About this product: Beautifully filmed and soothingly narrated by Bernard Hill (The Lord of the Rings trilogy), Wild China takes an expansive look at the fourth largest country in the world. Over a period of more than six hours, the miniseries--which was co-produced by the BBC and China's CTV--lets viewers into a world that is straddling the line between modern-day efficiency and old world traditions. Fans accustomed to travelogues with personable hosts such as quirky Anthony Bourdain or perky Samantha Brown leading them through far away places may get a little bored with the hands-off approach here. But the beauty of this production is in the country and the people, and the way the filmmakers present them in crisply edited vignettes. We see the jumping spiders atop Mount Everest, the winding grace of the Great Wall, and of course some shy pandas that many people equate with China. But some of the best moments are the simple ones--children in a classroom, fishermen working the waters, and monks meditating in monasteries. As did the Planet Earth series, Wild China makes viewers wish they were there. The film doesn't touch heavily on the politics of China, but it isn't lacking because of the omission. As it is, Wild China ends all too soon, leaving viewers longing for more for a country that once didn't welcome foreigners in. --Jae-Ha Kim
About this product: China: A Century of Revolution is a six-hour tour de force journey through the country's most tumultuous period. First televised on PBS, this award-winning documentary series presents an astonishingly candid view of a once-secret nation with rare archival footage, insightful historical commentary and stunning eyewitness accounts from citizens who struggled through China's most decisive century. China in Revolution charts the pivotal years from the birth of the new republic to the establishment of the PRC, through foreign invasions, civil war and a bloody battle for power between Mao Zedong and Chiang Kai-shek. The Mao Years examines the turbulent era of Mao's attempts to forge a "new China" from the war-ravaged and exhausted nation. Born Under the Red Flag showcases China's unlikely transformation into an extraordinary hybrid of communist-centralized politics with an ever-expanding free market economy. Monumental in scope, China: A Century of Revolution is critical viewing for anyone interested in this increasingly powerful and globally influential country.
DISC ONE Part One: China in Revolution 1911-1949 (1989)
DISC TWO Part Two: The Mao Years 1949-1976 (1994)
DISC THREE Part Three: Born Under the Red Flag 1976-1997 (1997)
About this product: This is indeed a documentary looking at China from the INSIDE. Its greatest value is that the reporters interview those who really work and live inside China. In dealing with the problem of power and the people, the documentary takes in the first parliament member who ever voted against the majority's opinion. When it discusses women's issues, it films the activities and opinions of those who were in charge of such affairs at the local level. In controversial issues such as Xinjiang independence and religion in Tibet, it does not introduce the views of some political activists, whose voice is readily heard in the West, but the party officials who govern these territories, whose words indeed are rarely heard. *China from the Inside* does not seem to argue anything but patiently shows you what the Chinese nowadays think of their own nation and those particular controversies. For those with insightful eyes, they would see the ignorant and the naive side of China as well as the amazing civic virtue lingering along its long history. For those just being sparkled with growing interests in either Chinese culture or Chinese society, they would find an authentic 5-hour multimedia tour into China, a country claims to be the next world power with an immense amount of social and political challenges waiting for it.
About this product: Discover the world, one person at a time... Discovery Atlas! Get a fresh perspective on China, one of the world's richest cultures, as you hear individual life stories told through the eyes of the locals. Insightful storytelling and spectacular photographic techniques brings to life the fascinating and complex, contemporary world of one of the greatest nations on earth. In one of the few times in its 5,000 year history - the oldest, most populous nation opens its doors to the rest of the world. The economics of Feudalism and Communism are out and Capitalism is in. Old walls are being torn down and a futuristic landscape of glass and steel is shooting up in its place. Leading the construction frenzy is Vincent Lo, China's answer to Donald Trump. Exploring where tradition meets modernity, follow the dreams of a 12-year-old Olympic hopeful, then join rice farmers tilling land their ancestors have worked for 18 centuries. Using the latest generation of hi-definition cameras and effects techniques, see China like you've never seen it before. It's a visual delight, delving deep into the people and places of the oldest civilization on the planet.
About this product: Beautifully filmed and soothingly narrated by Bernard Hill (The Lord of the Rings trilogy), Wild China takes an expansive look at the fourth largest country in the world. Over a period of more than six hours, the miniseries--which was co-produced by the BBC and China's CTV--lets viewers into a world that is straddling the line between modern-day efficiency and old world traditions. Fans accustomed to travelogues with personable hosts such as quirky Anthony Bourdain or perky Samantha Brown leading them through far away places may get a little bored with the hands-off approach here. But the beauty of this production is in the country and the people, and the way the filmmakers present them in crisply edited vignettes. We see the jumping spiders atop Mount Everest, the winding grace of the Great Wall, and of course some shy pandas that many people equate with China. But some of the best moments are the simple ones--children in a classroom, fishermen working the waters, and monks meditating in monasteries. As did the Planet Earth series, Wild China makes viewers wish they were there. The film doesn't touch heavily on the politics of China, but it isn't lacking because of the omission. As it is, Wild China ends all too soon, leaving viewers longing for more for a country that once didn't welcome foreigners in. --Jae-Ha Kim
About this product: China is the third largest country in the world and houses a diverse population of over a billion people! It's alive with history and culture, and possisses beautiful, magical landscapes that will transport you to another time One of the oldest civilizations on earth, its recently opened its doors to the west and as it gains economic strength, begins to shape the 21st century. Traveler Justine Shapiro explores the traditional Southwest of China, the autonomous region of Guangxi, and the provinces of Guizhou, Yunnan and Sichuan, while Megan McCormick journeys though Central China, from Shanghai to the Yellow Mountains, and from the Yangzi River to Xian, the ancient capital of China. Zay Harding completes the tour traveling through the four provinces of Southeast China from Guanzhou to Nanchang. Along the way ¨ Attend a traditional Long Horn Mio ceremony and listen to their amazing singing ¨ Visit the Huangguoshu Waterfalls, the largest in Asia ¨ See the endangered Giant Panda ¨ Visit a silk factory in Suzhou, the silk capital of China, and attend the temple fair celebrating the end of the silk harvest ¨ Walk among the 8,000 terracotta warriors built to guard to tomb of China's first emperor, Emperor China
About this product: Since the early '90s, Americans have adopted nearly 70,000 Chinese children. With thousands of them now at an age to appreciate returning to the homeland, heritage tours have brought adoptees and their families to China, presenting an unequaled opportunity for bonding and sharing identity issues. "Found in China" follows six Midwestern families as they observe contemporary trends and ancient Asian traditions in both urban and rural contexts.
The 80-minute documentary focuses on the 9- to 13-year-old girls and how they attempt to fit together the puzzle pieces of their pasts.
The impact that this trip makes on the children and their parents cannot be underestimated. It provides a foundation for additional dialogue and emotional development. Because Chinese adoptions are not "open"--birthparent records are not kept because it is a crime to abandon one's child--few details can be found about an adoptee's background.
Occasionally an adoptee can visit with foster parents or the person who discovered the child and took her to an orphanage. But most find little in their orphanage files.
"Found in China" captures the spontaneity of the children seeing China for the first time since leaving the country as infants or toddlers. The documentary reveals their thoughts about their orphanages, caregivers and the foster families.
The possibilities of searching for birthparents is explored by tour participants, with insights from older Korean adoptees and adoption specialists including Sara Dorow, PhD, best known for her book, "When You Were Born in China."
Filmmaker Carolyn Stanek adopted two Chinese daughters in the early 1990s and thus the documentary includes scenes from their orphanage, Jiande, in Zhejiang province. Other stops on the tour included Beijing, Xi'an, Chengdu, Hangzhou, and Shanghai for Stanek's family. Scenes from Nanchang and Changsha were also contributed by another family. Stanek's background includes being a reporter for the Champaign-Urbana News-Gazette, a journalism instructor, and author of a book about Title IX (Contemporary Books). She then obtained an MBA from the University of Chicago which enabled her to become a stock analyst for a couple decades.
Returning to her love of journalism, she took filmmaking classes while researching and preparing to produce "Found in China." Music featured in the documentary is from Jonathan Rickert of Berkeley, CA. His rhythms combine the rich lyricism of Asian influence along with downtempo electronic music.
Nell Bryden, a Brooklyn-born vocalist and guitarist, sings "Goodbye" for the closing credits. San Francisco street musician Michael Masley plays his cymbalom (a Hungarian-styled dulcimer) throughout the terra cotta soldiers scene.
This product is manufactured on demand using DVD-R recordable media. Amazon.com's standard return policy will apply.
About this product: Man has constructed many remarkable monuments, but only one can be seen from space. The Great Wall of China remains the most soaring architectural achievement of the Chinese people –but it’s not the only one, as this entertaining and informative program reveals. Highlights include dazzling graphic re-creations of a Chinese village from seven thousand years ago, the terracotta army of the First Chinese Emperor and Beijing’s Forbidden City. Features superb 3D graphics, State-of-the-art computer generated animation, all new location footage, and expert commentary and analyses.
About this product: With an eye on the future, more Chinese are reaching out to the peoples and culture of the West. They have opened their nation to the gaze of visitors, as more and more Westerners are touring this remarkable republic for themselves. This beautiful video visits the national capital of Beijing, a powerhouse tempered by parks and the magnificent Forbidden City. Make a stop in Suzhou, the Venice of the Far East, and then Hangzou and the West Lake, where Chinese newlyweds spend their honeymoon. Marvel at the physical and historical expanse of The Great Wall, built by human muscle and stretching nearly 4,000 miles over mountains and desert. At X’ian, see the famed Clay Army of terra cotta warriors that guarded the tomb of China’s first emperor. Visit Guilin, a picturesque river valley known for its artistic inspiration. Make stops in Guangzhou and Shenzhen before visiting Shanghai, a magical megalopolis known as the world’s most energetic city. Finally, travel to Hong Kong, one of the world’s most thrilling urban centers with the most beautiful skyline on Earth. Today, China is steppingforward to take its place among the nations of the World. Extra Features: Chinese Opera: Arias & Acrobats - Acrobatics, mime and music tell stories of cultural heritage; The Dowager & The Last Emperor - An intriguing glimpse at ancient Chinese hierarchy in the Forbidden City; Shanghai: City With A Past - A fascinating East-meets-West political history; The Li River: A Fantasy Landscape - Rising mists join heaven and earth at these nature-sculpted banks; Traditional Chinese Medicine & Acupuncture - The healing power of herbs, seeds, roots, and the ancient art of acupuncture; Beijing Sights: Through the Eyes of History - The historical and cultural significance of the Great Wall, The Forbidden City, and Tiananmen Square.
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