.
Rape of Nanking [Nanjing], The (50 minutes)
In December 1937, Japanese forces succeeded in fighting their way to the
Chinese capital at Nanjing. In the months that followed, many Chinese
civilians in and around the city were killed or otherwise abused. This video
argues that some 350,000 soldiers and civilians were slaughtered. It draws
upon the diary of John Rabe, a German present in the city.
[A&E]
Re-education in Shanghai
(56
minutes)
Visit a re-education facility to see how the thought of laborers, bored wives,
businessmen, and party members is reformed.
<$149/$75>
[FHS]
Religion and Culture in China
(28
minutes)
A Maryknoll Media documentary on the revival of religious practice in contemporary China.
[F]
Back to TOP
Salisbury's Report on China: The Revolution and Beyond (150 minutes)
Harrison Salisbury, distinguished author and journalist, hosts this series which traces
the Communist era in China from the civil war to the democracy protests of the 1980s.
Three parts:
I. The Leaders of the Revolution
II. Slogans and Policies
III. From Liberalization to Crackdown.
Salisbury’s books on the Long March and on
Mao and Deng are also helpful resources for teaching about twentieth-century China.
<$249 [FHS]; available for rent
from Kent State for $15.75 per
program>
Silk Road, The
Two sets of six one hour videos. These programs explore the art, history and culture
of China and Central Asia. The Silk Road linked Europe and China and was
traveled
by Marco Polo. 1992 production of Chinese Central Television and Japan's NHK.
Two sets:
-Set I:
-Glories of Ancient
Chang'an
-One Thousand Kilometers Beyond
the Yellow River
-Art Gallery in the Desert (Dunhuang)
-The Dark Castle; In Search
of the Kingdom of Loulan
-Across the Taklamakan Desert.
-Set II: Khotan:
-Oasis of Silk and Jade
-A Heat Wave Called
Turfan
-Through the Tian Shan Mountains by Rail
-Journey Into Music -- South Through the Tian
Shan Mountains
-Where Horses Fly Like the Wind
-Two Roads to the
Pamirs.
<These videos are available from the
Indiana University
film library ($12.15 each)>
[CT, F, and PBS]
Small Happiness
(1984) (58 minutes)
Examines the place of women in rural society and the impact of the Communist Party
on gender relations. The best known of the series and the best
documentary available on marriage and women.
Something for Everyone
(28
minutes)
1979 Film Australia production on 16 mm film. Follows a family in its life on
a Guangdong commune. <$18.75 rental>
[KU]
Students and Teachers
(10
minutes)
A 1973 Xerox/ABC production on 16 mm film. Consists of interviews during the Cultural
Revolution.
<$8.50 rental>
[KU]
Sunrise Over Tiananmen Square
(1998) (29 minutes)
This film, nominated for an Academy Award, uses original artwork and animation
as well as archival materials to examine the filmmaker's experiences growing
up in China. The film was supported by Canada's National Film Board. Shui-bo
Wang, director.
<Purchase: $225/Rental: $60>
[FRIF]
Suzhou
(31
minutes)
1980 production on 16 mm film. Looks at the culture, history and economy of this
well-known city. University of California production.
<$18.75 rental>
[KU]
Swing in Beijing (2000)
(73 minutes)
Shui-bo Wang ("Sunrise Over Tiananmen Square") examines the contemporary
art scene in China, discussing censorship, fading support for the arts, and
the questionable value of Western recognition.
<Purchase: $440/Rental: $100>
[FRIF]
Back to TOP
Through the Consul's Eye (1999) (50 minutes)
Jorge Amat uses film, photos, and written materials from Auguste François, a
French diplomat in Southern China from 1896 to 1905.
<Purchase: $390/Rental: $75>
[FRIF]
Tragedy at Tiananmen: The
Untold Story
(60 minutes)
1989 production.
<$17.75 rental>
[IU]
True Story of Marco Polo, The
(50 minutes)
This video focuses on the contentions of Frances Wood, a British scholar who
believes that Marco Polo did not actually travel to China. The video includes
comments from Wood and others on the controversy.
[A&E]
To Taste A Hundred Herbs (1986)
Examines the life and work of a Catholic doctor in Long Bow.
[LB]
Unruly Dragon: The Yellow River (47
minutes)
Produced in 1990.
<$17.75 rental>
[IU]
Week in the Life of a Chinese Student, A (20
minutes)
A 1986 AIMS Media production on 16 mm film. Follows a junior high school
student.
<$13 rental>
[KU]
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