Art of Regret, The

Synopsis: Photography is known in China as the "Art of Regret". In the rapidly changing city of Kunming, people are ambivalent about whether they want photography to be a medium of preservation and evidence, or of transformation and fantasy. While old photographs are cherished, digital technology can now make old people look young again. At computerised stalls in department stores, faces and clothing can be instantly transformed. An old-established studio digitally enhances the images made on their wooden 19th century portrait camera. Choices about how to regard history, reality, and material culture constantly confront everyone in contemporary China. Filmmaker: Judith MacDougall Anthropologist: Kathy Zhang
Language: English
Country: Great Britain
Year of release: 2008
Year of production: 2007
Subjects: Anthropology; Art; Social Studies
Keywords: China; cultural influences; photography; social anthropology; digital images; immigrants - second generation

Name: Royal Anthropological Institute
Contact: Susanne Hammacher (Film Officer)
Email: film@therai.org.uk
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Notes: The Institute sells more than 250 anthropology and ethnology titles on video and DVD, including some produced by students and staff of the Granada Centre for Visual Anthropology. There is also a large library of internationally produced film and video productions from which items may be borrowed within the UK.

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