Contemporary Chinese Films and Celebrity Directors

This new text examines recent popular Chinese films and derivative cultural phenomena, with a focus on films directed by celebrity-auteur-directors such as Han Han, Guo Jingming, Xu Jinglei and Zhao Wei. In opposition to Fifth and Sixth Generation who explored the grand-narratives of history, the oppression of the socialist and post-socialist socio-political eras, and those marginalized by economic changes, the celebrity directors at the heart of this book centre on the new trends of living and emotional challenges faced by contemporary Chinese society, in particular the younger generations. This book sheds light on newly emerging social and cultural fashions in contemporary China, such as the social stigma of being 'left-over' (reflected in Xu Jinglei's films), the issue of wealth 'flaunting' (represented in Guo Jingming's films) or nostalgia for the long lost innocence of adolescence (demonstrated in Zhao Wei's film). Considering present-day consumer capitalism through the lens of cinema, this text analyses in detail the significance of films chosen for their relevance, providing a reflection of social reality and cultural changes in 21 st century China.