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Chinese Independent Documentary :
CIDFA024:
The Blind Singers of Taihang
Directors: Tian Miao
Length: 100min
Production Year: 2006
Synopsis:
“The Blind Singers of Taihang” follows the last blind entertainment troupe in Shanxi province. Founded in the 1930s, the Blind Men Propaganda Team of Zuoquan County has been servicing remote villages close to the Taihang Mountains ever since. Despite their handicap, members of the troupe fulfill their assignments with dedication. Even against adverse weather and geographic conditions, troupe members work hard to bring song, music and satire to the lives of rural audience. Traveling from village to village, the troupe not only continues a folk art tradition but also spreads news from the outside world.
Shot on digital video, the film explores the troupe members’ world with an unassuming yet effective style. The film links performers’ daily routine to the craft they perform to tell the stories behind their weather-beaten faces. By capturing the troupe’s music and voice, the film documents a dying folk art tradition and a disappearing lifestyle. Through the joys and pains of these endearing characters, the film also helps to raise awareness about the emotional and social challenges disabled persons face in rural China.
“The Blind Singers of Taihang” is director TIAN Miao’s master thesis project at the Beijing Film Academy.
Director’s Bio:
Tian Miao , graduated from Beijing Film Academy, with a master degree in directing. The Blind Singers of Taihang is the director’s first full length documentary, and also his diploma work.