Seven Intellectuals in a Bamboo Forest (2003-07) is a five-part film by Shanghai-based artist Yang Fudong. In it, he develops a grand worldview in the form of an epic tale about a group of individuals defying the times in which they live. The title is borrowed from a popular legend about seven worthies who sought refuge from the chaos and corruption of third and fourth-century China in a bamboo forest, where they indulged in ‘pure talk’.
Showing no regard for normal social behaviour, these intellectuals drank to excess, romped around naked, and composed refined verses that expressed their feelings of resentment towards the age in which they lived. Yang Fudong’s Seven Intellectuals is a contemporary look at the resistance of young Chinese who feel unable to keep up with the pace of change in China and, as a result, experience a kind of identity crisis. The fivepart series focuses on seven young men and women in different settings, beginning with a mysterious mountain popular among Daoists, then proceeding to an urban setting, a rural setting with fields and paddies, and an island, before moving back to the city. Each part was originally shot in 35mm film, which was then transferred to DVD. Yang prefers to shoot in film, as opposed to digital video, as he believes that film retains a strong sense of the artist’s touch, which digital videos often lack. The five parts differ in length, ranging from approximately thirty to seventy minutes; the total running time amounts to about four hours. The Chester Beatty Library is pleased to screen the Irish premiere of this five-part cinematic masterpiece as part of the Telling Images of China exhibition programme.
Courtesy of ShanghART Gallery, Shanghai.
Please note that this video contains adult and graphic content. Parental discretion is advised.