We are pleased to announce the fourth CIFA screening and research seminar entitled ‘A National Martyr: The hidden history of the Republic of China’s Air Force’ on 23 October from 4pm to 6.30pm at CIFA space (OLB 223). The screening will be Zhang Zhaowei’s documentary The Rocking Sky冲天 (2015). This documentary uncovers the early days of World War II the Republic of China suffered immeasurably at the hands of invading Japanese forces. It depicts not only the Chinese pilots’ bravery and their fates, but also mourns the romance that was buried with the only thing worth fighting for at this darkest hour. The seminar will be chaired by Jianhao Xu, a PhD student based at the School of History, Classics and Archaeology, whose research interest revolves around the history of emotion and childhood. He will introduce valuable firsthand archives, including Chiang Kai-shek’s private letters, and lead a discussion on revisiting the hidden War History.
CIFA seminars aim to promote the use of CIFA collections,e.g. over 800 films (mostly documentaries) and 160 interviews, facilitate dialogue and exchange among NU researchers and students and beyond, and help foster a vibrant interdisciplinary research culture. The seminars are organised by research students from the HaSS faculty, and open to all staff members and students. During each seminar, following the screening of a carefully selected film on CIFA’s large screen, a designated chair will facilitate a discussion related to the themes of the film as well as their own research topics. We extend our cordial invitation to everyone with an interest in Chinese history, society, politics and culture. We also welcome self-nomination to be a chair of one of the sessions, with a film and a theme of your choice. Please email Xinyue Hu at x.hu22@ncl.ac.uk if you are interested.