Memoirs from the Beijing Film Academy: The Genesis of China's Fifth Generation SYNOPSIS
After graduating from the Beijing Film Academy in 1982, directors like
Chen Kaige and Zhang Yimou revolutionized Chinese cinema with Red Sorghum,
Farewell My Concubine, Yellow Earth, Raise the Red Lantern, and other
international successes. Memoirs from the Beijing Film Academy tells the
riveting story of this class of 1982, China's famous "Fifth Generation" of
filmmakers. It is the first insider's account of this renowned cohort to appear
in English. Covering these directors' formative experiences during China's
tumultuous Cultural Revolution and later at the Beijing Film Academy, Ni
Zhen-who was both their screenwriter and teacher-provides unique insights into
the origins of the Fifth Generation's creativity.
Memoirs from the Beijing Film Academy illuminates the Fifth Generation in light of the social and political history of contemporary China. While it addresses the collective identity of the filmmakers, most of whom were born in the late 1940s or early 1950s, it also examines how they view themselves and relate to one another. Ni Zhen has supplemented his personal knowledge of these directors with new interviews conducted for this volume. Intervening in current debates, he argues against mistaken postcolonial criticisms which allege that these filmmakers marketed an exotic image of China to Western audiences. He also demonstrates the diversity of the Fifth Generation, commenting on the breadth of styles and themes explored by its members and introducing a range of male and female directors, cinematographers, and production designers famous in China but less well-known internationally. The book contains vivid descriptions of the production processes of two pioneering films-One and Eight and Yellow Earth.
Memoirs from the Beijing Film Academy will be essential reading for international film buffs as well as scholars of contemporary Chinese culture.
About the
Author
Ni Zhen is a
consultant to the Shanghai Film & TV Company and Visiting Professor at the
Shanghai Theater Academy. He was Professor of Art Direction and Professor of
Film Theory at the Beijing Film Academy, where he taught from 1980 to 2000. He
has written screenplays for films including Raise the Red Lantern and Blush.
Chris Berry is Associate Professor in the Program in Film Studies and the
Department of Theater, Dance, and Performance Studies at the University of
California, Berkeley.
FROM THE CRITICS
Library Journal
From 1980 to 2000, Ni Zhen taught art direction and film theory at the Beijing Film Academy, whose 1982 graduates included Chen Kaige (Farewell My Concubine) and Zhang Yimou (Raise the Red Lantern). Drawing on anecdotes and interviews, the author assuredly charts the particular set of circumstances that led up to the international success of those and other members of the "Fifth Generation." Rather than focus on their body of work, Ni Zhen shows how those young men and their colleagues came out of the dark days of the Cultural Revolution and into the light of worldwide acclaim. Readers need not be familiar with Chinese film and film history; via the fascinating and often amusing tales of their youth and academy exploits, they will be engaged. An excellent introduction to the Fifth Generation (and, as far as this reviewer can discern, the first insider's view of the academy in English), this is highly recommended for larger public and academic libraries.-Rie Sheridan, Austin, TX Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING
Ni Zhen was himself one of the educators of the Fifth Generation, so he has been able to give a full and accurate account of what happened then on the basis of his own first-hand evidence. He also gives a detailed scholarly analysis of the origins of the Fifth Generation and the particular conditions that produced this art movement. Reading his book not only gave me intellectual pleasure, but also took me back to those unforgettable times. — Chen Kaige, director of Farewell My Concubine and Yellow Earth
Memoirs from the Beijing Film Academy: The Origins of China's Fifth Generation Filmmakers brings back memories for me. It tells the true story of how I moved from ignorance to full maturity along with a group of my peers. Everyone faces challenges of some sort in their youth. They become life's most beautiful memories. That means this is not just a book about film, but also a book about human life. Once youth is over it never returns, and so we treasure it in our hearts. Thank you, Professor Ni Zhen, for writing this deeply moving book. — Zhang Yimou, director of Raise the Red Lantern, Judou, and Not One Less
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