« NAFF 2010 | Chocolate Underground | Main | NAFF 2010 | Digital Underground in the People's Republic of China »
NAFF 2010 | From Jean-Paul Sartre to Teresa Teng
By Gayatri BajpaiFrom Jean-Paul Sartre to Teresa Teng: Contemporary Cantonese Art in the 1980s
Hong Kong, 2010, 50min
Says one art critic Yang Xiaoyan, "the people are pragmatic in the southern province of Guangdong, China." They don't bother themselves too much with the esoteric or academic as much as the Mandarin-speakers do. Being independent spirits, the artists of the South were quick to accept more capitalist values at the end of the '80s and change their art accordingly. But what about the '80s themselves? What defined art in the south, which did not follow suit with the northern provinces and accept the '85 New Wave Movement that became 'a campaign' up north?
The Cantonese have often rebelled against the way things are done in Northern China
An artist claims there were famous, prominent artists in the north, but in the south there was a contemporary spirit that was widespread and exciting. The decade, for them, was a period of idealism and passion in Guangdong. Following the Cultural Revolution, these Chinese were intent on catching up with all the Western thought and artistic movements they had missed out on when their publishing was suppressed and there had been a low influx of foreign books. The 'Reading Fever' of '85 and '86 influenced artists' personalities and their portfolios. They read avidly, and nerds were surrounded by girls at school. They got together and started a studio in Guangzhou, where they held experimental art shows.
Now, decades later, the same artists of talk with some mature retrospection about their youthful passions, their lack of depth, but breadth of exposure and sense of adventure. Their change in perspective and their humorous takes on their own green, youthful selves, and a period they recall with some wistfulness, is telling: there is that time in every woman's, man's or movement's life that is its prime, and the exhilarating freedom that goes with it we never cherish soon enough.
Screening: Saturday, May 29, 4:45pm
"Schema Magazine's coverage of NAFF 2010 is sponsored by the Toronto Reel Asian Film Festival"
TrackBack
TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.schemamag.ca/mt/mt-tb.cgi/1776
FILM | FILM FESTIVALS | IN-DEPTH 1.1
PEOPLE TO WATCH |
Follow us
May 28, 2010 at 12:00 PM
Comments (0)
Permalink
PEOPLE TO WATCH |
Follow us
May 28, 2010 at 12:00 PM
Comments (0)
Permalink
Recent Posts
Us and Them | An Evening of Intimate Theatre
Red Letters Opens this Friday, November 26!
The Chin Chens | TV's Newest Asian-American Sitcom
Granny Maid Café | A Twist On The Popular "Maid" Cafés in Japan
1st Annual UBC-Laurier Human Rights Lecture, November 20 | How the West Can Support Human Rights
MTV International | Shibuhara Girls
Advertisement
Tags
(25)
(1)
(19)
(7)
(11)
(4)
(1)
(5)
(2)
(1)
(2)
(1)
(6)
(1)
(1)
(81)
(7)
(54)
(38)
(38)
(1)
(15)
(2)
(3)
(1)
(6)
(6)
(1)
(4)
(16)
(1)
(1)
(1)
(14)
(1)
(1)
(1)
(1)
(10)
(10)
(5)
(1)
(3)
(1)
(6)
(27)
(1)
(1)
(1)
(22)
(6)
(2)
(1)
(76)
(2)
(45)
(4)
(1)
(1)
(3)
(120)
(28)
(1)
(7)
(7)
(7)
(1)
(38)
(9)
(60)
(5)
(2)
(39)
(1)
(5)
(5)
(1)
(2)
(1)
(7)
(1)
(1)
(16)
(1)
(1)
(33)
(1)
(9)
(12)
(46)
(97)
(82)
(1)
(6)
(1)
(2)
(2)
(1)
(14)
(202)
(1)
(74)
(1)
(8)
(1)
(1)
(61)
(1)
(1)
(10)
(11)
(35)
(8)
(7)
(1)
(3)
(1)
(1)
(1)
(2)
(6)
(1)
(3)
(1)
(26)
(1)
(10)
(1)
(1)
(1)
(36)
(1)
(2)
(4)
(1)
(1)
(45)
(3)
(6)
(1)
(1)
(1)
(1)
(13)
(1)
(1)
(10)
(35)
(1)
(1)
(1)
(12)
(1)
(3)
(8)
(53)
(3)
(1)
(2)
(1)
(4)
(1)
(1)
(93)
(4)
(7)
(1)
(1)
(2)
(22)
(1)
(1)
(1)
(1)
(3)
(37)
(11)
(1)
(1)
(10)
(1)
(1)
(16)
(13)
(1)
(10)
(3)
(1)
(1)
(4)
(29)
(5)
(3)
(1)
(1)
(1)
(4)
(22)
(3)
(2)
(1)
(1)
(2)
(12)
(1)
(12)
(38)
(1)
(5)
(34)
(16)
(1)
(1)
(1)
(34)
(2)
(16)
(1)
(17)
(1)
(45)
(1)
(2)
(1)
(6)
(1)
(1)
(2)
(1)
(52)
(1)
(1)
(1)
(1)
(38)
(1)
(1)
(1)
(1)
(1)
(1)
(2)
(1)
Archives
November 2010
October 2010
September 2010
August 2010
July 2010
June 2010
May 2010
April 2010
March 2010
February 2010
January 2010
December 2009
November 2009
October 2009
September 2009
August 2009
July 2009
June 2009
May 2009
April 2009
March 2009
February 2009
January 2009
December 2008
November 2008
October 2008
September 2008
August 2008
July 2008
June 2008
May 2008
April 2008
March 2008
February 2008
January 2008
December 2007
November 2007
October 2007
September 2007
August 2007
July 2007
June 2007
May 2007
April 2007
March 2007
February 2007
January 2007
December 2006
November 2006
Advertisement