The series is named after the 1934 silent film The Goddess, starring Ruan Lingyu, who has been called the "Chinese Greta Garbo". [Photo: China Daily]
As part of a yearlong programmatic focus on China, the Asia Society will present Goddess: Chinese Women on Screen, a series of nine Chinese films spanning almost a century of history.
Inspired in name by the 1934 silent film The Goddess, the series will spotlight classic performances by Li Lili, Brigitte Lin, Maggie Cheung and Gong Li, among others, in films including New Women (1935), The Red Detachment of Women (1970), Red Sorghum (1987) and Wong Kar Wai's Ashes of Time Redux (2008). Screened in 35mm print format at the organization's New York location, the series will run through Dec 8.
"When people in other cultures look at Chinese women through the lens of Western films, they often will see them as more submissive," said Asia Society film curator La Frances Hui. "There is this whole idea of exoticizing Chinese women, with their traditional qipaos and their bound feet. This series will show audiences something very different."
While qipaos may make the occasional appearance, the women in these films share a certain resilience that will inspire viewers, Hui said.
"You see innocent women resorting to prostitution to feed their families, going through extreme hardship beginning in 30s-era Shanghai into the 'cultural revolution,' and images of women fighting for revolutionary ideals," Hui said. "From the '80s onwards, these women are shown with a full expression of sexual desire, which is groundbreaking in Chinese culture. These women refused to be victims of their circumstances.
Chinese women are presented as being in full control of their actions, their desires, and their thoughts. That's what we hope to highlight."
In Daybreak (1933), Ling Ling (played by Li Lili) is sold into prostitution after being raped by her factory boss.
Rather than yield to her fate, she finds purpose as a revolutionary martyr. Zhang Yimou's Red Sorghum (adapted from the novel by Nobel laureate Mo Yan) describes the transformation of Jiu'er (Gong Li), who takes over her late husband's business before a sexual encounter changes her life.
The Red Detachment of Women (1970) is a particularly exciting inclusion, Hui said. The story depicts the journey of a peasant girl who joins the Red Army. The award-winning feature was later adapted into a famous ballet opera.
"You might feel dizzy after seeing this film, with all the revolutionary messages it feeds you in 100 minutes, but the color is sensational, and the dance sequences are top notch," Hui said. "It's exhilarating."
Rachel Cooper, director of cultural programs at the Asia Society, said the films present a deeper understanding of Chinese women.
"It's not a Hollywood kind of Orientalism; it's more genuine," she said. "I'm not saying that there isn't sexism in some of these films, but there is a story being told about the role of women, and that story is being told by Chinese. I think that's incredibly important."
So often women are presented as foils to their male characters, she said.
"What you see here over time is a chance for women to create their own narratives," she said. "Whether the film is about motherhood, or romance, it all adds up to a different understanding of women.
"In many ways, women have not gotten their due in both film and art. This places them front and center."
All nine films in the series were directed by men, Hui said.
She is hopeful that female directors will gain traction in China in the coming years.
The Chinese Ministry of Culture worked closely with the Asia Society over the last two years to bring the series to the US, Cooper said.
"This is part of our larger relationship with the Chinese Ministry of Culture and with China, to bring Chinese culture here and also to go to China and share American culture there," she said.
"There's some reciprocity. We don't have a ministry of culture in the US, so when we collaborate we can play an important role that I think is missing in our own governmental structure."
The Asia Society also worked with the Chinese Ministry of Culture to bring a kunqu opera - the oldest form of Chinese opera - to the US earlier this year, and will continue to cooperate on future projects, she said.
Wu Zhao, cultural attach at China's Consulate General in New York, hopes the series will provide a special perspective for Western audiences.
"Since the early days of film in China, a lot of things have changed, and for women as well," he said. "From these movies, we can see the evolution of the role of women in Chinese society, and how they have themselves contributed to those changes.
"Chinese women have often been stereotyped in Hollywood films, and I think we can get a clearer picture from Chinese films of how women in China have made contributions to daily life, to the economy and culture."
"Although Chinese movies are not well known by Western audiences, they might provide a different understanding," Wu said.