The names Beijing and Shanghai conjure up mist-covered images both mysterious and historic. The evolution of these two legendary yet still-vibrant Chinese cities will be traced in a film series being offered at Yale this fall.
Spanning 60 years of Chinese cinema, the 10 films in the series illuminate the complex nature of the cities in which they are set as well as the struggles of those who have lived in them.
All the films will be screened in their original language -- Mandarin or Cantonese -- with English subtitles. Screenings will be held on Thursdays, with one exception, see below, at 7 p.m. in the Whitney Humanities Center auditorium, 53 Wall St. Following each film, the audience is invited to a discussion session in Rm. 2 of William L. Harkness Hall. The screenings and discussion groups are free and open to the public.
Shanghai is the focus of the first five films. The series begins on Sept. 19 with "Three Women," directed by Chen Liting in 1948. This portrait of life in Shanghai in 1944 centers around three friends who try to better their lives.
"Myriads of Lights" follows on Sept. 26. This 1947 film, directed by Shen Fu, depicts a family's struggle for survival. "Crows and Sparrows," directed by Zheng Junli in 1948, will be shown on Oct. 3. The story traces the fortunes of a Nationalist bureaucrat and landlord trying to escape Shanghai before the arrival of the Communist troops.
The remainder of the films in the series are:
Oct. 30, a Wednesday: "Shanghai Triad," directed by Zhang Yimou in 1995, depicting Shanghai's underworld in the 1940s.
Oct. 31: "Shanghai Blues," directed by Tsui Hark in 1984, a romantic comedy-adventure story set in Shanghai in the 1940s.
Nov. 7: "This Life of Mine," directed by Shi Hui in 1951, a look back over 40 years in the life of a Beijing police officer.
Nov. 14: "Black Snow," directed by Xie Fei in 1989, the story of a man newly released from a labor camp, who is trying to survive on the streets of Beijing.
Nov. 21: "The Big Parade," directed by Chen Kaige in 1986, the experiences of a group of soldiers preparing for the Oct. 1, 1984 military parade in Tiananmen Square.
Dec. 5: "Three Women," directed by Peng Xiaolian in 1986, a story about a feminist voyage of self-discovery that pays tribute to the earlier classic of the same name.
Dec. 12: "Peking Opera Blues," directed by Tsui Hark in 1986, tracing the fortunes of three scheming women in the turmoil following the 1911 Revolution in Beijing.
This series is sponsored by the Council on East Asian Studies, the Whitney Humanities Center, the Yale-China Association and the Yale Film Study Center.