The Square (film)
Encyclopedia
The Square is a 1994
Chinese
documentary film
directed by Zhang Yuan
. It is Zhang's first true documentary film, after two documentary-influenced fiction films: Mama
and Beijing Bastards
.
Filmed in black and white, The Square documents a day in the life of Tiananmen Square
a few years after the events of 1989
.
in 1994, a mere five years after the crushing of a student-led democracy movement in 1989. The events captured are considered "mundane" but illustrate the level of control exerted over the Square by the authoritarian government. While children play with kites and old men toss frisbees, police and soldiers are also ever-present.
Near the end of the film, PLA soldiers array cannons in preparation for a salute to a visiting head of state. As the guns are fired, Zhang focuses his camera on the reactions of the ordinary citizens. For one critic, the film "seem to suggest the ceaseless and draining effort the government must expend to maintain its awesome facade of monolithic power over its citizens."
shortly after the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989
began while Zhang Yuan was still a student at the Beijing Film Academy
, and while he was producing and filming his debut, Mama
, in the late 1980s. After the protests were crushed, Zhang had opportunities to ride his bicycle around the Square from his apartment in the nearby Xidan
neighborhood, noting both the quietness in the years following 1989 and the surplus of both uniformed and plainclothes
policemen.
In an interview given several years later, Zhang noted that he saw Tiananmen Square as "one giant stage" which pushed him to "pick up my camera and record some of those more interesting people and attempt to capture the feeling of the square." When he finally followed through on his plan, police would often come up and question his purpose, to which he would reply that he was part of a CCTV film crew.
Zhang filmed the most "mundane" things for a period of twenty-four hours, in the process capturing both ceremony (the flag raising and lowering carried out every day by PLA
soldiers) and every-day moments. Indeed the film is devoid of any dialogue, music, or narration outside of incidental moments captured by the "CCTV" camera.
The film itself was made in defiance of government disapproval, as Zhang had recently been blacklisted by the government for his submission of films to international film festival
s without permission. Despite this impediment, Zhang's documentary would be screened at the Hawaii International Film Festival
, where it would win a Jury Prize.
1994 in film
1994 was a significant year in film.The top grosser worldwide was The Lion King, which to date stands as the highest-grossing traditionally-animated film of all time...
Chinese
Cinema of China
The Chinese-language cinema has three distinct historical threads: Cinema of Hong Kong, Cinema of China, and Cinema of Taiwan. Since 1949 the cinema of mainland China has operated under restrictions imposed by the Communist Party of China's State Administration of Radio, Film, and Television and...
documentary film
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
directed by Zhang Yuan
Zhang Yuan
Zhang Yuan is a Chinese film director who has been described by film scholars as a pioneering member of China's Sixth Generation of filmmakers...
. It is Zhang's first true documentary film, after two documentary-influenced fiction films: Mama
Mama (film)
Mama is a 1990 Chinese film directed by Zhang Yuan. Zhang Yuan's directorial debut, Mama is today considered a seminal film in the history of Chinese independent cinema, and by extension, as a pioneering film of the Sixth Generation of which Zhang is a member.Shot on an extreme budget within Zhang...
and Beijing Bastards
Beijing Bastards
Beijing Bastards is a 1993 drama film by sixth generation director Zhang Yuan, and is one of the first independently produced Chinese films....
.
Filmed in black and white, The Square documents a day in the life of Tiananmen Square
Tiananmen Square
Tiananmen Square is a large city square in the center of Beijing, China, named after the Tiananmen Gate located to its North, separating it from the Forbidden City. Tiananmen Square is the third largest city square in the world...
a few years after the events of 1989
Tiananmen Square protests of 1989
The Tiananmen Square protests of 1989, also known as the June Fourth Incident in Chinese , were a series of demonstrations in and near Tiananmen Square in Beijing in the People's Republic of China beginning on 15 April 1989...
.
Subject
The film documents a day in the life of Tiananmen SquareTiananmen Square
Tiananmen Square is a large city square in the center of Beijing, China, named after the Tiananmen Gate located to its North, separating it from the Forbidden City. Tiananmen Square is the third largest city square in the world...
in 1994, a mere five years after the crushing of a student-led democracy movement in 1989. The events captured are considered "mundane" but illustrate the level of control exerted over the Square by the authoritarian government. While children play with kites and old men toss frisbees, police and soldiers are also ever-present.
Near the end of the film, PLA soldiers array cannons in preparation for a salute to a visiting head of state. As the guns are fired, Zhang focuses his camera on the reactions of the ordinary citizens. For one critic, the film "seem to suggest the ceaseless and draining effort the government must expend to maintain its awesome facade of monolithic power over its citizens."
Production history
The concept of a documentary film about Tiananmen SquareTiananmen Square
Tiananmen Square is a large city square in the center of Beijing, China, named after the Tiananmen Gate located to its North, separating it from the Forbidden City. Tiananmen Square is the third largest city square in the world...
shortly after the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989
Tiananmen Square protests of 1989
The Tiananmen Square protests of 1989, also known as the June Fourth Incident in Chinese , were a series of demonstrations in and near Tiananmen Square in Beijing in the People's Republic of China beginning on 15 April 1989...
began while Zhang Yuan was still a student at the Beijing Film Academy
Beijing Film Academy
Beijing Film Academy is a coeducational state-run higher education institution in Beijing, China. The film school is the largest institution specialised in the tertiary education for film and television production in Asia...
, and while he was producing and filming his debut, Mama
Mama (film)
Mama is a 1990 Chinese film directed by Zhang Yuan. Zhang Yuan's directorial debut, Mama is today considered a seminal film in the history of Chinese independent cinema, and by extension, as a pioneering film of the Sixth Generation of which Zhang is a member.Shot on an extreme budget within Zhang...
, in the late 1980s. After the protests were crushed, Zhang had opportunities to ride his bicycle around the Square from his apartment in the nearby Xidan
Xidan
Xidan is a major traditional commercial area in Beijing, China. It is located in the Xicheng District.The Xidan commercial district incorporates the Xidan Culture Square, North Xidan Street, as well as many supermarkets and department stores...
neighborhood, noting both the quietness in the years following 1989 and the surplus of both uniformed and plainclothes
Undercover
Being undercover is disguising one's own identity or using an assumed identity for the purposes of gaining the trust of an individual or organization to learn secret information or to gain the trust of targeted individuals in order to gain information or evidence...
policemen.
In an interview given several years later, Zhang noted that he saw Tiananmen Square as "one giant stage" which pushed him to "pick up my camera and record some of those more interesting people and attempt to capture the feeling of the square." When he finally followed through on his plan, police would often come up and question his purpose, to which he would reply that he was part of a CCTV film crew.
Zhang filmed the most "mundane" things for a period of twenty-four hours, in the process capturing both ceremony (the flag raising and lowering carried out every day by PLA
People's Liberation Army
The People's Liberation Army is the unified military organization of all land, sea, strategic missile and air forces of the People's Republic of China. The PLA was established on August 1, 1927 — celebrated annually as "PLA Day" — as the military arm of the Communist Party of China...
soldiers) and every-day moments. Indeed the film is devoid of any dialogue, music, or narration outside of incidental moments captured by the "CCTV" camera.
The film itself was made in defiance of government disapproval, as Zhang had recently been blacklisted by the government for his submission of films to international film festival
Film festival
A film festival is an organised, extended presentation of films in one or more movie theaters or screening venues, usually in a single locality. More and more often film festivals show part of their films to the public by adding outdoor movie screenings...
s without permission. Despite this impediment, Zhang's documentary would be screened at the Hawaii International Film Festival
Hawaii International Film Festival
The Hawaii International Film Festival is a film festival held in the U.S. state of Hawaii. It was started in 1981 by Jeannette Paulson Hereniko and has been held annually in the fall for two weeks...
, where it would win a Jury Prize.