Class is in session! Behind the Scenes isn't just a movie night, it's where you'll come to explore, through film, what it really means to be Chinese. Our host and film expert Mao Chu Cheng will guide you through each film, helping you understand them as a means of social commentary and showing you the Chinese culture deeply embedded in even the simplest scenes.

“幕后探索”开课啦！你以为只是来这里安静地看场电影么？我们的目标是探索国产电影幕后的真正奥义！电影达人兼主持人Mao将带领我们走进电影。通过一个场景，甚至一个小细节了解国产电影如何反映当下时局，社会以及人文背景。如果你在中国，想学习如何成为更local的中国人，那么“幕后探索”大课堂将是你的不二之选！

This month we're guiding you through a classic, Red Sorghum.

本月经典影片放映：红高粱

Synopsis

Young Jiu'er (Gong Li) is sent by her parents to marry an old leper who owns a distillery. As she is being carried over the sorghum fields, bandits attack and she is rescued by a laborer (Wen Jiang),with whom she has a son -- the narrator. After the old leper dies, Jiu'er takes control of the distillery and invites the workers into a collective arrangement. But as the Sino-Japanese War peaks, Japanese troops storm onto the property determined to destroy the sorghum fields.

九儿（巩俐 饰）19岁时，被父母卖给在十八里坡开烧酒作坊的五十多岁的李大头做媳妇。按乡规，新娘子要被颠轿的方法折腾一番，但不管轿夫怎样折腾，九儿始终不吭声。九儿到了十八里坡后，与余占熬（姜文 饰）发生了感情，并生下一子。不久，李大头死了，众伙计不想再干了，九儿劝住了众伙计，又撑起了烧酒作坊。土匪秃三炮劫走了九儿，罗汉大叔和伙计们凑钱又将九儿赎了回来。但余占熬看到九儿头发凌乱，非常生气，跑去找秃三炮，将菜刀架在他的脖上，直到秃三炮用脑袋保证没有动九儿，余占熬才罢休。余占熬在刚酿好的高粱酒里撒了一泡尿，没想到高粱酒的味道格外好，九儿给它取名叫十八里红。九儿的儿子9岁那年，日本鬼子到了青沙口，烧杀抢掠。九儿搬出被日本鬼子杀害的罗汉大叔当年酿的十八里红给伙计们喝，大家斗志昂扬地去打鬼子。九儿挑着做好的饭菜去犒劳余占熬他们，却被鬼子军车上的机枪给打死。愤怒的余占熬和大伙抱着火罐、土雷冲向日本军车。尘埃过后，余占熬拉着儿子的手，挣扎地来到九儿的尸体旁。日食，九儿的儿子放声唱起了童谣：“娘，上西南，宽宽的大路，长长的宝船”。

Date: Friday, Aug 26

Time: 7pm- 9pm

Cost: 50 RMB/ 40RMB for Culture Yard students

Perks: Free popcorn, tea and coffee

活动日期：8月26日，星期五

活动时间：晚7点-9点

活动费用：50元/人（Culture Yard 学员40元/人）

活动提供：免费爆米花，茶水及咖啡

Your Guide: Mao ChuCheng

Mao Chu Cheng is the Production Manager at Iron Lion Film Companyin Beijing. He’s worked in many aspects of film and television over the past 6 years. For a time he lived in Canada before deciding to settle back down in China.

主持人：Mao

Mao 在北京Iron Lion影视制作公司担任制片人。过去6年中，他一直在做电视以及电影方面的工作。回国前曾居住在加拿大。