Desiring Feminism in Chinese Documentary
(2022) In Chinese Independent Cinema Observer p.142-178- Abstract
- This article analyses a series of ‘Desiring China: Sexuality and Female Subjectivity’ screening and discussion of Chinese independent documentary films at the University of Hong Kong in 2016. It explores a feminist positionality in Chinese independent documentary film to deal with privacy, gender, violence, and trauma: 1) filmmaker’s position on the ethics of care and (intimate) solidarity with protagonists, 2) protagonist’s position of confession and appeal in reclaiming autonomy from gender based violence and discrimination; 3) filmmaker’s and protagonist’s different positions on reducing documentary’s negative impact on protagonist’s personal life through controlling distribution, 4) evolving positions of protagonist and filmmaker on... (More)
- This article analyses a series of ‘Desiring China: Sexuality and Female Subjectivity’ screening and discussion of Chinese independent documentary films at the University of Hong Kong in 2016. It explores a feminist positionality in Chinese independent documentary film to deal with privacy, gender, violence, and trauma: 1) filmmaker’s position on the ethics of care and (intimate) solidarity with protagonists, 2) protagonist’s position of confession and appeal in reclaiming autonomy from gender based violence and discrimination; 3) filmmaker’s and protagonist’s different positions on reducing documentary’s negative impact on protagonist’s personal life through controlling distribution, 4) evolving positions of protagonist and filmmaker on self-transformation and the re- open for screening, 5) activist position of representation as in politics and filmmaking’s position of representation as in arts, and 6) tensions between theory and practice requires scholars, filmmakers, and activists to situate and contextualise ethics for discussion and practice.
This article argues for the need to adopt a feminist ethics of care when producing, exhibiting, and critiquing documentaries about women and social margins in contemporary China. It promotes equal power relationship among documentary participants and innovation of cinematic language, to deal with ethical dilemmas and potential limitations of filmmaking and exhibiting Chinese independent documentary films. (Less) - Abstract (Swedish)
- Abstract in Chinese
本文通过分析 2016年在香港大学举办的“情欲中国：性与女性主体”展映纪录片，以及受邀但因伦理问题未参
展的影片，探讨中国独立纪录片电影在处理隐私、性别、暴力、创伤等议题时的女权主义立场性：1）电影人的
关怀伦理立场，以及与影片主人公形成（亲密）团结立场；2）影片主人公从坦白和渴求的立场出发，从基于性
别的暴力和歧视中重宣自主；3）电影人与影片主人公从不同的立场出发，通过发行控制来降低纪录片对主人
公个人生活可能造成的负面影响；4）片中人物与电影人自我转变的演进，因此恢复一度禁止的放映；5）从活跃
分子立场出发的政治代言，以及从电影人立场出发的艺术意义上的再现；6）理论与实践之间的紧张关系要求学者、
电影人和活跃分子反思性别与知识生产的传统关系，置身于具体处境中进行讨论和落实纪录片伦理。
本文认为在制作、展映、评论中国关于女性的纪录片时，有必要采取女权主义的关怀伦理。本文鼓励在纪录
片电影参与者之间形成多重意义上的平等关系，以及通过电影语言的创新来处理中国独立纪录片电影面临的
伦理困境、和电影制作与展映可能遇到的限制。
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/71c34c7d-cc5c-40e5-a24a-f301c4127706
- author
- Zeng, Jinyan LU
- organization
- alternative title
- 中国独立纪录片的女权欲望 (Chinese title)
- publishing date
- 2022-05-10
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- China, Desire, Documentary, Feminism, Positionality
- in
- Chinese Independent Cinema Observer
- issue
- 3
- pages
- 37 pages
- ISSN
- 2752-5147
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- additional info
- Bilingual article in English and Chinese
- id
- 71c34c7d-cc5c-40e5-a24a-f301c4127706
- date added to LUP
- 2021-08-24 15:34:01
- date last changed
- 2024-02-02 11:56:12
@article{71c34c7d-cc5c-40e5-a24a-f301c4127706,
abstract = {{This article analyses a series of ‘Desiring China: Sexuality and Female Subjectivity’ screening and discussion of Chinese independent documentary films at the University of Hong Kong in 2016. It explores a feminist positionality in Chinese independent documentary film to deal with privacy, gender, violence, and trauma: 1) filmmaker’s position on the ethics of care and (intimate) solidarity with protagonists, 2) protagonist’s position of confession and appeal in reclaiming autonomy from gender based violence and discrimination; 3) filmmaker’s and protagonist’s different positions on reducing documentary’s negative impact on protagonist’s personal life through controlling distribution, 4) evolving positions of protagonist and filmmaker on self-transformation and the re- open for screening, 5) activist position of representation as in politics and filmmaking’s position of representation as in arts, and 6) tensions between theory and practice requires scholars, filmmakers, and activists to situate and contextualise ethics for discussion and practice.<br/><br/>This article argues for the need to adopt a feminist ethics of care when producing, exhibiting, and critiquing documentaries about women and social margins in contemporary China. It promotes equal power relationship among documentary participants and innovation of cinematic language, to deal with ethical dilemmas and potential limitations of filmmaking and exhibiting Chinese independent documentary films.}},
author = {{Zeng, Jinyan}},
issn = {{2752-5147}},
keywords = {{China; Desire; Documentary; Feminism; Positionality}},
language = {{eng}},
month = {{05}},
number = {{3}},
pages = {{142--178}},
series = {{Chinese Independent Cinema Observer}},
title = {{Desiring Feminism in Chinese Documentary}},
url = {{https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/117897312/Desiring_Feminism_in_Chinese_Documentary.pdf}},
year = {{2022}},
}