People’s Park 2012
Distributed by Cinema Guild, 115 West 30th Street, Suite 800, New York, NY 10001; 212-685-6242
Produced by Sensory Ethnography Lab, Harvard University
Directed by Libbie D. Cohn and J.P Sniadecki
DVD, color, 78 min.
Sr. High - General Adult
Asia, Culture, Anthropology, Ethnography, Sociology
Date Entered: 08/27/2014
Reviewed by Hong Cheng, Instruction Librarian, LaGuardia Community College, City University of New York, Long Island City, NYAlmost every major city in China has a People’s Park, and every park is packed on evenings and weekends where people use it as a gym, ballroom, night club, tea house, dating spot, or playground. Without seeing, believing is challenging for Westerners because parks in China are the complete opposite of tranquility. The directors take a single-camera, unscripted tour of the many activities taking place in People’s Park in Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan Province in the Southwest China. A true non-linear documentary of a Saturday evening where the audience outside China will be astonished by the variety of Eastern and Western leisure activities. Not surprisingly, senior citizens are the loyal visitors to the park, but the open minds of all visitors trying different activities to boost health are still notable. For example, the film shows how a senior male used a giant brush pen and the ground for water calligraphy, and a senior citizen hip hop dance team. During the whole 78 minutes, some people show curiosity to the camera while the majority are enjoying themselves, oblivious to the filming.
People’s Park is recommended for scholars and students who are interested in cultural anthropology, Asian studies and sociology.
Awards
- Winner, Best Cinematography Award, Ann Arbor Film Festival
- Winner, Gian Paolo Paoli Award for Best Anthropological Film, Festival dei Popoli