Feng Xiao Gang’s film "Tangshan Great Earthquake, " which is adapted from the Chinese writer Zhang Ling's novel "Aftershock, "about a "23 seconds, 32 years, "the story: 28th July, 1976 morning, an earthquake in Tangshan in the 23 seconds will be changed as a ruins . The film did help to create the noise in the society and recall our memories. This film represented the virtual in front of us. It is one of the methods to show.
In this new media era, especially the big changes of the past few years, there are numbers of second hand memories. Some of it is reconstructed by the producer. It may lead to change our memories as well. From the film, we can find out some codes and convention, all of it is make sense for us to watch and understand. Even we have not had the real experience at that period of time, thus we can also have deeply feelings about this incident.
To me, our roots and routes of cultural identities will change by time to time. Our collective memory which we have experienced and different people will represent in a different way, the point is how we want to represent in front of the others. The collective memory is base on our experience, and is about our past when we were young. Besides, what we choose to remember and tell will depends on different situations.
In 1976, all of a sudden the whole flattened in Tangshan, the city's transportation, the communications, water supply, power supply are interrupted; and it also caused 24.2 million deaths, 16.4 million people injured. It is a scary figure in Chinese history for every survivor. For instance, they are frightened of any food which is sweet, as it will lead to recall their bad memories. “Sweet” is their first tasting after the earthquake.
We may have different point of view or feelings after watch this film. We are part of China, our feelings will stronger than the other city or countries. If you are not in China at that period of time, the story is not really close to you and not that meaningful to you. However, if yes, you will have deeply feelings on it as it is collective memory of China. The merely difference is that how you decode the message from film. In this case, it is not merely about your experience, but also about your national identity. You will share the similar collective memories with each other.
Aside of, the oral history is also a part of this incident, thus there are some hidden history. Different people will have different version, it is not meaning that they are telling lie. Yet, they have chosen to remember or “delete” a part of the memories. Even we discuss this incident in nowadays, it may have something different. My grandma has said not the same version for me when I was young.
On the other hand, the society and the industry are affecting to each other, not merely the film industry has produce related film, the music industry has also produce some related songs which we can listen from the film. In nowadays, as a producer, the changes of structure, resource and discourse are still limited, it is constructing by all of us.
Ella Yeung Ka Yan (10348676)
Your point on “second hand memory” constructed by the film is very illustrative, which is actually a by-product of the pervasive media representations around us nowadays. In the case of “Tangshan Great Earthquake”, how did you know about the incidents before watching this film? Did your “previous memory” come from the media (e.g., newspaper, documentary) too?
ReplyDeleteI still remember the experience of reading a book (of the same title) written by錢剛. The content actually built up a kind of “illusionary memory” on this historic tragedy, which is so “real” to me.
You have mentioned about the role of national identity in constructing different forms of decoding and identification. Perhaps you can further elaborate this point and cite some concrete examples (e.g., different messages decoded by you and your grandma).
Also, it would be great if you can discuss the factors contributing to the multiple versions and perspectives resulted from oral history.