Unseen Histories, Unsettled Memories:

Ian Johnson in conversation with Biao Xiang and Sam C. Mac.

A public discussion contextualizing the emergence of China’s New Documentary movement, the SWYC group, and the historical, institutional, and ethical questions raised by the films in the program. 

Xiang Biao（项飙) is a Chinese anthropologist at the Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology, known for his work on migration, mobility, and social change in contemporary China. Through long-term fieldwork and public engagement, he examines how large political and economic systems shape everyday life, aspiration, and uncertainty.

Sam C. Mac is an independent film curator based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He was a film and music critic for over 15 years and has written extensively about mainland Chinese film. He now works at Harvard University.