Italian Language & Literature 281 - ITALIAN CINEMA LOOKS EAST

Western cultures have long been fascinated and puzzled by the East, and by China in particular. As critics such as Edward Said have long made clear, from the late medieval period until the 19th century the encounter between the West and China has also been predominantly one-sided. One of the earliest encounters was through the well-documented travels of the Venetian merchant Marco Polo. Seven centuries later, Italian film directors seem to have continued that tradition and have been among the first Westerners to make full-length films in the People's Republic of China. By examining Italian films made in China and, more recently, films made in Italy about Chinese immigrants, we examine changing cultural perceptions about China and how ideological assumptions manipulate cinematic production and experiences.(E)