Contemporary documentary film about China's transformation
The Filmoteca de Catalunya in Barcelona starts today the first part of Wang Bing’s epic, three-part documentary, “Tie Xi Qu: West of Tracks", a 9 hours' documentary about the breath-taking economic transformation of the Middle Kingdom at the beginning in the early years of the first decade of this century. It portrays the steaddy decline of the economy and the people's living conditions in the indusrialised north of China (near Shenyang), once a boyant ecomomic area of the country.
For more info read Jeannette's Catsoulis' critics in the NYT.
For those of you who missed the 9 hours session at this year's BAFF, there is a second chance to see this important piece of documentary film history. The cicle starts today (22-05-07) at 7.30pm with "Rust", then it goes on on Wednesday at 7.00pm and concludes the following day (24-05-07) at 7.30pm with "Rails".
Part 1, “Rust”: 240 minutes
Part 2, “Remnants”: 175 minutes
Part 3, “Rails”: 130 minutes
Only 8 days to go for BAFF 2009
Next friday 27/04 starts the 9th edition of the Barcelona Asian Film Festival. This year's guest country is China!!! So have a look at the just released program. There will be of course, loads of Chinese movies. The opening film on friday night is the lastest work of Zhang Lu, a chinese director with Corean roots. The film is called Desert Dream, it was already shown at the Berlinale this year.
This year, the BAFF has also a blog.
Boycotting the Olympics?
Last monday Pierre Haski askes in his blog Cinq ans en Chine if it is necessary to boycott the Olympics in 2008 in Beijing.
Currently, the boycott issue seems part of the argy-bargy of the upcoming elections for French presidency this April. As it looks, one of the candidates François Bayrou has been saying that if he was elected the next French president he would favour a French boycott of Beijing 2008. His reasons are "humanitarian", he criticises the Chinese politics on Darfur and says the Chinese government is trading arms to the region, supporting the Sudan government and therefore responsible for the humanitarian consequences of the conflict.
Well, well. There might be many reasons why someone might consider a boycott policy on the Beijing Olympics, mainly reasons that concern the domestic lack of democracy in China.
In this case, I totally share PH's opinion, and the latter conclusions in the post, when he says, that would be like using an "atomic bomb" in a propaganda war against the Chinese:
Quote: "Avant d'en arriver à employer cette "bombe atomique", n'y a-t-il pas des moyens plus intelligents d'utiliser ces JO ?"
Asking the world to boycott a sports event because China is selling arms to Sudan? Come on, don't be so hypocrite! Where is France selling arms to? By those moral standards, WHO might be able to host Olympic games in the future? The isle of Vanuatu?
China in the focus at BAFF 2007
This year's Barcelona Asian Film Festival (BAFF) is dedicated to the new Chinese cinema. It will start on April 26th. During 10 days the 9th edition of the BAFF will show great, independent, fresh Asian cinema.
By the way, they are still looking for volunteers to help out durning the festival days form 26th of April until 6th of May 2007.
Welcome to the DIARRHEA clinic!
Friends from Barcelona who live in Shanghai sent me this picture. It's another great example of how Chinese translate their linguistic concepts into English. Not that it might not be a proper equivalent for the Chinese word but it's rather irritating to go to the DIARREHA clinic, don't you think so?
Thank's for the shot, Pau + Martina!
Do drunken driving !
Oh yeah! I'm back... sorry for the long silence but I was busy with the Barcelona wants MySpace campaign and other stuff. So, let's get back to a common issue: Chinenglish. Nora sent me this picture of a traffic sign from a Chinese highway: DO DRUNKEN DRIVE. It still amazes me how wrong it can get...
In a Spanish bar called Austria and run by Chinese
we could have a chat. Because writting a blog is like having a conversation with your friends, like in a bar. At least that's what my friend Oriol always says and he must know! Confused? Sorry, but I'm all excited because we've just launched a crazy internet campaign called Barcelona wants myspace.
The goal is to convince myspace.com to open up their headquarters in Spain in Barcelona! We know there're coming to Spain but they're still not sure where to go.
So, Barcelona people and Barcelona lovers: go to Barcelonawantsmyspace and join the campaign by leaving you text, image, video message. Just press the "sí quiero" botton and leave your message!
I keep you posted on how it's going!
Tibetan Cinema at the Human Rights Film Festival
It started yesterday in Barcelona but it's on until this Sunday: the Human Rights Film Festival in Barcelona. There are a few interesting films on Tibet made by Tibetans. [more info]
