The Representation of Rural Christianity in the Films of Gan Xiao'er
The religious dimension of Chinese cinema is, it has been observed, a "triple lacuna" in contemporary scholarship: in research on religion in China, in research on Chinese cinema, and in interdisciplinary research on film and religion. From 2002 to 2012, independent filmmaker Gan Xiao'...
| Autres titres: | "Here Be Dragons. East Asian Film and Religion" |
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| Auteur principal: | |
| Type de support: | Électronique Article |
| Langue: | Anglais |
| Vérifier la disponibilité: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | En cours de chargement...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Publié: |
Institut f. Fundamentaltheologie
2023
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| Dans: |
Journal for religion, film and media
Année: 2023, Volume: 9, Numéro: 2, Pages: 101-125 |
| Sujets non-standardisés: | B
Gan Xiao'er
B Christianity B Chinese Peasants B Chinese cinema |
| Accès en ligne: |
Volltext (kostenfrei) Volltext (kostenfrei) |
| Résumé: | The religious dimension of Chinese cinema is, it has been observed, a "triple lacuna" in contemporary scholarship: in research on religion in China, in research on Chinese cinema, and in interdisciplinary research on film and religion. From 2002 to 2012, independent filmmaker Gan Xiao'er directed three low-budget features that portrayed rural Christianity in China, a subject almost entirely absent from both Chinese mainstream media and independent films. In this article, I analyze Gan's films by locating them in their social, political, and religious contexts, by comparing them with other Chinese films, and by linking them to the tradition of Western films that portray spirituality. I observe a progression in themes and style from Gan's first feature, 山清水秀 (The Only Sons, CN 2002), to his third, 在期待之中 (Waiting for God, CN 2012). I seek to show that Gan developed a restrained directorial style in order to connect with the spirituality of Chinese peasants. Although he had to grope in the dark on many aspects, his engagement with Christian themes has greatly expanded the narrative space of Chinese cinema. |
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| ISSN: | 2617-3697 |
| Contient: | Enthalten in: Journal for religion, film and media
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.25364/05.9:2023.2.6 |