AltreCine: Chinese Independent Documentary Series in Rome
The AltreCine festival of independent Chinese documentaries is underway in Rome at the Teatro Manzoni until May 27. Curated by journalist and sinologist Barbara Alighiero, the series features six films by young directors presenting diverse and lesser-known facets of China. The documentaries are independently produced and funded, often addressing sensitive topics. Highlights include "Our Time Machine" by Yang Sun and Leo Chiang, about a father-son relationship in industrial Shanghai where the son builds robotic puppets to recover his father's Alzheimer's-stricken memories; "Madame Duan" by Zhang Weixiong, focusing on migrant workers leaving villages for cities; "The Big Sister of Zheng Long" on the one-child policy; "Life in the Abyss" by Yao Zubiao, depicting an isolated leper colony in Yunnan; and "The Forest of Red Mantles" by Jin Huaqing, set in a Tibetan Buddhist monastery housing 10,000 nuns. The festival is organized in collaboration with Sapienza University of Rome and the Confucius Institute.
Key facts
- AltreCine is a series of independent Chinese documentaries in Rome.
- The festival runs until May 27 at Teatro Manzoni.
- Six films by young directors are featured.
- Barbara Alighiero, a journalist and sinologist, curated the series.
- Films are independently produced and funded.
- Topics include Alzheimer's, migration, one-child policy, leper colonies, and Tibetan Buddhism.
- The festival is organized with Sapienza University and the Confucius Institute.
- Documentaries offer alternative views of China beyond Shanghai and Beijing.
Entities
Artists
- Yang Sun
- Leo Chiang
- Zhang Weixiong
- Yao Zubiao
- Jin Huaqing
- Xiao Xiao
- Barbara Alighiero
Institutions
- Teatro Manzoni
- Sapienza University of Rome
- Confucius Institute
- Artribune
Locations
- Rome
- Italy
- Shanghai
- China
- Yunnan
- Tibet
- Hunan