In this first gathering since the pandemic, we celebrate the two-decade journey of the Reel China Biennial, as well as the indomitable spirit and creative expression of independent filmmakers within and outside China. From a frenetic Beijing on the eve of the Olympics to the searching for lost homes and new visions in internal and external exile, there are narrative and visual surprises. The program of short and long films, fiction and non-fiction in analog and digital formats, bears sharp and delicate witness to the tumultuous changes in China and the world in the 21 st century.
Free and open to the public. RSVP required. Absolutely no exceptions. Preferred seating on a first come, first served basis. Plan to arrive early. Schedule below. See below for full program and filmmaker bios. Friday Oct. Saturday Oct. We hope to show it with the filmmakers in attendance in the early spring of A newly planted rose grows widely through iron fence, this short film explores the perception of the relationship between foreground and background.
An unspoken romance inevitably resurfaces when a high school music teacher meets an old colleague again and decides to perform together for the first time, after having long drifted apart, as piano duet partners. Appearing to be a couple, a woman and man reside together but have entirely separate lives.
Even so, their schedules are attuned to an agenda that tries to guide them toward a specific goal. An immigrant artist retreats to frozen prairies and forests, hoping to avoid the anxieties of dislocation and find a meaningful story. Gold Medal in experimental category of the 48th Student Academy Awards, Azhong is one of the very few people who dares to say no in the face of forced demolition. This is the place his family has lived for generations.
Originally densely populated, the village is demolished almost overnight, leaving only the building housing Azhong's family left standing in the middle of a large construction site. With water and electricity cut off, how is a family of four is able to carry on? But Azhong has made his preparations….
