Chung Kuo China

In 1972, before impending Sino hegemony and fear of the day the tanks roll down Princes Street, China was a secretive state hidden behind a bamboo curtain. Yet this same state, at Mao's behest, welcomed the Italian modernist director Michelangelo Antonioni and gave him the chance to shine a rare light on the nation in the midst of the Cultural Revolution. Antonioni rejected his hosts' desire for a propaganda film, instead stating: "All we hope for is to present a large collection of faces, gestures, and customs". At over 3.5 hours long no footage is wasted and its value is significant, if flawed. Hampered by restrictions on filming and attempted staging of events, much is left hidden, while the omnipresent Mao looms over the production. And yet, the lens gives a rare historical insight by capturing life stories both everyday and extreme. It's refreshing to see playfulness and humour in the Chinese character, even now so often ignored by the BBC. [Alan Bett]