Sponsor: Centre for Chinese Research, Institute of Asian Research
Place: Room 120, C.K.Choi Building, 1855 West Mall, Vancouver, BC
By: Dr. Joyleen Christensen, Lecturer, University of Newcastle, Australia
Type: Seminar
Dates: Monday, Nov 02, 2015 to Monday, Nov 02, 2015
Time: 4-5:30 p.m.
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In this talk, Dr. Christensen will argue that the placement of celebrities within a nationalist discourse, whilst hardly a new phenomenon, is an approach deserving of re-evaluation in light of the recent recognition of transnational cultural flows within film theory as well as the particular complexities of Hong Kong’s historical position and the rising power of China on the global stage. Briefly examining the success of Hong Kong film and recording star, Andy Lau, in the Pan-Asian domain will allow us to test theories about how cultural identity is expressed through popular culture. Part of this discussion will be dependent upon a deeper understanding of Lau’s local star persona, which Dr. Christensen believes to a large extent was shaped by his actions around the time of Hong Kong’s reunification with mainland China. Specifically, Lau’s involvement in the production of the film Made in Hong Kong – one of the few significant pieces of Handover-themed cinema to be released during that period – combined with his promotion of re-Sinification through various musical texts, provides an effective demonstration of the star’s increasingly assured positioning of his own cultural identity.
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