"A Tale of the Wind: In Search of the Real through Myth and Magic" - Liang Luo

Thursday, September 18, 2025 12:00 PM to 1:30 PM EDT
Horizon Hall, #5225

In this work-in-progress presentation, I attempt to engage with concepts such as the international avant-garde, modern Chinese cultural politics, and the transformations and reinterpretations of the real through myth, magic, and science fiction, through a close reading of the Dutch documentary filmmaker Joris Ivens's (1898-1989) last film, Une histoire de vent, or, A Tale of the Wind (1988).

The documentary filmmaker's search for the real, throughout his half a century engagement with China (1938-1988) and culminated in his last film shot on location in China, reveals reality's profound connections with myth, magic, and science fiction, as well as the profound abilities of the latter three in approaching the real.