A provocative analysis of film and television culture in China. Hu Zhifeng first gives a panoramic picture of Chinese culture in which film and television was born and shaped. He then delineates the definition and composition and basic relations in film and television culture. He discovers and deliberates on the two traditions in Chinese film and television culture: the worldly spirit and the poetic style. The two traditions are deeply rooted in Chinese Confucianism and Taoism and have influenced Chinese film and television from the start. The author also provides in-depth and original readings of phenomena in Chinese film and television culture, such as the reform films and the reflection films, the character and mission of television documentary, and a dialogue between the mainland and Taiwan.

Film and Television Culture in China provides an essential guide to understand the film and television culture in China from early screen to the present day. The book is structured in three independent yet complementary sections: Ontology, History, and Analysis, which shared a common theme: the exploration of the nationality and indigenization of Chinese film and television culture.

In the ontology section, the author establishes a logic theoretical framework for culture as well as for film and television culture. The author puts forward three systems in the film and television culture: mass media system, artistic creation system and entertainment system. The author explores the relations among social history, film and television culture and audience.

In the history section, the author carefully combs the development of film and culture in China and reexamines it in introspection. The author puts forward two traditions in film and television culture, which are “the worldly spirit” and “the poetic style”. The two traditions inherit traditional Chinese culture and have constant modern presentation.

In the analysis section, the author gives in-depth analysis of representative cultural phenomena in film and television industries, which can be seen as the perfect illustration of applying the theories of film and television culture into practice.

Translated by: Jin Haina