Consent, Camera, Action...

Dear TWOC reader, this month’s newsletter will explore:

– China’s last lockdowns...inside university campuses
– After hours with public sleepers
– Documentary filmmakers’ ethical dilemma

Thanks for reading! 👇

While most of China has returned to normal life after the pandemic, many universities remain closed to outsiders, restricting access to students and staff only. Rebecca Wang examines the reasons and consequences behind closed campus policies, which have been criticized by some as unnecessary, unfair, and harmful to academic freedom and social integration.

Campus closures are not the only phenomenon that reflects the tension between openness and closure in Chinese society. From migrant workers to office workers, from parks to subways, public sleepers are a common sight in China—often ignored, misunderstood or discriminated against by outsiders. Why do some Chinese people nap in public places, seemingly oblivious to the noise and stares of others? Zheng Yiwen and Hatty Liu explore the cultural and historical factors that shape public sleeping, as well as its social and psychological implications.

Campus closures and public sleeping both show the influence of social norms and expectations on Chinese people’s lives. Documentary filmmaking, on the other hand, is a way of examining and questioning those norms and expectations, as well as revealing the diversity and complexity of lived reality. But how do documentary filmmakers balance the ethical and artistic aspects of their work, especially in a complex and sensitive context like China, asks Amarsanaa Battulga.

Last Lockdown: Why are China’s Campuses Still Closed to the Public?

After Hours: The Unseen Lives of China’s Public Sleepers

Consent, Camera, Action: Navigating Documentary Ethics in China

What We’re Reading

Where Waters Meet
#novel #diasporaliterature #ChineseCanadian

A  woman embarks on a journey from Toronto to Shanghai and Wenzhou, Zhejiang province, to learn about her late mother’s secret early life. Instead, she discovers a remarkable family history of survival and resilience through war and famine. This is Chinese Canadian writer Zhang Ling’s tenth novel, a book she regards as the sister novel of her previous work, A Single Swallow (2020). Both stories are partially set in Wenzhou, Zhang’s hometown and constant source of inspiration.

One Last Thing...

Are ChatGPT and AI Taking Over China?

Meanwhile in China…join TWOC and guests on a brand new video podcast where we spill the tea on the latest goings-on.

If you enjoy our content, consider becoming a supporter to help keep us independent (and the office coffee flowing).