Double Feature
Black Snow
Woman Demon Human
Black Snow
Xie Fei, 1989, 99 min.
Noted as cinematically prophetic in its narration of China during its post-Tiananmen Square era, Black Snow accounts the life of a young man recently discharged from prison. The film’s lurking handheld camera visually presents realistic footage of a man destined for the past from which he left behind.
Woman Demon Human
Huang Shuqin, 1987, 106 min.
Considered China’s “only genuine feminist film”, Woman Demon Human stages an unorthodox biopic of famed Beijing Opera star Pei Yanling whose career was noted for her portrayal of male roles, especially the male underworld god, Zhong Kui. Through Shuqin’s unique female point of view, she creates a world that traverses fantasy, gender roles, subjectivity and psychological mystery.