Chinese Documentary Films: Nostalgia (Grand Award) 鄉愁（大獎） + Guarding Shangri-la 守護香格里拉 June 3, 2007

The Chinese Culture Center is proud to introduce C4 (Chinese Culture Center Cinema). C4 features the screening of unique Chinese & local Chinese American films each year in the Center’s Auditorium. This summer, C4 will showcase Chinese independent documentary films.

All documentaries are not rated, some content may not be appropriate for children.
*CCC members: $3 - Non-CCC members: $6 - Ticket available online and at site - 2007 C4 Pass: $50
*CCC member rate applies to regular, senior and student membership.
Family membership is limited to spouse/partner and children only.
Unless otherwise noticed, all screenings are held in Chinese Culture Center Auditorium.
No food & drinks inside of the auditorium.

The film’s synopsis:
Winner of the Reel China 2006 Best Documentary Award, Shu Haolun’s Nostalgia is a breakthrough film about the transformation of Shanghai’s urban environment. When Shu hears that the neighbourhood of traditional shikumen housing he grew up in is slated for demolition, Shu takes his DV camera back home. Moving between chats with grandma, walks through the old alleyways, and re-enactments of his childhood, the result is an entertaining but pointed and poignant diary about the heavy price to be paid for urban development.
The Remark from the jury of 3rd (2006)Reel China Documentary Biennial:
The outstanding ambitious essay documentary film combines the diary form with interview and reenactments to bring the personal experience into the broader social issues through a unique way… It powerfully tells the tension between various factors in the process of society development.
The slow pace of the documentary turns out to be the artist’s strategy for capturing the rhythm of passing time. The use of black-and-white reenactment scenes on his old memories is quite effective, and so is the of 1980s’ music.
“It is not just a personal history, but also a critical look at social values. Who actually ‘owns’ this neighborhood? The residents? And who defines what is ‘best ‘ for the neighborhood, and for those who live there? These are important questions, and not just in China. This film raises questions that not only China – or, more accurately Shanghai – faces, but also questions that apply to cities around the world.”

uarding Shangri-La守护香格里拉
The place with the legendary name Shangri-la is situated in Jinjiang, Deqing Tibetan Minority Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province. The most spectacular site in this area is the Tiger Leap Gorge, where three spectacular rivers meet (The Jinsha River, the Lancang River, and the Nu River), a site that is listed in the UNESCO Directory of World Cultural and Natural Heritage. The culture, the wildlife and the lives of the residents of the area are, however, about to be transformed by a new dam. The villagers living on both banks of the Jinsha River are worried about what will happen to the land they have lived on for generations. Protecting the natural environment of their home has now become a key issue. The people decide to oppose the planned changes and search to express their concerns and oppositions.
Directed by Xie Qin, Li Xiaoming, and An Tongqing; 40 mins; 2005; English Subtitles

Official Website: http://c4.eventbrite.com/