Is China getting the ‘cli-fi’ it needs?
If seeing is believing, Chinese filmmakers have a role in bringing home the reality of climate change, writes Tang Damin / see also The Cli-Fi Report www.cli-fi.net
In 2012, the high-tech ships used to save humanity are made in a Chinese factory (Image:2012)
As China has emerged as a global power playing an active role in international affairs, its filmmakers have found willing audiences for films heavy on action-packed shootouts, kung-fu heroes, and the defeat of foreign enemies.
The plots of Operation Mekong, Operation Red Sea and Wolf Warrior are some of the best examples. The tropes are much the same: a poor, backwards and dangerous country with rebel armies, failing Western-style aid, and outnumbered Chinese heroes saving the day.
The nationalism underpinning these films has garnered box office success, even though the overblown plots are at odds with China’s real-world “wait and see” approach to most international and regional issues.
It is a pity, then, that filmmakers are ignoring a subject where China is emerging as a leader on the global stage, that is, on climate change.
China in Hollywood cli-fi
It’s hard to know if there are many Chinese fans of “cli-fi” movies – those rare films that take climate change as their subject matter. If there are, they may have noticed the growing reference to China in Hollywood films with climate themes.
Take for example, the 2017 cli-fi blockbuster Geostorm, which did well at the Chinese box office but had poor reviews. In it, a satellite system designed to avert natural disasters and fix global warming by modifying the weather is weaponised, threatening disaster.
As the film starts, we are told that China and the United States are leading the planet’s best scientists in their (misguided) attempt to deliver fantastical climate engineering solutions that can save humanity from heatwaves and cold snaps.
China soon disappears from the story though after Chinese-American actor Daniel Wu is killed off, leaving the film to get back to its conventional plot in which a white male hero saves the day.
One of the best known cli-fi movies so far, 2012, has plot elements that involve China more prominently. As huge floods threaten humanity’s future, China’s factories come to the rescue, working day and night to produce high-tech floating arks before the waters rise.
But as David S. Roh and others have pointed out, myths of Asia’s technology and manufacturing prowess are just another method of objectification and mystification – a type of techno-orientalism.
Chinese-American actor Daniel Wu had a small role in Geostorm but was killed off before the halfway point (Image: Geostorm)
An awkward absence
Historically, climate change has not lent itself easily to films outside of documentaries, or effects-driven disaster movies like The Day After Tomorrow, meaning there are few cli-fi examples. And it isn't hard to understand why China’s climate leadership fails to make it into the scripts of US films. If Chinese filmmakers are failing to acknowledge China’s role, can Hollywood be expected to?
Look to China and we find, to our surprise, that Chinese cinema has done even less than Hollywood to reflect the country’s important international role in tackling climate change. In fact, 18 years into this century, there has not been one notable film that deals with the topic, although there are quite a few good films that look at the human and environmental costs of China’s rapid development.
It is not that Chinese filmmakers cannot see opportunities to cash in on China’s growth as a global power; recent films portray China as taking on global, not just regional, responsibilities. In this year’s Operation Red Sea, for example, Chinese special forces don’t just rescue Chinese nationals from turmoil in the Middle East, they also seize the chemical precursors of a nuclear weapon from rebel hands, helping to avert a global disaster.
These films tap into a desire among Chinese audiences to see their country flex its muscle, but the fantasy element can go too far and seem absurd.
Given the rich tradition of cinematic realism in China, there is a great opportunity to tell the story of China’s rise through the exploration of subject matter that is much closer to reality. An obvious area is climate action, for which China is making global headlines, with its surge of renewable power and electric vehicle revolution.
What kind of cli-fi does China need?
And it is definitely not impossible to make a film about this topic. In fact, China actually produced a cli-fi movie back in 1990.
Feng Xiaoning’s Disappearing Atmosphere looks like a children’s movie, complete with talking cats, dogs and horses. But the storyline is adult. When thieves unwittingly release a gas that destroys the ozone layer, animals help a young boy find the source of the problem. A dog sacrifices itself to eliminate the harmful gas. Ultimately, scientists, children and animals work together to save the planet.
The end credits include a long and dull list of pollution statistics, with a clear message: we might have been saved from disaster this time, but China must face up to ongoing environmental degradation.
Disappearing Atmosphere: “In the 95 minutes of this film, two species have become extinct and 2,000 hectares of forest have disappeared.” (Image: Disappearing Atmosphere)
The movie featured crude special effects and some of the plot arrangements are debatable, but it carried a strong moral message. And in 1990 there was no rapidly expanding solar power sector to discuss, the Ministry of Environmental Protection wouldn’t be established for another 18 years, and Chinese coal consumption wouldn’t plateau for another 23 years.
In our current decade concern over pollution and support for an ecological civilisation has risen in China.
The results of a survey of 4,000 people carried out by the China Centre for Climate Change Communication, a joint project by Renmin University and Oxfam Hong Kong, published in November 2017, found 78% of respondents expressed some degree of concern over climate change and 89% felt the government should take climate change seriously. However, the same survey found only 11% of respondents know a lot about climate change.
But seeing is believing, and perhaps cinema can bring home the reality of climate change. A modern Chinese cli-fi film would help people understand the urgency of this threat to all humanity, and prompt them to take a look at the impacts of their own lifestyles.
As for how to make that into a gripping story – well, that’s up to China’s movie makers.
The plots of Operation Mekong, Operation Red Sea and Wolf Warrior are some of the best examples. The tropes are much the same: a poor, backwards and dangerous country with rebel armies, failing Western-style aid, and outnumbered Chinese heroes saving the day.
The nationalism underpinning these films has garnered box office success, even though the overblown plots are at odds with China’s real-world “wait and see” approach to most international and regional issues.
It is a pity, then, that filmmakers are ignoring a subject where China is emerging as a leader on the global stage, that is, on climate change.
China in Hollywood cli-fi
It’s hard to know if there are many Chinese fans of “cli-fi” movies – those rare films that take climate change as their subject matter. If there are, they may have noticed the growing reference to China in Hollywood films with climate themes.
Take for example, the 2017 cli-fi blockbuster Geostorm, which did well at the Chinese box office but had poor reviews. In it, a satellite system designed to avert natural disasters and fix global warming by modifying the weather is weaponised, threatening disaster.
As the film starts, we are told that China and the United States are leading the planet’s best scientists in their (misguided) attempt to deliver fantastical climate engineering solutions that can save humanity from heatwaves and cold snaps.
China soon disappears from the story though after Chinese-American actor Daniel Wu is killed off, leaving the film to get back to its conventional plot in which a white male hero saves the day.
One of the best known cli-fi movies so far, 2012, has plot elements that involve China more prominently. As huge floods threaten humanity’s future, China’s factories come to the rescue, working day and night to produce high-tech floating arks before the waters rise.
But as David S. Roh and others have pointed out, myths of Asia’s technology and manufacturing prowess are just another method of objectification and mystification – a type of techno-orientalism.
Chinese-American actor Daniel Wu had a small role in Geostorm but was killed off before the halfway point (Image: Geostorm)
An awkward absence
Historically, climate change has not lent itself easily to films outside of documentaries, or effects-driven disaster movies like The Day After Tomorrow, meaning there are few cli-fi examples. And it isn't hard to understand why China’s climate leadership fails to make it into the scripts of US films. If Chinese filmmakers are failing to acknowledge China’s role, can Hollywood be expected to?
Look to China and we find, to our surprise, that Chinese cinema has done even less than Hollywood to reflect the country’s important international role in tackling climate change. In fact, 18 years into this century, there has not been one notable film that deals with the topic, although there are quite a few good films that look at the human and environmental costs of China’s rapid development.
It is not that Chinese filmmakers cannot see opportunities to cash in on China’s growth as a global power; recent films portray China as taking on global, not just regional, responsibilities. In this year’s Operation Red Sea, for example, Chinese special forces don’t just rescue Chinese nationals from turmoil in the Middle East, they also seize the chemical precursors of a nuclear weapon from rebel hands, helping to avert a global disaster.
These films tap into a desire among Chinese audiences to see their country flex its muscle, but the fantasy element can go too far and seem absurd.
Given the rich tradition of cinematic realism in China, there is a great opportunity to tell the story of China’s rise through the exploration of subject matter that is much closer to reality. An obvious area is climate action, for which China is making global headlines, with its surge of renewable power and electric vehicle revolution.
What kind of cli-fi does China need?
And it is definitely not impossible to make a film about this topic. In fact, China actually produced a cli-fi movie back in 1990.
Feng Xiaoning’s Disappearing Atmosphere looks like a children’s movie, complete with talking cats, dogs and horses. But the storyline is adult. When thieves unwittingly release a gas that destroys the ozone layer, animals help a young boy find the source of the problem. A dog sacrifices itself to eliminate the harmful gas. Ultimately, scientists, children and animals work together to save the planet.
The end credits include a long and dull list of pollution statistics, with a clear message: we might have been saved from disaster this time, but China must face up to ongoing environmental degradation.
Disappearing Atmosphere: “In the 95 minutes of this film, two species have become extinct and 2,000 hectares of forest have disappeared.” (Image: Disappearing Atmosphere)
The movie featured crude special effects and some of the plot arrangements are debatable, but it carried a strong moral message. And in 1990 there was no rapidly expanding solar power sector to discuss, the Ministry of Environmental Protection wouldn’t be established for another 18 years, and Chinese coal consumption wouldn’t plateau for another 23 years.
In our current decade concern over pollution and support for an ecological civilisation has risen in China.
The results of a survey of 4,000 people carried out by the China Centre for Climate Change Communication, a joint project by Renmin University and Oxfam Hong Kong, published in November 2017, found 78% of respondents expressed some degree of concern over climate change and 89% felt the government should take climate change seriously. However, the same survey found only 11% of respondents know a lot about climate change.
But seeing is believing, and perhaps cinema can bring home the reality of climate change. A modern Chinese cli-fi film would help people understand the urgency of this threat to all humanity, and prompt them to take a look at the impacts of their own lifestyles.
As for how to make that into a gripping story – well, that’s up to China’s movie makers.
=====
中国需要怎样的“气候电影”？
“眼见为实”，也许电影可以让中国人与气候变化来一场有声有色的亲密接触。
《2012》中，拯救人类的高科技大船，是一座中国工厂的产品。图片来源：电影截图
不知道有没有“气候科幻（cli-fi）电影迷”这种群体存在，但如果有的话，那么他们一定能感觉到，在电影屏幕上，渐渐开始有人讲述中国的“气候领导力”了。
在2017年上映的《全球风暴》（Geostorm）中，尽管故事的主干仍未摆脱（白人男性）英雄拯救全人类的窠臼，但影片一开场就在旁白中明白无误地交待：在美国和中国的领导下，全世界的优秀科学家通过看起来匪夷所思的地球工程（geo-engineering）手段，试图拯救被热浪和寒潮逼上绝境的人类。
不过，在短暂出现于旁白之后，作为气候领导者之一的中国便迅速退场，跑龙套的美籍华裔演员吴彦祖也早早死掉，影片依然进入老套的灾难片套路。唯一值得注意的是，在气候危机解除后，安迪·加西亚扮演的美国总统决定将全球气候卫星网络的控制权交给“国际社会”。
华裔美籍演员吴彦祖在《全球风暴》中饰演了一个小配角，影片还没过半就早早被杀退场。图片来源：电影截图
可以说，在老套的美国英雄拯救世界叙事基础之上，《全球风暴》试图表达某种国际主义的倾向。但很显然，《全球风暴》没有找到一种有效的方式，令参与领导全球气候行动的中国具象化。于是，中国小心翼翼地被放在背景板的一角，成为了某种文化多元主义的政治正确招牌。
好莱坞气候科幻片中的中国足迹
从定义上看，气候电影当然不一定非得是气候灾难中英雄拯救世界的俗套故事。但目前这类电影数量不多，那些影响力较大的大部分还是突出视觉效果的灾难大片。
如果说《全球风暴》对中国气候领导力的一笔带过显得有些敷衍，那么往前回溯，我们会发现，好莱坞科幻片对中国的表现其实已经走过了很长的路。
雷德利·斯科特1982年的经典之作《银翼杀手》（Blade Runner）不算气候科幻，但其对未来地球的想象中，污染严重、雨雾弥漫的灾难性天气无疑充当了重要元素。中国并未在这部早期科幻经典中“正式”出现，但路边肮脏（且不合语法）的汉字涂鸦和摩天大楼墙壁上的艺伎投影、日本小吃摊令人印象深刻：在人人争相逃离地球的未来，亚洲人却一成不变地延续着某种东方式的存在。显然，在这部影片中，中国只是一个东方主义的符号，被用来加强未来世界的神秘感。
时间快进27年，在迄今为止最著名的气候科幻片之一，2009年的《2012》中，与中国有关的元素已经占据了很大篇幅。当全人类面临被巨大洪水赶尽杀绝的危机，是效率奇高的中国工厂站了出来，日以继夜没命加班，在真正的“死线”到来之前造出了可以抵挡洪水的高科技大船。
从表面上看，这一次，中国元素至少不再是喷在墙上的涂鸦而已，而是以制造业大国的形象出现。但一如David S. Roh等人所提出的，对亚洲国家技术、制造能力的神话，只是另一种将亚洲人客体化、神秘化的方式，一种科技东方主义（techno-orientalism）。
尴尬的缺席
诚然，气候变化不算是一个很容易故事化的电影主题，气候电影的数量本身就非常之少。至于中国“气候领导力”在美国影片中“代表性”的缺乏，并不是一件令人费解的事。
但把目光投射到中国影坛，我们会惊讶地发现，对于气候变化这样一项中国的的确确起到了重要作用的国际事务，中国电影界近年来完全没有触碰过，还不如好莱坞。
有趣的是，在最近的《红海行动》中，中国特种部队不仅成功将中国侨民从战乱的中东某国撤出，还从反派手中夺回了可用于制造大规模杀伤性武器的化学原料。可以看出，相比之前的同类影片，中国电影工作者不再满足于展现中国在某些第三世界国家的相对强势，而更努力地在试图凸显中国的全球责任。
但正如我前面说过的，太多的鸡血让这些电影有时候看起来有些可笑。很难想象中国电影人们能够复制好莱坞在这一类型电影上的成功——从伊拉克到阿富汗，《猎杀本拉登》这样的电影背后，是结结实实的血腥战争。事实是，中国军队上一次大规模外战已经是39年前。
回到前面列举的好莱坞气候科幻片，如果说在这些大片对未来世界的想象中，中国的气候领导力都是不可或缺的，那么对于想要在银幕上展现中国国际实力的电影工作者来说，为什么不考虑把镜头对准这一主题呢？
要知道，中国这些年的可再生能源和电动车大增长，以及在美国退出《巴黎协定》后坚定守卫气候行动的积极态度，可是没少登上国际媒体的头条。
中国需要怎样的气候电影？
气候科幻或者气候主题影片难拍吗？也许是的，但中国电影界绝不是拍不出来。其实早在1990年，中国就曾经拍出过一部气候科幻片。
从类型上看，冯小宁的《大气层消失》是一部儿童片，里面有会说话的猫、狗和马，但它的故事一点却也不含糊：几个小偷无意间释放了大量臭氧层破坏性气体，导致臭氧急剧减少。听得懂动物语言的小男孩在动物的带领下找到了灾难源头，最终一条狗冒着被烧死的代价消灭了有毒气体，而与此同时中国军方也释放了一种神秘的臭氧层修补气体。科学家、儿童和动物的联合行动解救了地球。
影片在其结尾字幕处耐人寻味地打出一系列有关中国环境污染的数据，其意义显而易见：就算一时幸免于难，中国仍然需要面对已经在发生的环境退化。
“本片放映时间为1小时35分钟，在此期间，地球上又有2种生物灭绝，又有2000公顷森林消失……”在结尾处，《大气层消失》向全人类发出警告。图片来源：电影截图
尽管画面粗糙，特效原始，但这部影片依然拥有相当强大的道德控诉力量。但是，1990年的人们不会谈论光伏风电的迅猛发展，环保部还要再过18年才会成立，中国煤炭消费量要再过23年才到达高峰，这样一部带有末世意味的老电影已远远不能表达今天中国与气候变化的关系。
在2010年代，对污染的警觉以及对生态文明的向往已经成为中国社会从上到下的共识。中国气候传播项目中心2017年11月发布的一份针对约4000人进行的调查显示，78%的受调查者对气候变化表示担忧，89%认为政府应该重视气候变化问题。但同一份调查也显示出，仅有11%的受调查者对气候变化议题有较为深刻的了解。
中国有句老话叫“眼见为实”，也许电影可以让中国人与气候变化来一场有声有色的亲密接触。今天，这样一部电影最理想的效果，也许是把气候变化与中国民众之间的距离再拉近一些，让更多的人不再只是从字面上知道“气候变化”的大概意思，而是对这一个正在发生的威胁“人类命运共同体”的真实灾难的迫近程度有所体认，并且对自身的生活方式产生反思。
这样的一部电影，当然可以借由灾难片的宏大场面让观众的肾上腺素飙升，但也完全可以是一部现实主义的剧情片：其实无论是停在路边的共享单车，还是堆满快递箱的小区垃圾桶，无论是买电动车还是燃油车的犹豫不决，还是一场遭遇了天然气短缺的寒冬，中国人的“日常”，早已经与全人类的“无常”息息相关。至于怎么把这样的现实变成令人欲罢不能的故事，那就要看中国电影人的了。
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Historically, Tang added, "climate change has not lent itself easily to films outside of documentaries, or effects-driven disaster movies like 'The Day After Tomorrow,' meaning there are few cli-fi examples in [Communist Red] China's film industry. And it isn't hard to understand why China’s climate leadership [has failed so far] to make it into the scripts of American films."
在2017年上映的《全球风暴》（Geostorm）中，尽管故事的主干仍未摆脱（白人男性）英雄拯救全人类的窠臼，但影片一开场就在旁白中明白无误地交待：在美国和中国的领导下，全世界的优秀科学家通过看起来匪夷所思的地球工程（geo-engineering）手段，试图拯救被热浪和寒潮逼上绝境的人类。
不过，在短暂出现于旁白之后，作为气候领导者之一的中国便迅速退场，跑龙套的美籍华裔演员吴彦祖也早早死掉，影片依然进入老套的灾难片套路。唯一值得注意的是，在气候危机解除后，安迪·加西亚扮演的美国总统决定将全球气候卫星网络的控制权交给“国际社会”。
华裔美籍演员吴彦祖在《全球风暴》中饰演了一个小配角，影片还没过半就早早被杀退场。图片来源：电影截图
可以说，在老套的美国英雄拯救世界叙事基础之上，《全球风暴》试图表达某种国际主义的倾向。但很显然，《全球风暴》没有找到一种有效的方式，令参与领导全球气候行动的中国具象化。于是，中国小心翼翼地被放在背景板的一角，成为了某种文化多元主义的政治正确招牌。
好莱坞气候科幻片中的中国足迹
从定义上看，气候电影当然不一定非得是气候灾难中英雄拯救世界的俗套故事。但目前这类电影数量不多，那些影响力较大的大部分还是突出视觉效果的灾难大片。
如果说《全球风暴》对中国气候领导力的一笔带过显得有些敷衍，那么往前回溯，我们会发现，好莱坞科幻片对中国的表现其实已经走过了很长的路。
雷德利·斯科特1982年的经典之作《银翼杀手》（Blade Runner）不算气候科幻，但其对未来地球的想象中，污染严重、雨雾弥漫的灾难性天气无疑充当了重要元素。中国并未在这部早期科幻经典中“正式”出现，但路边肮脏（且不合语法）的汉字涂鸦和摩天大楼墙壁上的艺伎投影、日本小吃摊令人印象深刻：在人人争相逃离地球的未来，亚洲人却一成不变地延续着某种东方式的存在。显然，在这部影片中，中国只是一个东方主义的符号，被用来加强未来世界的神秘感。
时间快进27年，在迄今为止最著名的气候科幻片之一，2009年的《2012》中，与中国有关的元素已经占据了很大篇幅。当全人类面临被巨大洪水赶尽杀绝的危机，是效率奇高的中国工厂站了出来，日以继夜没命加班，在真正的“死线”到来之前造出了可以抵挡洪水的高科技大船。
从表面上看，这一次，中国元素至少不再是喷在墙上的涂鸦而已，而是以制造业大国的形象出现。但一如David S. Roh等人所提出的，对亚洲国家技术、制造能力的神话，只是另一种将亚洲人客体化、神秘化的方式，一种科技东方主义（techno-orientalism）。
尴尬的缺席
诚然，气候变化不算是一个很容易故事化的电影主题，气候电影的数量本身就非常之少。至于中国“气候领导力”在美国影片中“代表性”的缺乏，并不是一件令人费解的事。
但把目光投射到中国影坛，我们会惊讶地发现，对于气候变化这样一项中国的的确确起到了重要作用的国际事务，中国电影界近年来完全没有触碰过，还不如好莱坞。
有趣的是，在最近的《红海行动》中，中国特种部队不仅成功将中国侨民从战乱的中东某国撤出，还从反派手中夺回了可用于制造大规模杀伤性武器的化学原料。可以看出，相比之前的同类影片，中国电影工作者不再满足于展现中国在某些第三世界国家的相对强势，而更努力地在试图凸显中国的全球责任。
但正如我前面说过的，太多的鸡血让这些电影有时候看起来有些可笑。很难想象中国电影人们能够复制好莱坞在这一类型电影上的成功——从伊拉克到阿富汗，《猎杀本拉登》这样的电影背后，是结结实实的血腥战争。事实是，中国军队上一次大规模外战已经是39年前。
回到前面列举的好莱坞气候科幻片，如果说在这些大片对未来世界的想象中，中国的气候领导力都是不可或缺的，那么对于想要在银幕上展现中国国际实力的电影工作者来说，为什么不考虑把镜头对准这一主题呢？
要知道，中国这些年的可再生能源和电动车大增长，以及在美国退出《巴黎协定》后坚定守卫气候行动的积极态度，可是没少登上国际媒体的头条。
中国需要怎样的气候电影？
气候科幻或者气候主题影片难拍吗？也许是的，但中国电影界绝不是拍不出来。其实早在1990年，中国就曾经拍出过一部气候科幻片。
从类型上看，冯小宁的《大气层消失》是一部儿童片，里面有会说话的猫、狗和马，但它的故事一点却也不含糊：几个小偷无意间释放了大量臭氧层破坏性气体，导致臭氧急剧减少。听得懂动物语言的小男孩在动物的带领下找到了灾难源头，最终一条狗冒着被烧死的代价消灭了有毒气体，而与此同时中国军方也释放了一种神秘的臭氧层修补气体。科学家、儿童和动物的联合行动解救了地球。
影片在其结尾字幕处耐人寻味地打出一系列有关中国环境污染的数据，其意义显而易见：就算一时幸免于难，中国仍然需要面对已经在发生的环境退化。
“本片放映时间为1小时35分钟，在此期间，地球上又有2种生物灭绝，又有2000公顷森林消失……”在结尾处，《大气层消失》向全人类发出警告。图片来源：电影截图
尽管画面粗糙，特效原始，但这部影片依然拥有相当强大的道德控诉力量。但是，1990年的人们不会谈论光伏风电的迅猛发展，环保部还要再过18年才会成立，中国煤炭消费量要再过23年才到达高峰，这样一部带有末世意味的老电影已远远不能表达今天中国与气候变化的关系。
在2010年代，对污染的警觉以及对生态文明的向往已经成为中国社会从上到下的共识。中国气候传播项目中心2017年11月发布的一份针对约4000人进行的调查显示，78%的受调查者对气候变化表示担忧，89%认为政府应该重视气候变化问题。但同一份调查也显示出，仅有11%的受调查者对气候变化议题有较为深刻的了解。
中国有句老话叫“眼见为实”，也许电影可以让中国人与气候变化来一场有声有色的亲密接触。今天，这样一部电影最理想的效果，也许是把气候变化与中国民众之间的距离再拉近一些，让更多的人不再只是从字面上知道“气候变化”的大概意思，而是对这一个正在发生的威胁“人类命运共同体”的真实灾难的迫近程度有所体认，并且对自身的生活方式产生反思。
这样的一部电影，当然可以借由灾难片的宏大场面让观众的肾上腺素飙升，但也完全可以是一部现实主义的剧情片：其实无论是停在路边的共享单车，还是堆满快递箱的小区垃圾桶，无论是买电动车还是燃油车的犹豫不决，还是一场遭遇了天然气短缺的寒冬，中国人的“日常”，早已经与全人类的“无常”息息相关。至于怎么把这样的现实变成令人欲罢不能的故事，那就要看中国电影人的了。
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China's film directors ramping up ‘cli-fi’ movies for climate-anxious audiences -
中国需要怎样的“气候电影”？
by staff writer and agencies
TAIWAN/UK/CHINA -- In a recent news article on the British NGO non-profit website "China Dialogue," Beijing correspondent Mr. Da-min Tang wrote a story in English and Chinese headlined "Is China Getting the 'Cli-Fi' It Needs?" His answer was not yet, but hopefully soon. Read on.
''If seeing is believing, Chinese filmmakers have a role in bringing home the reality of climate change," Tang opined.
''As China has emerged as a global power playing an active role in international affairs,'' Tang noted, ''its filmmakers been ignoring a subject where China is emerging as a leader on the global stage, that is, on climate change.''
While it's hard to know if there are many Chinese fans of “cli-fi” movies -- those rare films that take climate change as their subject matter, there have been growing references to China in Hollywood films with climate themes.
Tang mentioned, as one example, the 2017 cli-fi blockbuster ''Geostorm,'' which did well at the Chinese box office but nevertheless had poor reviews.
Tang also cited one of the best known Hollywood cli-fi movies so far, ''2012,'' which had plot elements that involved China more prominently. As the China Dialogue bilingual website put it: "As huge floods threaten humanity’s future, China’s factories come to the rescue, working day and night to produce high-tech floating arks before the waters rise."
Historically, Tang added, "climate change has not lent itself easily to films outside of documentaries, or effects-driven disaster movies like 'The Day After Tomorrow,' meaning there are few cli-fi examples in [Communist Red] China's film industry. And it isn't hard to understand why China’s climate leadership [has failed so far] to make it into the scripts of American films."
"If Chinese filmmakers are failing to acknowledge China’s role, how then can Hollywood be expected to?" Tang asked.
In Tang's opinion, expressed in his online article in both English and Chinese, Chinese cinema has done even less than Hollywood to reflect Communist Red China's important international role in tackling climate change.
"In fact, 18 years into this century, there has not been one notable film that deals with the topic, although there are quite a few good films that look at the human and environmental costs of China’s rapid development," he said.
Here is where Tang hits the nail on the head: "Given the rich tradition of cinematic realism in China, there is a great opportunity to tell the story of China’s rise through the exploration of subject matter that is much closer to reality [and] an obvious area is climate action, for which China is making global headlines, with its surge of renewable power and electric vehicle revolution.''
China produced a cli-fi movie back in 1990, Tang noted. It was titled "Disappearing Atmosphere," and it more or less ''looked like a children's movie, complete with talking cats, dogs and horses.'' But the story-line was an adult one, Tang insisted.
The synopsis of the 1990 movie tells it all: ''When thieves unwittingly release a gas that destroys the ozone layer, animals help a young boy find the source of the problem. A dog sacrifices itself to eliminate the harmful gas. Ultimately, scientists, children and animals work together to save the planet.''
That's China, that's ''cli-fi.''
The end credits at the conclusion of the movie in theaters, Tang noted, included "a long and dull list of pollution statistics, with a clear message: we might have been saved from disaster this time, but China must face up to ongoing environmental degradation.''
"In the 95 minutes of he film, two species became extinct and 2,000 hectares of forest disappeared.” Tang added.
And here's the money graf: "The movie featured crude special effects and some of the plot arrangements are debatable, but it carried a strong moral message. And in 1990 there was no rapidly expanding solar power sector to discuss, the Communist Chinese 'Ministry of Environmental Protection' wouldn’t be established for another 18 years, and Chinese coal consumption wouldn’t plateau for another 23 years."
So where are all the cli-fi movies in China?
"A modern Chinese cli-fi film would help people understand the urgency of this threat to all humanity, and prompt them to take a look at the impacts of their own lifestyles," Tang shared, adding his last sentence as a wake-up call
1 comment:
吴岩, a professor in China and one of the leading experts on sci-fi novels and movies in China, read this post and reposted it on his wechat site. He wrote:
8:58 AM (5 hours ago)
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to me:
''HI DAN, I POSTED IT ON MY WECHAT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH."
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