Abstract
This study takes the example of the International Film Festival initiated by a famous director Jia Zhangke in the small city Pingyao, known for its cultural heritage and creativity, to explore the building of creative city images. This study first explores the place and spatial features of the festival in order to understand the changing perception of city space. Instead of regarding the film festival as being solely instrumental in terms of bringing economic benefit for the city, this article sets out to understand how the organisers, festival-goers and the local residents variously experience the festival, and consequently, contribute to the creation of a unique identity for Pingyao, aside from its image as an ancient city.
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Notes
- 1.
Jia Zhangke is a Chinese film director and screenwriter. He is generally regarded as a leading figure of the ‘Sixth Generation’ movement of Chinese cinema, who has won the Venice Film Festival’s top award Golden Lion for Still Life, and gained his international reputation.
- 2.
A detailed introduction can be accessed here: http://www.pyiffestival.com/index_en/gonglv.aspx?id=1 (accessed in April 25, 2019).
- 3.
With the support of the Ministry of Culture, the State Council Information Office, the Shanxi Provincial Party Committee, and the Pingyao government, the Pingyao International Photography Festival was first established in Pingyao Ancient City in 2001, so that the unique style, simple folk customs and a variety of photographic activities can complement each other and create a local and global influence. It is a globally influential platform for photographers, industry promoters and academics.
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Interviews
Lormand, Richard. Interview by author, Pingyao, 13 October 2017.
Wu, Xiao Interview by author, Pingyao, 14 October 2017.
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Xiao, J., Jin, L. (2020). The Role of an Urban Festival: Case Study of the Pingyao International Film Festival. In: Gu, X., Lim, M.K., O’Connor, J. (eds) Re-Imagining Creative Cities in Twenty-First Century Asia. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-46291-8_11
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