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China Daily

98 / 03 / 31 /

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1. Film tells moving story about laid-off workers
2. Concert faces comparison
3. Survey: Urbanites lose appetite for poetry
4. Cold baths for children draw heated reactions
5. Surveys find traditional values still in ascendant
6. What's on (Page 10, Date: 03/31/98)
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Film tells moving story about laid-off workers
DIRECTOR Li Shaohong has long been noted for her in-depth probes
into human nature and human feelings. Her films weave together
complicated plots and relationships to reveal the essence of human
being.
Her style is clearly shown in "Thunderstorm" (Lei Yu), a TV
adaptation of the masterpiece of Cao Yu (1910-96) and the film
"Painted Women" (Hong Fen), based on Su Tong's novel about
prostitutes who tried to turn over a new leaf after the founding
of New China in 1949 when prostitution was strictly banned.
But Li has made some changes in "The Happiness Road" (Xingfu
Dajie), her fifth production.
Made by the Beijing Film Studio, the colour feature film vividly
displays the simple but real contemporary life of ordinary urban
Chinese.
"The viewers are not expected to see any tricky plots, thrilling
scenes or sentimental romance in this movie. It only deals with
simple things in life," said director Li.
The story focuses on a Beijing worker's family comprising three
generations, who are living under one roof next to a railway.
"My film touches the hot issue of laid-off workers in China in the
1990s, although I don't intend to provide a solution to the social
problem," Li said.
There have been too many news reports and TV serials with the same
subject matter.
So Li does not follow the trend blindly. She approaches the
subject matter from a unique angle.
The movie begins with a summer day. Grandma Liu, the family's
matriarch who has been a widow for 30 years, plans to announce her
decision to marry Mr Du, a teacher whom she has gotten to know at
dancing parties.
Qi Hongguang, grandma Liu's daughter-in-law, buys a red suit as a
birthday gift for her husband, Liu Shijie, unaware that he has
been laid off by the debt-ridden State-owned factory.
Unwilling to tell the family the bad news, Liu Shijie pretends to
go to work every day, trying every means to earn money to add to
the family income.
"My aim is to depict in depth how ordinary Chinese families fit in
with contemporary society, which is undergoing dramatic
socio-economic changes," Li said.
As the summer heat and the film wear on, the four family members
try to cope with the unfolding complexities of life.
The cinematography is superb, as the scenes were carefully chosen
and well shot.
Li skilfully uses contrast to produce the proper atmosphere in
accordance with the mood of the character she depicts. Music also
adds to the effect.
All the complexities may seem trivial to viewers, but Li Shaohong
tries to untangle them with a detailed portrayal of the
distinctive personalities of the four main characters.
In Li's opinion, family is the essential foundation of a society.
Whatever happens mirrors the great changes taking place in the
whole society.
Vivid and convincing details are captured to depict harmonious
relationships between ordinary people such as the family members,
colleagues, neighbours, a master worker and his apprentices.
The values, sacrifices and emotional touches of the four family
members may very well strike a sympathetic cord with the viewers,
and thus ensure the film's possible success.
Li is satisfied with the performances of all actors and actresses
in the movie.
"They precisely portrayed the characters, revealing their emotions
in a natural manner," Li said.
The character of Qi Hongguang was successfully brought to life by
actress Song Dandan.
She produced an image typical of ordinary Chinese women who
struggle to make their lives better through hard work.
Liu Shijie, played by Wang Xueqi, is another moving character. He
is a good husband, a filial son, a kind father, a reliable friend
and a down-to-earth worker who upholds justice and dignity and
stands up to insults and humiliation.
"Plain and obscure as they are, they have the willpower to endure
any hardship or challenges without abandoning their high moral
standards," Li said.
"I like them. They are the backbone of our society."
"It's just a touching story for audiences," she said.
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_Date: 03/31/98_
_Author: Zhu Linyong_
_Copyright© by China Daily_

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Concert faces comparison
LEILA Josefowicz has probably chosen the wrong time to make her
debut in China -- just three months after Anne-Sophie Mutter's
sensational rendering of works by Brahms in Beijing last December.
Both musicians are ranked among the most influential female
violinists in the world; and both are stunning beauties in terms
of technique and appearance.
Throughout her career, Mutter has struggled to prove herself a
serious musician, rather than just a "Madonna of the violin." In
this respect, Josefowicz seems to be more in favour with critics
and audiences than her rival -- she is acclaimed as a
"contemporary Heifetz."
This praise appears somewhat exaggerated, especially considering
Josefowicz is only 20.
But critics over the world agree that she performs major works by
Sibelius, Beethoven, Bartok and Tchaikovsky with a wisdom beyond
her years.
The young American violinist has a completely American concert
style, full of freshness and enthusiasm. She expresses her musical
maturity skilfully, dazzlingly and thrillingly, quite the contrary
of the American music idol Jascha Heifetz who was known for his
cold, machine-like precision.
Based in Philadelphia, where she is continuing her musical
education at the Curtis Institute of Music, Josefowicz's career
has already taken her all over North America, Europe and Japan for
recitals and concert appearances.
She made her Carnegie Hall debut performing the Tchaikovsky
Concerto with Sir Neville Marriner in 1994. The following year,
she made her Boston Symphony Orchestra debut under Seiji Ozawa's
baton, with performances in Boston and the Carnegie Hall.
She also performs regularly throughout Europe with the London
Philharmonic, the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra and more, and
has undertaken recital tours in Scandinavia, Hungary, France and
Britain.
In 1994, she signed an exclusive contract with Philips Classics.
Her debut recording of the Tchaikovsky and Sibelius violin
concertos with Sir Neville Marriner and the Academy of St
Martin-in-the-Fields (a chamber orchestra based in London) was
released in 1995.
It was followed in 1996 by "Solo," a disc featuring unaccompanied
violin works by Bartok, Kreisler, Ysaye, Ernst and Paganini. Both
releases met great critical acclaim and were awarded the Diapason
d'Or Prize.
Her most recent recording, "Bohemian Rhapsodies," a collection of
virtuoso orchestral works, was released in the United States last
year.
For her China recital, Josefowicz will perform Beethoven's "Sonata
No 6 in A major," Franck's "Sonata in A major," Bartok's "Sonata
No 2," Kreisler's "Sicilienne and Rigaudon" and "Caprice
Viennois," and Sarasate's "Introduction and Tarantella."
She will follow in Mutter's footsteps, performing at the same
venue -- the Beijing Century Theatre -- on April 11.
And audiences will inevitably compare her with Mutter.
How she will fare in the comparison remains to be seen.
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_Date: 03/31/98_
_Author: Mao Mao_
_Copyright© by China Daily_

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Survey: Urbanites lose appetite for poetry
HOW does poetry figure into the lives of Chinese urbanites?
In a sample survey of 1,500 in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou,
Chongqing and Xiamen, only 56 people, or 3.7 per cent of the
interviewees, all above the ages of 18, said they like poetry most
among all literary forms.
In contrast, 30.6 per cent of the interviewees chose news report
sas "the most enjoyable 'literary form'." News ranked highest in
the survey, followed by novels and novelettes (22.7 per cent),
short stories (12.9 per cent), reportage -- lengthy literary
stories based on true events and lives of true personages (7.7 per
cent), essays (7.2 per cent), dramas (5.9 per cent) and poetry
(3.7 per cent).
Another 39.8 per cent said reading poetry is no longer a form of
entertainment to most people today and 23.6 said that poetry no
longer suits the rhythm of contemporary life.
When asked who is the most favoured poet in modern China, 61.2 per
cent of the interviewees said that it was a difficult question to
answer, according to the survey published in the latest issue of
Music Life, a weekly newspaper in Beijing.
Some 9.2 per cent of the interviewees listed some 35 modern and
contemporary poets. These include not only such revolutionaries as
Mao Zedong, Guo Moruo, Ai Qing, Guo Xiaochuan, Zang Kejia and He
Jingzhi, but also lyrical poets Xu Zhimo, Wang Guozhen and Shu
Ting, as well as modernist poets Gu Cheng and Hai Zi.
About 34.4 per cent of those surveyed said poetry should reform
and adapt itself to modern life.
They argue, however, that modern life does need poetry.
Works of the revolutionary poets reflect only the sentiment and
grandeur of the past.
The lyrical poems today are too simplistic and banal, while the
modernists like Gu Cheng and Hai Zi selected death as an end to
their creations.
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_Date: 03/31/98_
_Author: Wang Haiyan_
_Copyright© by China Daily_

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Cold baths for children draw heated reactions
THE scene took place one afternoon in early January 1998.
The time was 2:15 pm. The thermometer read 5 degrees centigrade
outdoors, 7 degrees indoors. About 30 children, all no older than
five, marched into a bathroom.
They started with a few warming-up exercises. When they felt their
bodies beginning to sweat, the teacher in charge asked them to
undress quickly and stand under the showers.
The tap was turned on, and cold water gushed out. It was a cold
shower, the teacher said.
Some five minutes later, the shower was over and the children
marched out.
It sounds incredible, doesn't it?
But the Golden Apple Kindergarten, in Chengdu, capital of
Southwest China's Sichuan Province, began trying out cold showers
last autumn.
Since then, the children take a five- or 10-minute cold shower
every day, no matter it shines or rains.
According to Peng Wei, the 31-year-old kindergarten headmaster,
the cold shower is only one of the items in the kindergarten's new
education programme, known as "hardship education."
"But the cold shower has aroused considerable controversy among
parents," he said.
"Quite a number of the parents agreed to us trying the project on
their children," he said. "Some changed their mind several times
before putting their children in the project."
The cold shower turned out to be more of a challenge to the
parents than the children, despite only being introduced after
parental approval.
Yan Guanhui, father of four-year-old Yan Qiucheng in the middle
class, said he and his wife thought of withdrawing their child
from the project last October.
"We were afraid our child would catch cold," he said. "But we
changed our mind after seeing our child's health was improving."
Some parents refused to let their "little darlings" join in the
"cruel" project. One father explained that his child was not well
enough to risk a cold shower.
Even stronger objections come from the children's grandparents.
One grandmother said: "My grandchild will not be used in
experiments!"
The children did not have such qualms.
"In our kindergarten, we are not afraid of the cold," smiled Wang
Yancheng, nearly four years old.
Headmaster Peng said it was important that the children felt happy
during the project. This happy feeling could help overcome bodily
"discomfort.".
Deng Hong, the mother of one of the children, said her child had
acquired a sense of pride under the cold shower.
"A kindergarten in Chengdu experimented with cold showers some 20
years ago, but the trial was abandoned under all sorts of
pressure," said Li Junxiu, deputy-headmaster of the Golden Apple
Kindergarten.
Peng and Li both believe the cold shower is a success.
Children taking a cold shower every day have an average sickness
rate of 1.8 per cent. They sleep and eat well. In contrast, those
not participating in the programme have an average sickness rate
of 21.4 per cent, and quite a few of them sleep and eat less well.
"Cold showers improve children's health," Peng said, "but we pay
more attention to the fact that it strengthens children's
willpower and helps improve their character."
Peng reminded people of a summer camp on the Mongolian grasslands
attended by Chinese and Japanese children in 1994.
At the camp, the Japanese children showed more strength and
endurance than the Chinese. The result aroused heated discussions
throughout the country.
It is widely accepted that the distinction was a result of the
different education systems.
Peng said kindergartens and schools in Japan have already carried
out a number of "hardship programmes."
Apart from cold showers, the children in Chengdu are also required
to "take open air showers," "walk barefoot on sand" and run.
About 110 children are now taking part in the programme.
The city's swimming centre reports that many people have begun to
practise winter swimming.
Some of the winter swimmers say they are encouraged by the
children's activities in the Golden Apple Kindergarten.
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_Date: 03/31/98_
_Author: Gao Bian_
_Copyright© by China Daily_

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Surveys find traditional values still in ascendant
CHINESE family values remain largely traditional, stressing filial
loyalty to the elderly and care for the young, according to the
results of two surveys.
The surveys also found that sending their children to colleges and
universities was a concern of most Chinese families.
One of the surveys -- which questioned 5,138 households in
Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and seven other major cities --
showed that 48.4 per cent of the people, the majority of whom were
aged 35-44, prefer to have a family of three: two parents and a
child.
In the same survey, 42.6 per cent of those questioned said that
their ideal family included having their elderly parents live with
them.
Only 6.1 per cent of the people, a large proportion of whom were
aged 18-34, said they did not want a child. They defended their
choice by claiming that it was too hard to raise a child, that
they were too busy with their jobs and that they lacked knowledge
of parenting.
Some said they were afraid that having a child would spoil their
life.
Some 2.9 per cent of those questioned choose to live alone,
according to the survey conducted by Horizon, a leading market
research company.
Another survey, conducted in the city of Shanghai, found that 85
per cent of the parents hope their children will be able to study
at a university or college.
Only 10 per cent of parents said they'd be happy if their children
just made it through secondary or technical school.
Shanghai's Minhang District Education Bureau did the study among
1,306 families. About 16 per cent of the parents were graduates of
polytechnic schools or universities, and 47 per cent of them had
primary or junior middle school education.
Of the 72 per cent of the parents who are factory workers, farmers
or clerks, less than 2 per cent said they would like their
children to be farmers or factory workers. (Xinhua)
_____________________________________________________________

_Date: 03/31/98_
_Author: _
_Copyright© by China Daily_

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What's on (Page 10, Date: 03/31/98)
CONCERTS
Italian folk songs -- Adriana Bruni, acclaimed as the most
authentic interpreter of Neapolitan melodies, will perform in
Beijing early next month.
Bruni, who has learned a great deal from her father Sergio Bruni
-- well-known as the king of Neapolitan folk songs -- has devoted
herself to the study, collection and performance of Neapolitan
music. She is also an outstanding actress and has performed in
many famous operas and televised programmes.
Fausto D' Angelo, a celebrated Italian guitarist, will join her in
the concert.
Time: 7:15 pm, April 3
Place: Haidian Theatre, Haidianlu, Haidian District
Tel: 6405-5512
Symphony concert -- The Beijing Symphony Orchestra will perform
Grieg's "Piano Concerto in A minor" and Jean Sibelius' "Symphony
No 1 in E minor."
Time: 7:30 pm, April 2
Place: Beijing Concert Hall, 1 Beixinhuajie, Xicheng District
Rock 'n' roll in Heaven -- The Heaven Star Disco in the Beijing
Chang'an Entertainment Castle invites Beijing rock'n'roll bands,
famous or otherwise, to perform every weekend.
Jazz and country music performances are also held every Wednesday
and Friday. Lucky prize draw are held on the weekends.
Place: Basement 1 of Chang'an Great Theater, 7 Jianguomennei
Dajie, Dongcheng District
Tel: 6510-1155 ext 3100 or 3101
EXHIBITIONS
Joint art show -- The Wanfung Art Gallery is holding a group show
of modern ink paintings.
On show are more than 30 paintings done by 10 Chinese-born artists
from Canada, Hong Kong and the United States.
The works on show eloquently demonstrate the artists' skillful use
of diverse techniques and successful exploration in modern ink
paintings.
Time: 9:30 am- 6pm, through April 4.
Place: Wanfung Art Gallery, 136 Nanchizi Dajie, Dongcheng
District, Beijing.
Tel: 6512-7338.
One-man art show -- The Qin Gallery is hosting the solo show of
artist Sun Guangyi.
The 30 works, done with mixed media on cloth, display the artist's
abstractionist style with Chinese characteristics. They also
reveal the artists' inner feelings and his understanding of art,
life and the universe.
Time: 9:30 am-6 pm, through April 3.
Place: Qin Gallery, 1 Ritan Dongjie, east of Ritan Park.
Tel: 6507-4062.
East blends with West -- More than 30 representative paintings of
Austrian artist Max Weiler are on display at the China National
Art Museum until April 7.
Austria's most famous contemporary painter, Weiler has travelled
extensively in Europe and America to design frescoes for
world-renowned structures, and to hold or participate in more than
30 painting shows. He has won numerous prizes and honorary titles.
This is the first time his works, which have been deeply
influenced by the philosophy and landscape painting of the Song
Dynasty (960-1279), have been shown in China.
So infatuated was Weiler by the Chinese landscape painting that he
decided to "return to the China of the Song Dynasty."
Because Weiler successfully blends the ''artistic conception'' of
Chinese landscape painting with Western techniques, his works are
sought by people in both China and the West.
The current 31 exhibits were finished by Max Weiler between 1983
and 1992.
Time: 9 am-5 pm, until April 7
Place: China National Art Museum, 1 Wusi Dajie, Dongcheng District
Tel: 6401-2252
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_Date: 03/31/98_
_Author: _
_Copyright© by China Daily_

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