Grades 10-12, College, Adult
Directed by Sun Shuyun
Produced by China Global Graphics, Ltd.
DVD Purchase $79, Rent $45
US Release Date: 1996
Copyright Date: 1995
DVD ISBN: 1-59458-609-8
VHS ISBN: 1-56029-658-5
Subjects
Anthropology
Asian Studies
China
Developing World
Globalization
History
Humanities
Women's Studies
Awards and Festivals
Best Independent Program, Rencontres Media Nord/Sud, Geneva
Bronze Apple, National Educational Media Competition
Association for Asian Studies Annual Meeting
The Women Of The Jiang Family
Changes in the lives of four generations of Chinese women.
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"Ranges far and wide over the social upheavals in recent Chinese history. Recommended." Video Librarian |
No women in any country have seen their lives change so radically as have Chinese women. "Women are 'half the sky,'" declared Mao Zedong, "and they are absolutely the equal of men."
Equal they may have been, but by regimentation, to the point of the virtual abolition of womanhood and femininity. Today economic reforms have given young women a degree of independence unknown to any previous generation. For the first time they are conscious and outspoken about their role and position in society, and they make their demands known.
This film explores these changes within the lives of four generations of women in the Jiang family over the last 50 years in China, from the grandmother who was bought by the Jiang family at age 14 to be grandfather's second wife, to her 24-year-old great-granddaughter who works as a sales assistant at the Pierre Cardin boutique in Beijing.
Built around a series of interviews, images of daily life, special family occasions and archival film, HALF THE SKY focuses on the women's individual experiences of marriage, children, work, love, and self-esteem.
Reviews
"The times they are, indeed, a-changing, as this beautifully shot impressionistic overview of several generations of women in the Jiang family shows...HALF THE SKY ranges far and wide over the social upheavals which women have faced and weathered in recent Chinese history. Recommended."