Film Screening: The White-Haired Girl (1971-72)

Join us for a screening of the 1971-72 model performance ballet, The White-Haired Girl (白毛女), which tells the story of the peasant girl Yang Xi’er’s suffering at the hands of an evil landlord and her eventual revenge and liberation. UCLA Professor of Asian Languages and Cultures Michael Berry will introduce the film and conduct a Q&A after the screening.

Michael Berry’s areas of research include modern and contemporary Chinese literature, Chinese cinema, popular culture in modern China, and literary translation. Berry’s approach is transnational and his work addresses the richness and diversity of Chinese art and culture as it has manifested itself in mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and other Sinophone communities. After earning a PhD in East Asian Languages & Cultures at Columbia University, Berry taught at UCSB for 13 years before joining UCLA in 2016. He is the Director of the UCLA Center for Chinese Studies. He also holds an affiliate appointment with the UCLA Department of Film, Television and Digital Media.