Youth Culture in Chinese Language Film

This book explores the vigorous film cultures of mainland China, Taiwan and Hong Kong from the perspective of youth culture. The book relates this important topic to the wider social, cultural, and institutional context, and discusses the relationship between the films and the changes that today are transforming each society. Among the areas explored are the differences between the three film industries, their creation of new types of screen hero and heroine, and their conflicts with traditional Chinese attitudes such as respect for age. The many films discussed provide fresh perspectives on the ways in which young people are coping with gender, sexuality, class, coming of age, the pressures of education, and major social shifts such as rural to urban migration. They show young adults in each society striving to construct new value systems for a complex, rapidly changing environment.

Xuelin Zhou is a senior lecturer in Media, Film and Television at the University of Auckland, New Zealand.

1. Introduction 2. Hong Kong, Taiwan, mainland China and their film industries 3. We all grow up like this: Coming of age in Taiwan cinema 4. Villagers in the metropolis: Young peasant workers in Chinese cinema 5. Cramming for college: High school boys and girls in Taiwan cinema 6. Spring sunshine: School films in the People's Republic of China 7. Made in Hong Kong: Youth genre in Hong Kong cinema 8. Conclusion