On Monday, February 1, 2021, the first 100% digital Chinese New Year was held organized by the Hauts-de-France region and University of Artois. This event will last all week from February 1st to 5th.
This first day began at 6pm with the wishes of Mr. Salvatore Castiglione, Vice-president in charge of solidarity with the territories and international relations in the Hauts-de-France region, wishing everyone a happy year of the metal Ox.
The first conference which brought together a hundred people was held by Luisa Prudentino, teacher in Inalco University and Artois University, the theme being : Chinese cinema between tradition and modernity
During this conference, Luisa Prudentino will emphasize that China was one of the first countries in the world to be tempted by cinema at the end of the 19th century. We also retrace the first steps of Chinese cinema and the creation of its own style through various extracts and comparisons. The association between the traditional aesthetic and the modernity of the staging while keeping the codes of Chinese Opera is highlighted. Many examples of films and methods were discussed during this conference such as Romance of the Western Chamber and Street Angel.
A debate ensued between Luisa Prudentino and Joel Bellassen, Inspector General of National Education and Sinologist. During this debate, Joel Bellassen asks if Chinese cinema draws on the expressionism of Chinese opera, what Luisa replies is that China is emerging from a difficult period where cinema will help reflection and bring modernity , cinema will become more expressionist in the 1930s. They also talk about opera actors who became film actors at the very beginning of cinema and the different stages of emergence of Chinese cinema, and many films are mentioned to give a historical breakdown of Chinese cinema.
The conference ended at 8pm.During this conference, we were able to see that Chinese cinema sought to create its own identity from the start by drawing on its national cultural heritage, combining traditional aesthetics and modern staging.