|
landmarks
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]
China: The Long March
(48
minutes)
A 1986 production on the thousands of miles retreat to Yan'an.
<$16.50>
[IU]
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]
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]
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]
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]
Unruly Dragon: The Yellow River (47
minutes)
Produced in 1990.
<$17.75 rental>
[IU]
INDIA
Ancient India (48
minutes)
The antecedents of modern Indian culture can be traced back to the Harappan civilization,
which flourished between 2300 and 1500 BC in what are now Pakistan and Afghanistan. This
program examines the religious tension between Hinduism, Buddhism, and Islam, and the
historical events that shaped the great Indian civilizations, from the Mauryab Empire
through the Mogul Empire. Maps and scholars provide insight into a culture that remains
vibrant and diverse today.
<Purchase $129/Rental $75>
[FHS]
Ganges, The (45
minutes)
Addresses the history, geography, and legend of India's holiest river.
<$149/$75>
[FHS]
Great Indian Railway, The (115 minutes)
A National Geographic production which takes viewers on one of the world's largest
and most remarkable rail systems. See the Himalayas, the Ganges, and the
cities.
<$19.95>
[PBS]
Timeless Village of the Himalayas (35
minutes)
Devprayag, a vestige of 5,000 year old Vedic culture. Won first prize from American
Video Conference.
[CC]
INDONESIA
Only in Indonesia: Arts and Culture (30
minutes)
The melting pot of southeast Asia, includes Hindu temple remains and dances.
[CC] JAPAN
Hiroshima: The Legacy
(30 minutes)
A visit to the peace museum in Hiroshima. The message is that a repeat
of the atomic bombing must somehow be avoided.
<$90>
[FHS]
Japan: The Island Empire
A video tour of Japan, including Tokyo, feudal castles, and other
monuments.
<$25>
[F]
Traditional Japanese Architecture
(30 minutes)
Detailed examination of a seventeenth century building, the Katsura
Imperial Villa in Kyoto. Follows restoration efforts.
<$149/$75>
[FHS]
Back to TOP
RURAL
REGIONS
CHINA
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]
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]
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]
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.
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]
INDIA
Dadi and Her Family: A Rural Mother-in-Law in North India
(45
minutes)
Best available film on women in rural India.
Faces of Man Series: India (1986) (23
minutes)
Looks at caste, cites, and rural areas.
<$14>
[IU]
School Story (30
minutes)
Looks at one school in backwater India (in Haryana state) and in urban Amman, Jordan.
Considers the role of education in economic development and social progress.
[CC]
INDONESIA
Indonesia's Doctor of Happiness (30
minutes)
Dr. Suyono travels about promoting small families. Abortions are illegal in
Indonesia and the government promotes birth control through economic incentives.
[CC]
NEPAL
Nepal: On Top of the World (30
minutes)
Environment threatened by development/deforestation. Industrialist Prabhakar
Rana,
with the support of the World Wildlife Fund, is balancing industrialization and protection
of the environment.
[CC]
Sherpa (29
minutes)
Follows a typical sherpa family high in the Himalayas. First place, National Educational
Film Festival.
[CC]
THAILAND
Thailand Before Buddha (44
minutes)
Explores legends and archaeological finds to learn about prehistoric Thailand. Includes a
visit to jungle nomads, people considered to be following ancient ways.
<Purchase $149/
Rental $75>
[FHS]
VIETNAM
Hitchhiking Vietnam: Letters from the Trail (1997) (60 minutes)
Karin Muller quits her Boston job and takes her video camera with her on a remarkable and
lengthy trip into Vietnam’s cities, villages, and mountains. Highly recommended.
<$19.95>
[PBS]
Back to TOP
URBAN
regions
CHINA
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
To Taste A Hundred Herbs (1986)
Examines the life and work of a Catholic doctor in Long Bow.
[LB]
INDIA
Bombay: Our City (82 minutes); (57 minute version
also available)
Bombay is an enormous city in size and social distance. Roughly half of
Bombay's population live in slum conditions. This 1985 film examines how those
four million people, most of whom are employed, endure. The film received
several international festival awards at the time of its release. Anand
Patwardhan, director.
<Purchase $490/Rental $125>
[FRIF]
Faces of Man Series: India (1986) (23
minutes)
Looks at caste, cites, and rural areas.
<$14>
[IU]
School Story (30
minutes)
Looks at one school in backwater India (in Haryana state) and in urban Amman, Jordan.
Considers the role of education in economic development and social progress.
[CC]
INDONESIA
Indonesia's Doctor of Happiness (30
minutes)
Dr. Suyono travels about promoting small families. Abortions are illegal in
Indonesia and the government promotes birth control through economic incentives.
[CC]
JAPAN
Osaka Story (1994) (84 minutes)
Filmmaker Toichi Nakata spent three years abroad and upon his return
documented the strains that had developed in his family. Nakata's father is a
Korean immigrant to Japan and has difficulties serving as a bridge between his
Korean family and his wife's Japanese family. His siblings are also
confronting competing loyalties and desires.
<Purchase: $440/Rental: $100>
[FRIF]
Tokyo in Tennessee
(15 minutes)
Examines the Nissan plant in Tennessee. A 1982 production.
<$10.50 rental>
[KU]
VIETNAM
Hitchhiking Vietnam: Letters from the Trail (1997) (60 minutes)
Karin Muller quits her Boston job and takes her video camera with her on a remarkable and
lengthy trip into Vietnam’s cities, villages, and mountains. Highly recommended.
<$19.95>
[PBS]
Back to TOP
|
