From December 11 to 16, Professors Timmy Chen and Kristof Van den Troost took MA in Chinese Studies students on a one-week field trip to Beijing to explore Chinese cinema. Various aspects of Chinese film culture were covered: its history and present condition, its indie and commercial sectors, as well as its traditional exhibition spaces and online distribution channels. The schedule was packed: students had a chance to interact with close to twenty guest speakers, which included film directors, producers, technical staff, scholars, critics, and festival organizers. We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to our various hosts in Beijing for the warm welcome our students received from them!

Day 1: Talk by Dr. Tong Shan 佟珊 on Chinese film festivals at Broadway Cinematheque MoMa

Day 1: Visit to Heaven Pictures 天畫畫天 and exchange with director Yang Jin 楊瑾

Day 2: Group picture at the 798 Art Zone

Day 2: Exchange with Ms. Yang Yang 楊洋 and Mr. Gao Guo 高國 at the Goethe Institut Beijing

Day 3: Visit to China Film Archive 中國電影資料館

Day 3: Visit exhibition at China Film Archive

Day 3: Talk by Mr. Sha Dan 沙丹 on film festival programming

Day 3: Talk by Prof. Li Zhen 李鎮 on Chinese film historiography

Day 3: Exchange with Dr. Wang Xiaolu 王小魯 and Prof. Zhang Xianmin 張獻民 at CUHK Beijing Centre

Day 4: Visit to iQiyi 愛奇藝offices

Day 4: Visit to iQiyi offices

Day 4: Visit to iQiyi offices

Day 4: Sharing by film colorist Ms. Fu Shu 付舒

Day 4: Group picture with Ms. Fu Shu and Ms. Xu Jiahan

Day 4: Sharing by Ms. Xu Jiahan 徐佳含, founder of DeepFocus 深焦

Day 5: Lunch at documentary filmmaker Mi Na’s 米娜 restaurant in Songzhuang 宋莊

Day 5: Birthday celebration at Mi Na’s restaurant

Day 5: Exchange with producer Guo Xiaodong 郭曉東 in Songzhuang

Day 5: Group picture in Songzhuang

Day 5: Visit to Beijing Daqi Museum for Radios and Movie Projectors 北京大戚收音機電影機博物館 in Songzhuang

Day 5: Visit to Beijing Daqi Radio Film Museum in Songzhuang

Day 5: Visit to Prof Che Lin’s 車琳 VR class at Communication University of China 中國傳媒大學