Chinese Documentary Directors in Melbourne

Directors Ou Ning (left) and Wang Jiuliang (right) with Street Level Visions curator Dan Edwards, at the ABC building in Melbourne, Australia.

Street Level Visions, the program of independent documentaries from China curated by myself, has been generating considerable interest in Melbourne over the past week, especially with the arrival of guest filmmakers Wang Jiuliang (Beijing Besieged by Waste) and Ou Ning (Meishi Street) last Friday.

The Friday night screening of Besieged by Waste at ACMI sold out, and Wang literally had to be pulled away from admirers wanting to talk to him about his work after the post-screening Q&A.

Last night’s screening of Ou Ning’s Meishi Street was similarly sold out and was followed by a stimulating Q&A.

Tonight’s screening of Beijing Besieged by Waste (6.30pm at ACMI, 12 August) is also sold out, however, there are usually standby tickets available on the door. And there are still tickets available for Meishi Street on Monday evening at the Kino cinema. There are also tickets available for a range of other great Chinese documentaries screening next week as part of the program.

Local Melbourne magazine InPress interviewed Wang Jiuliang about his film last week. And the ABC’s Radio Australia and Melbourne’s Triple R (around the 01:42 mark) interviewed me last week about the program.

Next Tuesday, August 14, from 5.30pm there will be a free panel discussion between myself, Ou Ning and Wang Jiuliang in the festival bar, Forum Theatre.

Ou Ning at the screening of Meishi Street last night at ACMI