Sinascape: Contemporary Chinese Cinema

Sinascape: Contemporary Chinese Cinema is one of the most comprehensive studies of transnational Chinese-language films at the turn of the millennium. Gary Xu combines a close reading of contemporary movies from China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong with an intimate look into the transnational Chinese film industry, based on his working relationship with filmmakers. He coins the word ‘sinascape’ to reflect on the intersection between Chinese cinema and global cultural production, referring to cinematic representations of ethnic Chinese people around the globe. Sinascape describes contemporary Chinese cinema as a global network and a group of contact zones where ideologies clash, new identities emerge (through both border crossings and resistance to globalization), and visual innovations and progressive visions become possible. General readers, film enthusiasts, and critics alike will benefit from Xu’s discussion of popular film, which leads to a broader conversation about China’s economic transformations, global politics, and cultural production. Including discussion of films like Hero, House of Flying Daggers, Kung Fu Hustle, Devils on the Doorstep, Suzhou River, Beijing Bicycle, Millennium Mambo, Goodbye Dragon Inn, and Hollywood Hong Kong, the book emphasizes the transnational nature of contemporary Chinese cinema.