COUNTRY TEACHERS
Directed by He Qun, 1993

A dedicated young teacher in a small Chinese village works against all odds for the future of her students in this inspirational story of truth and dedication. In her selfless pursuit, she learns about love, the kindness of country folk and the power of education. Winner of two Chinese Academy Awards. Stars Ju Xue, Li Baotian, Xiu Zongdi and Wang Xueqi. In Mandarin with English subtitles.

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FOR FUN
Directed by Ning Ying, 1993

Forced to retire from his job as a utility man at the Peking Opera, Old Han finds himself at loose ends, wandering the backstreets of Beijing looking for something to fix. When he comes upon a group of amateur opera musicians in a public park, the old meddler finds an outlet for his autocratic tendencies. In Mandarin with English subtitles.

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I LOVE BEIJING
Directed by Ning Ying, 2000

The third film in director Ning Ying’'s "Beijing Trilogy," this romantic drama follows the fortunes of a young cab driver who is depressed because of a recent divorce. He turns his personality around to become a ladies man, wooing a waitress, a librarian, and then a talk-show host. Lost in the dating wars, he longs to find the love of his life in the rapidly changing city of Beijing. In Mandarin with English subtitles.

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JOURNEY TO THE WESTERN XIA EMPIRE
Directed by Lu Wei, 1997

The co-writer of Farewell My Concubine steps behind the camera for an impressive directorial debut. In medieval China, soldiers are dispatched by the emperor to collect male children who will be molded into warriors. The mother of one kidnapped child follows the soldiers' procession. In Mandarin with English subtitles.

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NEW YEAR SACRIFICE
Directed by Sang Hu, 1956

In a mountain hamlet in eastern China, a poor woman faces trial after trial. Sold into marriage as a child, she is left a young widow and enslaved by her mother-in-law, who sells her to a poor peasant. Her second marriage turns out to be happy until fate takes away her husband and son. Now seen as a bearer of bad luck, she becomes a social outcast. In Mandarin with English subtitles.

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ON THE BEAT
Directed by Ning Ying, 1995

Part of Ning Ying's "Beijing Trilogy," On the Beat offers a humorous look at the daily grind of a Beijing police station through the perspective of two mismatched police partners. In Mandarin with English subtitles.

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RAINBOW
Directed by Gao Xiao-Song, 2004

This expressionistic tale of sexual politics follows Rainbow, a mute yet musically gifted girl, who's arranged marriage to an impotent and crippled art teacher causes her eye to wander. Set against the historical background of China's bloody war with Japan in the 1930's, Rainbow's mystical search for her ideal lover brings death and destruction. In Mandarin Chinese with English subtitles.

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RED RIVER VALLEY
Directed by Feng Xiaoning, 1996

Feng Xiaoning delves into China and Tibet's rich history in this vigorous, coming-of-age epic set during the 1905 British occupation of Tibet and China's eventual control of the country. A young woman finds new life after being rescued by a Tibetian woman. In English and Mandarin with English subtitles.

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RHAPSODY OF SPRING
Directed by Teng Wenji, 1998

The career of one of China's most revered composers is dramatized in this beautiful, award-winning film offering a thinly veiled portrait of revered Chinese composer Shi Guangnan. In Mandarin with English subtitles.

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RICKSHAW BOY
Directed by Ling Zifeng, 1982

One of the first films from the modern People's Republic of China to break into American theatre, this coming-of-age drama follows a hard-working peasant as he attempts to succeed in life and love in the city. His trials reveal the often tough rift between ancient rural and modern Chinese cultures. Based on the novel by Lao She. In Mandarin with English subtitles.

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ROARING ACROSS THE HORIZON
Directed by Chen Guoxing, 1999

An odd and frightening piece of Chinese Communist Party propaganda that celebrates China's development of nuclear weapons. When the Chinese government enters the arms race, they hire an MIT-trained Chinese patriot to head the project. But there is a huge snag--his wife's father is a capitalist. "Chilling" (The Village Voice). In Mandarin with English subtitles.

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SAGA OF MULAN
Directed by Xiao Lang & Qiu Lili, 1994

An exquisite Beijing opera, staged for film, re-telling one of China's most famous legends. Expert choreography and martial arts battle sequences and lavish costume and set designs combine for a production that captures the soul of China. In Mandarin with English subtitles.

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SWORDSMEN IN DOUBLE FLAG TOWN
Directed by He Ping, 1990

A grand drama of honor and revenge plays out in a Chinese version of the American West in this action-packed martial arts number from the director of Red Firecracker, Green Firecracker. Winner of the Critics Award at the Berlin International Film Festival. Also known as The Bride of a Young Swordsman. In Mandarin with English subtitles.

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WOMAN DEMON HUMAN
Directed by Huang Shuqin, 1987

A young girl born into the world of the Beijing Opera Company follows her dreams and becomes a professional actress. Submerging herself in her roles to escape a personal life marred by trauma, she longs to play the major "male" roles, but is trapped by a culture that forbids it. The winner of two Chinese Academy Awards, Woman Demon Human is a stunning allegory of the struggle between modernity and tradition. In Mandarin with English subtitles.

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