"Wang Renmei and Shanghai Cinema of 1930's" - Dr Richard J. Meyer
"Wang Renmei and Shanghai Cinema of 1930's" - Dr Richard J. Meyer
Date: 27 February 2014 Time: 3.30 pm
Wang Renmei was on a fast track to become one of China's leading film stars in the 1930s. Her early films were received with magnificent praise by audiences and critics alike, though she later lamented that she became famous too early and never had a chance to properly study acting.
Wang's personal struggles reflected the turbulent period from the end of the Qing dynasty to the rise of Deng Xiaoping. Meyer explores Wang's artistic achievements amid the prevalent anti-feminist and feudal society in China prior to the founding of the People's Republic in 1949 -- attitudes which contributed to the downturn of Wang's promising career and forced her to accept various bit parts. In addition, personal problems as well as the Anti-Rightist Movement and the Cultural Revolution led to her hospitalization for mental illness. Wang's life is emblematic of the experiences of many left-wing and Communist Party members from the Shanghai film community who were viewed with suspicion by Mao and later the Gang of Four.
Dr Meyer will present the film Wild Rose after his talk. The motion picture established Wang Renmei as one of the leading film stars in China.
About the speaker
Richard J. Meyer teaches film at Seattle University. In 2012 and 2013, he was Visiting Scholar at the New Zealand Film Archive. Dr Meyer is Edmund F. and Virginia B. Ball Professor of Telecommunications Emeri-tus at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana and Visiting Professor at the Center for Journalism and Me-dia Studies at the University of Hong Kong. Presently Dr. Meyer is President Emeritus of The San Francis-co Silent Film Festival and a member of the Board of Directors of the Seattle International Film Festi-val. He produces and introduces restored silent films accompanied by music at various "LIVE CINEMA" presentations.
This seminar is co-presented by The Confucius Institute and School of Languages and Cultures
Refreshment will be provided by The Confucius Institute.