It is our pleasure to announce the launch of CIFA monthly screening and research seminars, commencing on 21 February 2024. CIFA seminars aim to promote the use of CIFA collections (e.g. over 800 films and 160 interviews), facilitate dialogue and exchange among researchers and students, and help foster a vibrant interdisciplinary research culture.
The seminars are organised by research students from the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences at Newcastle University, whose research is China-related, and open to researchers and students within and beyond Newcastle University, as well as the general public. During each seminar, following the screening of a carefully selected film on CIFA’s large screen, a designated chair will facilitate a discussion related to the themes of the film as well as their own research topics. We extend our cordial invitation to everyone with an interest in Chinese history, society, politics and culture. We also welcome self-nomination to be a chair of one of the sessions, with a film and a theme of your choice.
The inaugural seminar, on 21 February, will start with a short introduction of CIFA by Prof Sabrina Q. Yu, followed by the screening of Children at a Village School (2014) by Jiang Nengjie, selected from our archive collections. This documentary explores the lives of children left behind by their migrant worker parents in rural hometowns. In China, such children are commonly referred to as ‘left-behind children’. The film traces the experiences of three such children over a span of three years. Following the screening of this documentary and a short interview video with the filmmaker, a discussion on the theme of left-behind childhood in rural China will ensue, chaired by Xinyue Hu, a PhD student based at the School of English Literature, Language and Linguistics, whose research focuses on children’s literature and culture, as well as childhood construction.
CIFA research seminars schedule (Semester 2, 2023/24):
3-6pm, 21 Feb 2024, CIFA space in OLB
Left-behind Childhood in Rural China
Screening: Children at a Village School (2014)
Chair: Xinyue Hu (PhD student at the School of English Literature, Language and Linguistics)
3-6pm, 20 March 2024, CIFA space in OLB
Transnational Family Dynamics in Migration Workers
Screening: Lady of the Harbour (2014)
Chair: Paul Zhou (PhD student at the School of Arts and Cultures)
3-6pm, 1 May 2024, CIFA space in OLB
The City in Memories: Shanghai Now and Then
Screening: I Wish I Knew (2010)
Chair: Shawn Qiao (PhD student at the School of Modern Languages)
3-6pm, 29 May 2024, CIFA space in OLB
Theme and screening: TBC
Chair: Emily Upson (PhD student at the School of Modern Languages)