Chinese Feeling Elsewhere

A program by CiLENS e.V.

In today’s era of hypermobility, home — which conventionally scaffolds our sense of self — has become a volatile place of both departure and return, embodying our (be)longings. As we move, what stays are home-shaped sentiments, something ambiguously referred to as diaspora.

Zooming in on diaspora in the Sinophone context, Chinese Feeling Elsewhere blends fiction and documentary to explore how feelings of dislocation, loss, hope, and desire intersect within the realms of movement and contemplation. This series of slow-paced films places us in the shoes of individuals on the move, those who leave home in search of a sense of belonging. Through various lenses — a foster mother, a boy, a filmmaker, inhabitants of Chinatown, lovers on the run, seekers of intimate histories, and poets from Hong Kong — we trace the footprints of those who navigate intricate layers of mobility across and beyond Asia. Here, we witness how diasporic feelings, amid diverse geographical imaginaries, mediate between homesickness and homelessness.

Encompassing several cultures and languages, our series also highlights films made by border-crossing filmmakers who transcend their origins and cut across territorial boundaries. From notable auteurs like Ann Hui to rising stars like Zheng Lu Xinyuan, join us as we celebrate diversity in Chinese filmmaking. (WZF)

WANG Zifei is a curator at CiLENS e.V. and a PhD candidate at Heidelberg University, specializing in East Asian arts and visual culture, with a research focus on independent cinemas.

HE Lin is a film programmer and curator at CiLENS e.V. and Wuhan Photography Art Centre whose work revolves around docufiction, archival films, experimental films and expanded cinema.