In his talk “Chinese Cinema: A (Brief) Intro to the First Century”, Dr Rob Hemsley presents an entertaining but also academically grounded overview of how the Chinese film industry has transformed since its earliest days.

The history of Chinese cinema is a rollercoaster ride, with themes and genres often shifting in unison with the social and political movements of the time. So jump on board for a trip – enlivened by video snippets — not just through one hundred years of Chinese film, but through one hundred years of Chinese history as well.

Dr. Rob Hemsley arrived in the small Chinese city of Lu’an, in Anhui Province, over a decade ago and for the next few years found himself hosting a weekly show on local TV. After that, he worked for international media in Beijing, and in 2015 was hired to teach a number of film-related courses at Tsinghua University. Dr. Hemsley specializes in the study of Film and Religion – which he launched as a course at Tsinghua – and also maintains a strong interest in the Chinese film industry and its tumultuous history.

To RSVP, please email communications.ras.bj@gmail.com and write “Cinema” in the subject header.