I shamelessly announce the appearance of my new book in print. For inquiries and comments, please contact me at [log in to unmask] - Yomi Painting the City Red: Chinese Cinema and the Urban Contract Yomi Braester DUKE UNIVERSITY PRESS 424 pages; 48 illustrations Paperback-$24.95 Painting the City Red illuminates the dynamic relationship between the visual media, particularly film and theater, and the planning and development of cities in China and Taiwan, from the emergence of the People's Republic in 1949 to the staging of the Beijing Olympics in 2008. Yomi Braester argues that the transformation of Chinese cities in recent decades is a result not only of China's abandonment of Maoist economic planning in favor of capitalist globalization but also of a shift in visual practices. Rather than simply reflect urban culture, movies and stage dramas have facilitated the development of new perceptions of space and time, representing the future city variously as an ideal socialist city, a metropolis integrated into the global economy, and a site for preserving cultural heritage. Drawing on extensive archival research, interviews with leading filmmakers and urban planners, and close readings of scripts and images, Braester describes how films and stage plays have promoted and opposed official urban plans and policies as they have addressed issues such as demolition-and-relocation plans, the preservation of vernacular architecture, and the global real estate market. He shows how the cinematic rewriting of historical narratives has accompanied the spatial reorganization of specific urban sites, including Nanjing Road in Shanghai; veterans' villages in Taipei; and Tiananmen Square, centuries-old courtyards, and postmodern architectural landmarks in Beijing. In Painting the City Red, Braester reveals the role that film and theater have played in mediating state power, cultural norms, and the struggle for civil society in Chinese cities. -----Original Message----- From: Film and TV Studies Discussion List [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Norman Holland Sent: Tuesday, March 23, 2010 7:09 AM To: [log in to unmask] Subject: [SCREEN-L] Tinting in silents? Hi, Recently, I've taken to watching silents streamed from Netflix. Often, the film willl change from a sepia color to blue or even red. Are these color changes intentional? If so, what do they signify? If not, are they an artifact of preservation or what? --With warm regards, Norm Norm Holland ---- For past messages, visit the Screen-L Archives: http://bama.ua.edu/archives/screen-l.html ---- Learn to speak like a film/TV professor! Listen to the ScreenLex podcast: http://www.screenlex.org