Laughing, We Move Forward: Revisiting Chinese "New Comedy" Film

THIS IS AN IN-PERSON EVENT AND WILL NOT BE LIVE STREAMING.

ABOUT THE PROGRAM

During the late 1970s, China transitioned to a market-driven reform era. Both large-scale government policies and the rhythms of everyday life experienced drastic transformation. In this mini-series featuring three comedy films, we delve into the world of New Comedy, which flourished during this pivotal period. Modeling progressive youth during the early reform era, New Comedies experimented with novel media objects, forms, and environments, while also repurposing tropes from socialist era films.

Join us as we laugh our way towards new understandings of how comedies portrayed Chinese youth’s hopes, struggles, and worldviews during a transitional era, as well as how comedy films sought to make sense of other emerging media technologies. This is a rare opportunity to view the following three films in such high quality, on the big screen!

PROGRAM SCHEDULE

Tuesday, February 6 | 3:45-7 PM | Venue: Cobb Lecture Hall, Room 307 (5811 S Ellis Avenue, Chicago, IL 60637) [A light dinner will be provided to those who register]

Double Bill: Today is My Day Off (今天我休息 Lu Ren, 1959); The Young Generation (小字辈 Wang Jiayi and Luo Qin, 1979)

Today is My Day Off (今天我休息 Lu Ren, 1959)

Synopsis: Policeman Ma Tianmin has a day off from work after a long night shift. He is scheduled to go on a blind date but gets involved in many friends' and strangers' problems along the way. A policeman's day off never ends up being a true day off, as he eagerly helps the people that he serves.

Lu Ren, 1959); The Young Generation (小字辈 Wang Jiayi and Luo Qin, 1979)

Synopsis: Aboard Shanghai Route 29 Bus #3, a cluster of regular passengers and ticket workers interact. Among these characters are a responsible ticket worker, Xiaoqing, an irresponsible ticket worker, Xiaohuang, bus driver Xiaohong, bookworm and inventor Xiaoge, and kindergarten teacher Xiaolan. What kind of friendship and romance will blossom via an urban bus route?

Subtitles for Today is My Day Off by MAPSS student Dahlia Deng

Subtitles for The Young Generation by Lilian Kong

Screenings supported by the Franke Institute for the Humanities

Friday, February 9th | 7-9 PM | Venue: Logan Center for the Arts, Room 201 (915 E 60th Street, Chicago, IL 60637)

Screening: Twins come in Pairs (她俩和他俩 Sang Hu, 1979)

Twins Come in Pairs (她俩和他俩 Sang Hu, 1979)

Synopsis: Can you tell the difference between two pairs of twins? Two twenty-something twin brothers and twin sisters, Da Lin & Xiao Lin and Fangfang & Yuanyuan, experience fresh consumerist desires, parental tensions, engagements with television production, and budding romance, all in bustling Shanghai.

Subtitles by Lilian Kong

Screening supported by a Film Studies Center Graduate Curatorial Grant. More information: https://filmstudiescenter.uchicago.edu/event/twins-come-pairs

SPONSORS

This mini-series, which is part of a larger film series, is co-sponsored by the Department of Cinema and Media Studies, Department of East Asian Languages and Civilizations, Franke Institute for the Humanities, Film Studies Center, Center for East Asian Studies at the University of Chicago, with generous support from a Title VI National Resource Center Grant from the U.S. Department of Education, and Asian Pop-Up Cinema.

P HOTOGRAPHY/VIDEOGRAPHY

Please note that there may be photography taken during this educational event by the University of Chicago Center for East Asian Studies for archival and publicity purposes. By attending this event, participants are confirming their permission to be photographed and the University of Chicago’s right to use, distribute, copy, and edit the recordings in any form of media for non-commercial, educational purposes, and to grant rights to third parties to do any of the foregoing.