Abstract
Through narrative analysis, this presentation illuminates the recurring narrative roles of China’s Confucian folkloric in the
fast-developing film genre of Chinese Science Fiction. The article places its findings in the context of Chinese policy and
initiatives, such as President Xi’s China Dream national strategy, which harnesses Confucian folkloric, and the 2020
initiative ‘Several Opinions on Promoting the Development of Science Fiction Films’ which promotes the continued
development of new mainstream type science fiction films, like the ones in this study.
The study examines the Chinese global disaster science fiction films The Wandering Earth 1- 2 (2019, 2023), Invisible
Alien (2021), Restart the Earth (2021), Alien Troopers (2021), Mutation on Mars (2021), Ultimate Code (2021), and
Warriors of Future (2022). The findings reveal that characters utilize Confucian ideologies, such as harmony and
collectivism, as the basis of their heroism. China’s global leadership is expressed as the Confucian concept 'Tianxia,' which
has been utilized for thousands of years as the basis for governance in China as a top-down notion where 'all under
heaven' should be harmoniously united. Collectively, the films show that by basing decisions and actions on China’s
Confucian folkloric ideologies, the world can be saved from disaster. When these folkloric are shown to be this powerful,
they project in these imagined futures the significance of following the folkloric of the China Dream. The presentation
ultimately reveals how China’s governmental mainstream folkloric is used for both entertainment and social engineering
in the form of cultural nationalism in contemporary Chinese science fiction film.
fast-developing film genre of Chinese Science Fiction. The article places its findings in the context of Chinese policy and
initiatives, such as President Xi’s China Dream national strategy, which harnesses Confucian folkloric, and the 2020
initiative ‘Several Opinions on Promoting the Development of Science Fiction Films’ which promotes the continued
development of new mainstream type science fiction films, like the ones in this study.
The study examines the Chinese global disaster science fiction films The Wandering Earth 1- 2 (2019, 2023), Invisible
Alien (2021), Restart the Earth (2021), Alien Troopers (2021), Mutation on Mars (2021), Ultimate Code (2021), and
Warriors of Future (2022). The findings reveal that characters utilize Confucian ideologies, such as harmony and
collectivism, as the basis of their heroism. China’s global leadership is expressed as the Confucian concept 'Tianxia,' which
has been utilized for thousands of years as the basis for governance in China as a top-down notion where 'all under
heaven' should be harmoniously united. Collectively, the films show that by basing decisions and actions on China’s
Confucian folkloric ideologies, the world can be saved from disaster. When these folkloric are shown to be this powerful,
they project in these imagined futures the significance of following the folkloric of the China Dream. The presentation
ultimately reveals how China’s governmental mainstream folkloric is used for both entertainment and social engineering
in the form of cultural nationalism in contemporary Chinese science fiction film.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Publication status | Published - 2024 |
| Event | The Pan-Asian Quest for Cultural Authenticity: The Fantastic and the Folkloric in Film and the Creative Industries: Institute of Asia and Pacific Studies - University of Nottingham, Ningbo, China Duration: 3 May 2024 → 4 May 2024 |
Conference
| Conference | The Pan-Asian Quest for Cultural Authenticity: The Fantastic and the Folkloric in Film and the Creative Industries |
|---|---|
| Country/Territory | China |
| City | Ningbo |
| Period | 3/05/24 → 4/05/24 |
Keywords
- Folklore
- New Mainstream Film
- Science Fiction
- Chinese Cinema
- China Dream