brappy!

Noted director Wang Xiaoshuai (王小帥*) taught our class Friday afternoon. I spent the morning sleeping in, puttering around and goofing off. I also did laundry!

Wang's lecture was pretty interesting. He told some fascinating stories about his early filmmaking days. Originally, he had been studying painting, but later became interested in filmmaking. After going to  the Beijing Film Academy, he took a job in Fujian that he apparently really hated. Like many of the filmmakers here, he made some independent films, working outside the system. Interestingly, he considered himself part of the "luckiest" generation of Chinese filmmakers - he was afforded creative freedom and was able to produce films before the market for Chinese films was decimated in the past ten years. Yet again, we have the familiar refrain of a bad film market destroying opportunities to create films in China.

An actor from his new film, Shanghai Dreams, was along to listen to Wang speak. It was kind of interesting. I found Wang one of the better speakers we have had so far. 

After class, I drug my classmates to the best. place. ever. 家樂福! Carrefour! Then, I rested, before going out for dinner in 國貿.

* Literally, King Little Handsome. He wins my award for best Chinese name of the year.