This 12 minute documentary is the work of a talented filmmaker named Qiao Qiao. He's a graduate of the Beijing Film Academy and spent five years shooting the video that went into this moving film. The film was posted to Youku in December and has already been viewed more than 3 million times. Qiao Qiao's devotion to the project was such that he sold a car and apartment in order to continue working on it.
http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XNDkxMTQ2OTAw.html
The film has no narration. None is needed.
What do you think of this film, which offers no statistics, no prescription, but just moving images and sounds?
//// The links below are to Chinese language sources.
I'd not heard of Qiao Qiao or the film until today, but it turns out he was profiled in People's Daily in May (on his version of the "China dream"):
http://politics.people.com.cn/n/2013/0508/c1001-21401410.html
A video discussion with Qiao Qiao was broadcast by Phoenix Satellite TV in June:
http://ent.ifeng.com/entvideo/detail_2013_06/07/26196771_0.shtml
//// English language video lectures on China's environmental challenges include:
Jonathan Watt on When a Billion Chinese Jump: http://www.china.usc.edu/ShowArticle.aspx?articleID=2285
Elizabeth Economy on the global implications of China's environmental crisis:
http://china.usc.edu/ShowArticle.aspx?articleID=1465
edited by Clay Dube on 7/31/2013
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Lost Home 《迷失的家园》
07/29/2013 03:39 PM
#1
Lost Home 《迷失的家园》
My first thought is wondering what type of environmental protection agencies exist in China.
[font=Times, 'Times New Roman', serif]The images are striking. You see the animals in their habitat contrasted with the machinery that is destroying their habitats. The dead birds caught in the nets. It appeared to me that the men were hunting the birds at night and we see footage of women in the marketplace with the birds - which I assume the birds are being sold for food. I get that - I had steak on my dinner salad. I know meat just doesn't magically appear cellophane wrapped but at the same time I really don't want to see the process. Its the senseless killing that I have a hard time with. Fish just laying in what appears to be tracks from the earth movers. The broken bird eggs. The dead birds laying among the trash and cast offs. A total lack of respect for living things. [/font]
This film was extremely moving and deeply saddening. The scene with the ducks was the most moving for me. I think this video would start a great discussion on the many issues China is facing and to discuss ways of improving the situation.
After watching this video, I would like to look into how these issues are being potrayed in other art forms such as literature. This would be a way to teach students how people's surroundings have such an impact and inspire such creations and how they can be powerful.