Past Event: Ethnography and Social Theory Colloquium: Dr. Helen Siu

Film as Site

A talk by Professor Helen F. Siu, Professor of Anthropology at Yale University

Talk Abstract: 
What does a film do and how can we think about it ethnographically? Professor Helen F. Siu will be discussing the film as a process and moving site. This raises important questions about how we can rethink methodology, voice, and agency to explore the interconnected and fast-changing landscapes that anthropologists continue to grapple with. This builds on the brilliant documentary Denise Ho – Becoming the Song, which follows the life of the cantopop star from her journey in becoming a superstar to that of a political activist. Denise has put her life and livelihood on the line to support the struggle for Hong Kong. She has faced tear gas and water cannons on the street, and made appeals to the United Nations and U.S. Congress for international help. While the film and filming have ended, its spirit and call for hope continue to live.

More about Prof Siu:
Helen F. Siu, is a Professor of Anthropology and former chair of the Council on East Asian Studies at Yale University. She has conducted decades of fieldwork in Southern China, exploring agrarian change and commerce, the nature of the socialist state, and the refashioning of identities. Lately, she explores rural-urban interface in China, inter-Asian connections, China-Africa encounters, popular music and new political space in Hong Kong. She has served funding and research assessment committees in the United States, Europe, and Asia. She is the founding director of the Hong Kong Institute for the Humanities and Social Sciences at the University of Hong Kong. It highlights cross-disciplinary research and global collaborations (www.hkihss.hku.hk).

Admission: Free, with registration

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