Abstract:

"Five prominent and controversial Chinese writers speak of their role in the modernization of China and their view of the future of the country: Ba Jin, a popular novelist; Mao Dun, a prominent political leader; Ding Ling, a woman writer who daringly explored female sexual desires; Cao Yu, an influential playwright; and Ai Qing, the nation's leading revolutionary poet. Produced by Chung-wen Shih, George Washington University. Can be used in history, world cultures, or literature classes. Interviews with the writers are intercut with scenes of performances of the writers' major works. Covers the major events in recent Chinese history, including the May Fourth Movement (1919), the Land Reform (1949), and the Cultural Revolution (1966-76). "