" ... a rich compendium of information to be found nowhere else. It is not often one has such access to successful film directors during their school days. And it is rare indeed that one is given such important documents as Zhang's notes on the visual style of Yellow Earth. The book-- an indispensable guide for the Western Student of contemporary Chinese cinema-- also includes character lists for Chinese names and film titles, as well as full notes and index."--Donald Richie, Times Higher Education Supplement, 18 June 2004 "Readers need not be familiar with Chinese film and history; via the fascinating and often amusing tales of their youth and academy exploits, they will be engaged. An excellent introduction to the Fifth Generation ..."--Library Journal "A thoroughly enjoyable combination of memoir entwined with film, social and political history by a professor from the prestigious Beijing Film Academy, which graduated the 1982 class known as the Fifth Generation."--Terry Hong, Push> (NAATA newsletter) "Memoirs of the Beijing Film Academy is about an untold history, about why and how a generation of young men and women were able to produce an impressive repertoire. The book is delightful and informative; Ni Zhen tells the story as if it were about his own children and friends. The translator of the book, Chris Berry, is a well-known scholar of new Chinese cinema who spent several years in China as a translator for China Screen before teaching in Australia and then at Berkeley. It is obvious that the pleasure he gleaned from reading the book carried over into his translation, for he has made the English version as enchanting as the Chinese original." --S. Louisa Wei, Persimmon "[A] welcome account ... [with] a wealth of historical detail provided on what is, in the English language, an underdocumented group of filmmakers."--Richard James Havis, Cineaste "[E]xtremely valuable... Highly recommended."--J. M. Hargett, Choice "Ni's detailed recollections of the early days offer illuminating insight into the foundations of Fifth Generation cinema and the beginnings of an artistic paradigm shift in China's fledgling post-Mao era."--Matthew Plouffe, Film Comment "Sometimes poignant, sometimes sentimental, but ultimately triumphant, this colorfully written and elegantly translated book tells the stories of how the now famous Fifth Generation filmmakers began their respective journeys at the Beijing Film Academy (BFA). It bears witness to a crucial time of changes, transitions, and opportunities in recent Chinese history. It also eloquently frames this groundbreaking film movement in its political, cultural, and aesthetic contexts... Ni Zhen's writing is highly charged, engaging, personal, moving, and compelling."--Shujen Wang, Film Quarterly "Ni Zhen's book provides us with an important document in studying the emergence of a movement whose historical significance will surely endure..."--Mike Walsh, Metro Magazine "[A] rich compendium of information to be found nowhere else. It is not often that one has such access to successful film directors during their school days. And it is rare indeed that one is given such important documents as Zhang's notes on the visual style of Yellow Earth... [A]n indispensable guide for the Western student of contemporary Chinese cinema."--Donald Richie, Japan Times "[An] accessible and entertaining account of the backgrounds of these young filmmakers whose lives were altered by the Cultural Revolution."--Stephanie DeBoer, The China Journal "The author's involvement in the process (the translator also worked in the Beijing film industry in the 1980s), his knowledge of the aesthetic politics of student shoots, his willingness to share detail, and his absolute support for the people involved commend the writing and the nature of this book."--Stephanie Hemelryk Donald, Asian Studies Review "[F]ascinating... [A]n insider's view of the 'pre-history' of the most important development in Chinese cinema since the 1930s. Ni Zhen and Chris Berry should be congratulated on bringing this fascinating story to wider attention."--Paul Clark, The China Review "[A] rich compendium of information to be found nowhere else... The book--an indispensable guide for the Western student of contemporary Chinese cinema--also includes character lists for Chinese names and film titles, as well as full notes and index."--Donald Richie, Times Higher Education Supplement "This English translation of Ni's Memoirs is therefore a rich and much needed addition to the English-language field which, until now, has lacked a monograph on the Fifth Generation... Ni Zhen's unique memoirs are matched by a masterly translation. The translator, Chris Berry, is an outstanding western scholar of the Chinese cinema. [H]is translation ... communicates the readability, accessibility, accuracy and scholarship of the original... Memoirs from the Beijing Film Academy is mandatory reading for Chinese film scholars and students of the West and recommended reading for anyone interested in the field."--Mary Farquhar, Screening the Past Chris Berry was interviewed on KQED's "Pacific Time" about the book. The book was mentioned in the New York Times in an article on the legacy of the Beijing Film Academy. Listed in Asian Cinema Weekly, TLS Book Alert email, CHE, After Image, China Review International, Journal of Asian History. Reviewed in Italian in Marxismo Oggi
