Tag Archives: cinema of China

A visual tour of the Shanghai Film Museum

Posted on 5 April 2016 by

Last year I was fortunate enough to visit Shanghai, and naturally indulged in some film-related activities while I was there. Checking out the beautiful Art Deco cinemas that still exist in the city was a high priority, as was making a … Continue reading →

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Shanghai modern: the cinematic fiction of Mu Shiying

Posted on 20 October 2015 by

Shanghai in the 1930s: a glittering city, humming to the rhythm of its jazz-filled dance halls, streets lit up by neon signs, art deco buildings springing up like mushrooms. A whirlwind of dance, images of film stars vying with advertisements … Continue reading →

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“Gossip is a fearful thing”: Ruan Lingyu’s 新女性 | New Women (CN 1935)

Posted on 10 August 2015 by

I’ll be in China in less than a week! So this seems like an appropriate time to take a look at another Chinese film from Shanghai’s golden era: 1935’s 新女性 | New Women, starring Ruan Lingyu in a heart-breaking role. … Continue reading →

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Better living through athletics: Li Lili in 体育皇后 | Queen of Sports (CN 1934)

Posted on 2 June 2015 by

The first Chinese silent film that I ever saw was 1934’s 体育皇后, or Queen of Sports. It would have been 5 or 6 years ago, at the lantern festival in my home city, where they showed a few films on … Continue reading →

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10 lost silent films that I’d love to see

Posted on 16 March 2015 by

As an art form, silent film lasted for a mere 40 years, c.1895-1935. It’s well known that the great majority of films from the silent era are now lost, whether due to destruction (either deliberate, as by many studios, or accidental, … Continue reading →

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