The World

Jia casts a compassionate eye on the daily lives, loves, friendships, and disparate dreams of the twenty-somethings from China’s remote provinces who come to live and work at Beijing’s World Park. A bizarre cross-cultural melange of Las Vegas and Epcot Center, World Park features lavish shows performed amid scaled-down replicas of the Taj Mahal, the Eiffel Tower, St. Mark’s Square, the Pyramids, and even the Twin Towers. From the sensational opening tracking shot of a young dancer’s backstage quest for a Band-Aid to poetic flourishes of animation and clever use of text-messaging, Jia pushes past the kitsch potential of this surreal setting—a real-life Beijing tourist destination—to explore the themes of alienated youth, contemporary Chinese history, and globalization.

Free for members or with Museum admission. Film only: $8 general, $7 students and seniors.

Wendy Larson, Professor of East Asian Languages and Literatures at the University of Oregon, will introduce the film and facilitate a post-film discussion.

Whitsell Auditorium