Book launch

You are cordially invited to join us at the double book launch and signing of:

Post-1990 Documentary: Reconfiguring Independence (edited by Camille Deprez and Judith Pernin) & Hong Kong Documentary Film (Ian Aitken and Mike Ingham).

About the books:

Post-1990 Documentary: Reconfiguring Independence: In a post-1990 context of unrivaled creativity in documentary filmmaking, what does 'independence' really mean? This new anthology is the first collection of in-depth case studies (including Hong Kong and China) to cut across media, topics, purposes and national divides to better comprehend the radical transformations of the documentary form over the past twenty-five years. It provides an innovative interpretation of understudied subject matters and styles and rare analysis of different production, distribution and exhibition strategies. It not only helps to rethink the notion of independence, but also contributes to a fundamental change in our perception of documentary filmmaking. The book should be of interest to film scholars, students, practitioners and film enthusiasts alike.

Camille Deprez is Research Assistant Professor at the Academy of Film, Hong Kong Baptist University.

Judith Pernin is Associate Doctoral Graduate at the French Centre for Research on Contemporary China (CEFC) in Hong Kong.

Hong Kong Documentary Film: Does Hong Kong have a significant tradition in documentary filmmaking? Until recently, many film scholars believed not. Yet, when Ian Aitken and Michael Ingham challenged this assumption, they discovered a rich cinematic tradition, dating back to the 1890s. Under-researched and often forgotten, documentary film-making in Hong Kong includes a thriving independent documentary film movement, a large archive of documentaries made by the colonial film units, and a number of classic British Official Films. Case studies from all three categories are examined in this book. With a particular focus on how these films address the historico-political dimension of their time, it introduces students and scholars in Film Studies, as well as those interested in Hong Kong's history, to this fascinating and largely unexplored cinematic tradition.

Ian Aitken is Professor at the Academy of Film, Hong Kong Baptist University.

Michael Ingham is Associate Professor in the Department of English at Lingnan University, Hong Kong.