The Asian Studies Center has an extensive collection of fiction and non‑fiction films available to borrow. Visit the center or contact us for more information.
Description: Along a polluted waterway near Shanghai, Mardar (Jia Hongsheng) rides his motorcycle each day, transporting Moudan (Zhou Xun), the teenage daughter of a local criminal. Despite his secret love for the young girl, he gets caught up in a scheme to kidnap her and hold her for ransom. The plan goes awry, however, and Moudan throws herself into the river and drowns. Mardar emerges from prison years later and encounters a nightclub entertainer who looks exactly like his lost love.
Description: Teenage swordsman Hai Ge (Gao Wei) arrives at a walled-off Chinese desert outpost called Double Flag Town, where his bride-to-be, Hao Mei (Zhao Mana), awaits. This is an arranged marriage, and Hao Mei is skeptical until Hai Ge fights off a band of thugs trying to rape her. But the wedding is thrown into jeopardy when lethal swordsman Vidasoxian (Sun Haiying) claims Hao Mei for himself. A rivalry ensues, a bloodbath appears imminent and Hai Ge's formidable martial arts skills are put to the test.
Description: Zhengda (Zhou Yemang) is the eldest brother of the powerful Pang family. He is married to Xiuyi (Saifei He), smokes opium on a daily basis and orders Xiuyi's young brother, Zhongliang (Leslie Cheung), to live with them as a house servant. After Zhongliang disappears, Zhengda's health declines, and his younger sister, Ruyi (Gong Li), assumes control of the family. Zhongliang, who is now a Shanghai gigolo affiliated with criminals, is forced to reconnect with Ruyi under mysterious circumstances.
Description: Liu Xiaochun (Tang Yun), a 13-year-old violin prodigy, and his devoted father, Liu Cheng (Liu Peiqi), leave their provincial Chinese town for Beijing, hoping to find a violin teacher and, ultimately, success. The teenager is at first coached by the eccentric professor Jiang (Wang Zhiwen), but he is soon replaced with the renowned professor Yu (Chen Kaige). The day of the big competition is fast approaching, and Xiaochun must decide if this new, high-pressure life is right for him.
Description: The film is adapted and directed by Xie Fei and tells the story of a woman in a small village in Hebei who runs a small sesame oil business that becomes unexpectedly successful, but who then uses her money to buy for her mentally disabled son a peasant bride.
Description: In 19th century Qing Dynasty China, a warrior (Chow Yun-Fat) gives his sword, Green Destiny, to his lover (Michelle Yeoh) to deliver to safe keeping, but it is stolen, and the chase is on to find it. The search leads to the House of Yu where the story takes on a whole different level.
Description: This documentary follows the lives of four Chinese college students during their transition from living at home to moving to Shanghai to become freshmen at one of China's most prestigious universities, Fudan University. This documentary is designed for the viewer to share in thhe experience of personal change in the lives of each of these four exceptional young people, living in a country where 1.3 billion people wake up each morning (hence the name - 4 students from 1.3 billion Chinese).
Description: Part 1: Getting Rich. In a brief 25 years, China has achieved the most rapid economic advance of any nation in history. How? By scrapping its devotion to collectivism and embracing private enterprise with the zeal of the 19th Century robber barons. But is China's success riding on the backs of the poor? Part 2: City of Dreams. In the streets and neighbourhoods of Shanghai, a new dream of China is being turned into reality. A generation of Chinese now live in a style that would not look out of place in New York, Berlin or Toronto. But for its poorer residents, Shanghai can be a city of despair.
Description: Part 3: Party Games. China is on the march. As Beijing prepares for the 2008 Summer Olympic Games, it is envisioning a new political dawn for a growing nation, and is ready to invite the world to see its progress. Part 4: Food is Heaven. From the steamy kitchens of Canton, to the arid moonscape of the north, food is the very heart and soul of China. But increasing development and dwindling water supplies are threatening the nation's ability to feed itself.
Description: "Shower" is a heartwarming story that examines the current state of Chinese culture where cherished traditions are being abandoned by the modern world. A young, wealthy businessman's icy attitude toward his working-class background is about to thaw as he is forced to reconnect with his elderly father and mentally challenged younger brother, who together run a public bathhouse.