Giants Within: A Portrait of Chinese Writers

[mewaters]

I am wondering if anyone has seen or heard of this video series, or perhaps if anyone has found a place where it can be watched on line. The NY Times describes it like this:

The 13-part series The Giants Within -- A Portrait of Chinese Writers captures the faces and words of many of China's leading literary voices. Now banned in China, this video is a rare document of the most important modern Chinese writers from the 1930s onward. Available in Chinese- and English-language versions, this series combines images of life in China with a compelling narrative about the lives of 12 of China's most significant authors. Each video focuses its attention on the life and work of one author. Combining a collage of images from the places where the author lived and worked, perspectives gleaned from interviews with literary experts, family, and friends, and even personal accounts from the authors themselves, this series helps place these giants of Chinese literature into the historical, political, and social context in which their lives and work developed. The first tape in the series, The Giants Within -- A Portrait of Chinese Writers: Introduction, provides an overview of the project and why the producers felt it critical that the lives of these authors be documented for future generations.

Link

I'm really interested in getting my hands on this, preferably NOT in videocassette format. Has anyone seen it around, is it available on DVD in China, etc?

[skylee]

The series is called 作家身影.

See if you can watch it online (I can't) -> http://obelix.lib.hku.hk/av/n_os3.html

[mewaters]

The series is called 作家身影.

See if you can watch it online (I can't) -> http://obelix.lib.hku.hk/av/n_os3.html

Yea, I had seen that. But you need to be affiliated with that university in order to watch it. Actually, I just discovered that all 13 sections are available from the Queens Library system in NYC, so I'll probably be making a trip over there later today.

Would still be interested if anyone else has heard about this series or seen it anywhere online or off.

[skylee]

Looks like you can order the DVD/VCD online here -> http://ec.wowisee.com/html/productdetail.asp?pbid=E33&pcid=EGC&pid=353

[mewaters]

Nice, but yikes, looks expensive! I just picked up the whole collection at the library for free and it looks pretty good - bar the lousy soundtrack.