Pisa Chinese Film Festival 2019 on February 5-7. For its 9th edition, the Festival will focus on gender equality and the status of women in China
Pisa Chinese Film Festival 2019 on February 5-7. For its 9th edition, the Festival will focus on gender equality and the status of women in China
The Confucius Institute at Sant’Anna School, Polis srl association, and Pisa City Council authority organized the 9th Chinese Film Festival presenting six films in Cantonese and Mandarin languages with English subtitles. This Film festival 2019 will bring to our attention recent work by female filmmakers and the discussion on women’s issues in China. Screening movies at the Cinema Arsenale, the Festival aims to educate and promote gender equality.
The event is free and open to the public. It serves as a platform for discussion where Western audiences can examine gender roles in contemporary China. The Festival aims to give a voice to China’s female filmmakers, and to show films that deal with women’s issues in modern Chinese society. The year 2015 marked the arrest of female activists protesting on the street to raise awareness for victims of domestic abuse, though the Chinese government formally supports gender equality. Despite women’s rights have suffered a big setback in creative industries, film and art are still considered one of the best ways to promote feminism in China.
“It is important to continue raising awareness on women’s issues”, said professor Huang Yunlin, co- director of the Confucius Institute. “The changing roles of women are strongly reflected in many recent films. It takes years to create a real impact on the society and we hope that the movies will encourage people to be involved with women’s rights and equality issues. I think we can get a clearer picture from these Chinese films of how women in China have made significant contributions to culture and daily life”.
“The Chinese Film Festival in Pisa has served as a catalyst for a wider debate”, said professor Alberto Di Minin, co-director of the Confucius Institute. “We provide a different understanding of Chinese movie industry which has experienced digital media with the shift from still “electric shadows” to bytes and an unprecedented box office success in the past few years. The event will strengthen the current offerings within our institution as well as enhance cultural options for Italian students and public. Additionally, it will provide an excellent opportunity for collaboration with China. Integrating culture, language and art films has created a typical clash of vision”.
