Revolutionary Becomings opens our eyes to the extremely diverse practices of documentary in modern China over nearly a century. Taking a dialectical approach to revolution and media, Ying Qian urges us to consider documentary as a shaping force of social upheavals and revolutionary events. Rigorous, meticulous, and imaginative, this book makes us rethink documentary as a social medium. -- Weihong Bao, author of Fiery Cinema: The Emergence of an Affective Medium in China, 1915-1945 In the age of generative AI and fake news, Qian offers a truly pathbreaking study of documentaries in a country famous for its political propaganda. The book soberly reminds us that what matters is not distinguishing between what is real and fictional, but rather how we can maintain reflexivity in a heavily mediated world, both then and now. -- Laikwan Pang, author of The Appearing Demos: Hong Kong During and After the Umbrella Movement Revolutionary Becomings opens an exciting new window onto the unfairly neglected history of Chinese documentary by eschewing ideas of capturing reality and instead analyzing films as eventful media participating in the multiple reinventions of the country from the toppling of the Qing dynasty to the fall of the Gang of Four. -- Chris Berry, Kings College London Interrogating common assumptions on what documentary is, Qians fascinating book excavates documentary as media artifact and production process and explicates its evolving theories and practices as integral to the upheavals of Chinas tumultuous twentieth century. Revolutionary Becomings is invaluable for both scholars and practitioners of documentary media. -- Carma Hinton, filmmaker, director of Gate of Heavenly Peace and Morning Sun Combining theoretical sophistication and interpretive skill with astonishing research and historical acuity, Ying Qians Revolutionary Becomings offers a remarkable history of twentieth century Chinese documentary focusing on its many entanglements with the constantly changing revolutionary politics of that era. This book sets a new standard for documentary studies. -- Charles Musser, Yale University Sets the standard for writing in English on Chinese documentary film history...Essential reading for anyone interested in the relationship between non-fiction and political change, inside and outside China. * China Quarterly * [ This] book makes a substantial contribution to our understanding of institutionalization in the Chinese Communist revolution. * Chinese Studies International * Expansive in scope, richly detailed, and expertly researched. * Journal of Chinese History * A master class in exploring diverse interactions between makers, subjects, and audiences implicated in modern Chinese media histories....Well researched and compellingly written, it is an invaluable source for scholars, students, and wider audiences interested in these topics. * Twentieth-Century China * Not only does the book do an excellent job showing the interconnectedness between film and other modes of artistic representation such as literature and photography, but it also smoothly and effectively integrates film analysis with production studies to provide an alternative model for studying historical turning points through media. * China Information * It promises to be rewarding reading, likely to stimulate scholars, documentary-makers and cinema lovers alike. -- Wanning Sun * The Conversation * Named a best book of 2024. * The Conversation * With its compelling historical narrative and engagement with the political and social roles of documentary film, Ying Qians study will help students and scholars alike navigate the complex and varied body of factual images made in twentieth-century China. * China Perspectives * Makes a significant contribution to Chinese documentary studies and is valuable to scholars in the fields of film studies, documentary studies, media studies, Chinese studies, and studies of revolution. * Film Quarterly *
