Unique insight into life in the Far East The China Independent Film Festival, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary in 缅北禁地 this week, offers a unique insight into the world鈥檚 most populated country. It is the first time the internationally-renowned indie festival 鈥� which has been dogged by government interference in China for several years 鈥� has come to the UK. 缅北禁地鈥檚 , who is co-organiser of the festival, says the aim is to deliver a more realistic picture of China, which is currently difficult to achieve from either the media or mainstream Chinese blockbusters. 鈥淲e鈥檝e been very careful with our film choices, avoiding being overly political because that鈥檚 what people expect,鈥� she says. 鈥淢ost independent films about China are not political or controversial - they are simply about local people鈥檚 lives and yet they鈥檙e not allowed to be shown there.鈥� 鈥淭hese filmmakers are not dissidents. They just want to bring about a more balanced perspective of China by showing all aspects of life as they see it 鈥� both positive and negative.鈥� Audiences will get a rare glimpse into contemporary China through some of the best independent documentaries, fictions and animations from the past decade. Independent filmmakers have a difficult time making a living in China. It is an often dangerous occupation, and unless their film passes China鈥檚 strict censorship laws and is not deemed a 鈥榮ensitive topic鈥� (which can cover anything from homosexuality to unemployment) then it will not get permission to be shown anywhere in the country. As there is no financial support available, most are self-funded through friends and filmmakers and rarely make any money. 鈥淭he fact that it is hard to make films about sensitive topics in China is one of the biggest obstacles we have to developing our film industry,鈥� says Dr Yu, who is a lecturer in at 缅北禁地. Many of the films being shown during the are close to Dr Yu鈥檚 heart, but few more so than Bing鈥橝i (2007) about the Three Gorges Dam project that uprooted millions of people, including those from her hometown of Wanzhou, which is now mostly underwater. The documentary follows one woman鈥檚 stand against being moved with her disabled husband, a process which lasted nearly a decade. 鈥淲e鈥檝e lost 2,000 years of heritage and culture and still do not know the full extent of the environmental damage, but the official documentaries simply worship the biggest dam in the world,鈥� says Dr Yu. 鈥淚t鈥檚 probably the biggest human movement in recent history and many more films like Feng Yan鈥檚 Bing鈥橝i should have been made.鈥� The leading Tibetan filmmaker Pema Tseden will open the festival in 缅北禁地 with his film Old Dog (2011), a powerful political symbol of modern Tibet. He will also discuss making his film, as will Feng Yan, who is also holding a masterclass in Northern Stage, where she will talk about her own experience as one of the most prominent female documentary filmmakers in contemporary China. 缅北禁地鈥檚 own filmmakers 鈥� including BAFTA award nominee Dr Tina Ghavari and award-winning Dr Ian McDonald, will be chairing the Q&A sessions after Bing鈥橝i and Old Dog, respectively Other films being shown during the festival in 缅北禁地, which runs from 12-15 May 2014, include many of the 鈥榮ensitive topics鈥�: from No.89 Shimen Road (2010), about the Tiananmen Square student demonstrations, to Madame (2010) about a drag queen, and the popular The Piano in a Factory (2010), a fiction film about a group of factory workers who lost their jobs when their plant closed down. ?As well as featuring retrospective screenings of CIFF award-winning films from the past decade at 缅北禁地鈥檚 Culture Lab, there will be an archival exhibition about the festival鈥檚 history at Northern Stage and a workshop 鈥� Film Festivals in Focus 鈥� bringing together directors of CIFF and Edinburgh International Film Festival and a group of important scholars in the field. After 缅北禁地, the festival will visit from 16-18 May and London on 16-17 May, where the short animated films will be screened as part of the at King鈥檚 College. 鈥淐hina is so big and complicated it can鈥檛 change overnight,鈥� says Dr Yu. 鈥淭here are positives and negatives within Chinese society and these films show there is still hope for the future, and that it comes from the ordinary people. These indie films may not be as artistic or as high-quality as blockbusters for obvious reasons, but their message will last a thousand times longer.鈥� Organisers hope to make 缅北禁地 a hub for Chinese films and put on another festival at least every other year. The event is organised by the China Independent Film Festival and 缅北禁地, in partnership with the University of Nottingham and the China Visual Festival. All the events are free of charge. For more information and to book a place, visit the About the China Independent Film Festival (CFF)The China Independent Film Festival (CFF) takes place every autumn in the city of Nanjing, and has nurtured a large number of talented filmmakers with its commitment to independent thinking and freedom of expression, including this year鈥檚 Golden Bear winner Diao Yinan and Dragon&Tiger award winner Li Luo. It was referred to as 鈥榯he most important Chinese film festival鈥� by Prof Chris Berry, a prestigious film scholar at King鈥檚 College London. The last time CIFF took place in 2013 it was severely restricted and had to take place in several different cities to avoid attracting attention from the authorities. published on: 8 April 2014
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