Exploring Family Ties in Modernity: Pre-Screening of The Dependence of The Old House Captivates DKU Audience

On October 22nd, Duke Kunshan University hosted a special pre-screening of The Dependence of The Old House, an evocative feature film by director Anping Shi. Held in the IB 1008 Lecture Hall, the screening, organized by the Media Arts Lab and sponsored by the Humanities Research Center, brought students and faculty together for a rare preview before the film’s official release, followed by an engaging Q&A with Shi himself and one of the leading actors Zhanfu Cheng.

Set against a backdrop of modernity infringing upon the personal histories and structures of the past, The Dependence of The Old House tells the story of 73-year-old Lao An, who is unwilling to sell his cherished old home, despite the insistence of his son, Anping, who hopes to relocate him to Beijing. This refusal, however, is just the beginning of an emotional journey for Anping. During an unplanned visit to his hometown, he discovers a peculiar scenario: a security guard has been pretending to be him in negotiations with a construction company, raising questions and suspicions that soon lead to deeper family revelations. The film subtly unveils a web of family secrets, personal attachments, and the complexity of familial bonds against a changing urban landscape. As Director Shi’s first long film, The Dependence of The Old House is shortlisted in the main competition unit of the 10th Chongqing Youth Film Exhibition, and the 10th Barcelona International Film Festival Main competition section.

Audiences were captivated by the story’s delicate handling of family dynamics and the introspective lens on elderhood and memory, themes that have universal resonance. With its 98-minute runtime, The Dependence of The Old House kept viewers enthralled from the first frame, offering a profound look into the lives of characters at a crossroads between the personal and the inevitable push of societal progress. For many in the audience, the screening served not only as entertainment but also as a deeply reflective experience, sparking conversations about familial obligations, the significance of home, and the sense of identity tied to our roots.

The post-screening Q&A brought a new layer of insight into the experience. Shi and Cheng were open and reflective about their artistic journey and the creative choices that shaped the film. Known for his nuanced approach to storytelling, Shi shared how his own background and experiences influenced the film’s themes and the character of Lao An, as well as his intent to explore themes of memory, nostalgia, and the inevitable shift brought on by urbanization. Students and faculty from DKU inquired about the making of this film, expressing interest in applying the techniques to their own creative journeys.

The DKU audience’s reception reflected a deep appreciation for Shi’s work. The event offered not just a viewing, but an immersive cultural and artistic experience that allowed the audience to delve into the film’s intricate layers. For those who attended, the screening was a powerful reminder of cinema’s ability to tell stories that touch the heart and provoke thought long after the credits roll.

Student Report for “Gender + “Community Building” Event

By Nathan Franco, Class of 2028

On October 22, 2024, the HRC’s Gender Studies Lab held a stimulating panel discussion on gender and community building. The panelists included Professors Yeshim Iqbal, a social and community psychologist who primarily studies people’s responses to violence, and Andrew Wortham, a cultural anthropologist who primarily studies sexuality, gender, and LGBTQ+ groups. About 32 students and six faculty members were in attendance.

To start our discussion on gender and community building, we decided to address the differences between activism and community building. Professor Andrew Wortham stated that activism has a history and connotation primarily in the West concerning the policy of the state and religion, making it controversial to question longstanding beliefs under the term activism. Professor Yeshim Iqbal furthered this by identifying the primary connotation of the word “activism:” is actively trying to change something. Therefore, activism can be controversial and politically sensitive.

Community building can be generalized as a group with the same goal and qualities: “standing up” and supporting one another in the face of adversity. Such communities can exist by being in the same space with others, creating what our panelists note as mobilization: the bringing of people with the same goal/ideal together. 

After our insightful talk on the difference between community building and the controversial term activism, the panelists discussed what a community is exactly and how it works.

While community building can be considered a form of activism, it doesn’t always need to be goal-oriented but rather value-oriented. Value, in this sense, can mean speaking about common experience among other activities where a bond is formed. However, when building a community, a boundary is present and we are working within the parameters of that boundary, hence affirming the boundary. People within this community aren’t actively trying to change any norms.

The panelists noted that community building can take different forms, especially considering the context of the people in the community and the country in which the community is formed. However, sometimes, creating a community will happen on its own in a passive sense. But other communities take lots of work. Whether that is clearing your home to make a space or even finding time in your day to get together, for example, workers may want to get together but have other responsibilities, making it difficult to find a place and time that align with other workers. While in the sensitive area where Professor Iqbal studied, 14 women struggled to find close, safe areas big enough to host all the women. Whereas men could go anywhere and would always be relatively safe due to their status of being a man. Hence, societal norms and the standing of the genders also impact the formation and sustainability of a community.

Among the many insightful questions posed by the audience, one audience member asked:

“When there is a community do you outline what the community is and what is expected of those in said community?”

In any community that wants to sustain itself, there is a lot of work needed to keep the community together through its norms, which include knowing the correct words and expectations of being in that community. So, if the goal is to keep the community going, then yes, the establishment of norms and expectations is necessary.

The Professors ended by stating that if funding by NGOs and other organizations were to cease that some of these communities would also cease, however, many may just take a new form.

Superdeep Nighthawks: “The Beat That My Heart Skipped” (Audiard 2005) | Thu Nov 7, 5:28

9:08pm  |  IB 1008

This week’s Nighthawks with Jacques Audiard‘s 2005 The Beat That My Heart Skipped (“De battre mon coeur s’est arrète“…& food & drink). Thu Nov 7, 9:08pm IB 1008.

***

Superdeep Nighthawks meet on Thu eve (~9pm till late); more info here. To propose a screening, follow this link; for more info on Superdeep generally, follow this one.

Superdeep is sponsored by DKU’s Humanities Research Center.