Smeared Type

Audience at Q & A with Jian and Lisa after watching Mulberry Child

All three screenings of Mulberry Child at the Gene Siskel Film Center were sold out.  I was amazed and touched that the audiences of different ages and backgrounds connected with our life stories!

At our 2^nd screening, I was pleased to see a number of Chinese in the audience. I was most eager to hear what they had to say. The moment I stepped down from the podium after Q & A, a young Chinese woman in her 20s stood up from her front row seat and hugged me.

“Thank you for sharing your story,” she said in a low voice. I realized she was crying.

I put my arms around her as she laid her head over my left shoulder and sobbed. Two of her friends stood by, their eyes welled up with tears.

The young woman lifted her head and gave me an embarrassed smile, wiping away her tears.

“It’s OK,” I said, padding her on her back as she lowered her head over my shoulder again.

Lisa and Jian addressing audience's questions

“Just call your mother tonight and tell her you love her, too,” I said, trying to make it light.

A young Chinese couple, both graduate students from UIC, waited patiently as our conversation kept being interrupted by friends who came to give their congratulations and bid farewell. It turned out that they both came from Changchun, the city where I was born.

“We never learned much about the Cultural Revolution,” the wife said. “I feel I get to know my parents much more by watching your film.”

I was deeply moved by their reaction and comments.

More than two dozens of people lingered behind and talked until the staff at the Gene Siskel Film Center called out to close the theatre at 11 p.m.

The last screening was equally moving. Only one or two people left when we started the Q & A. I felt the connection from the audience and took turns with my daughter Lisa to address their questions on China, our relationship, and the impact of the film on us.

The next day, I found one posting from a Chinese woman named Li. I remembered talking to her the night before. She was Lisa’s age. She wrote: “Every Chinese should watch this film.”

Jian with graduate students from IIT

I received numerous moving comments from my friends via email during the week after the screenings. I was so touched that I selected a few each day to forward to my director Susan and executive producer Ellis, stating these are the “love letters of the day.”

Mulberry Child was so well received by the audience that the Gene Siskel Film Center invited us to come back for a weeklong screening from March 30 to April 5, with 11 shows. The Chicago Public Library also invited us to participate in the spring’s One Book, One Chicago program, stating Mulberry Child would be a “wonderful companion” to the selected book, so we formed a three-way partnership.

I’ve committed to do Q & A with Lisa at the last screening of each day during the screening period. I look forward to connect directly with as many viewers as possible.

Jian Ping, author of Mulberry Child: A Memoir of China, which has been developed into a feature-length documentary film by Susan Morgan Cooper and narrated by Jacqueline Bisset.

At the reception of Mulberry Child

At 7 p.m. on Saturday, January 21, the reception area at the Gene Siskel Film Center became alive with the arrival of our friends, friends’ friends and Mulberry Child’s viewers who had all managed to purchase their tickets in advance.

We had a pre-screening reception, sponsored by Wintrust Commercial Bank. Our first screening in Chicago was sold out three weeks before the scheduled date. Each of us, my executive director Ellis, my daughter Lisa, and I, had received emails or phone calls from friends who tried to get help from us to buy tickets. Unfortunately, we didn’t have access to any—they were all sold out. In the end, I even gave my ticket to a friend.

I was very touched by the support we had received in Chicago and the overwhelmingly positive response from the audience at the Heartland Film Festival in Indianapolis and more recently, the Palm Springs International Film Festival where we had sold out screenings and was selected as “Best of the Fest”, an honor bestowed to only 14 films out of 188 from 73 countries at the festival. We were thrilled.

With Lisa and her friends

Last week in Chicago, shortly before our premiere, we were overjoyed to read Roger Ebert‘s review of Mulberry Child, with a rating of 3.5 stars out of 4. My director Susan was in tears when she heard the news. “Roger Ebert is my god,” she said, referring to his highly-respected film critic voice in the industry.  “You have no idea what an honor that is,” she said to me.

I think I got the idea when Phil Ponce, anchor of the Chicago Tonight Show, opened his interview with me about the film with Roger Ebert’s rating last week.

“This is a powerful and touching film,” Roger Ebert wrote.

We were all “over the moon,” to use a word Ellis said. Indeed, we all felt overjoyed and honored.

At the reception on Saturday, I did the best I could welcome people, only to regret that I had no time or opportunity to introduce them to Susan and Ellis.

I was especially pleased that Lisa introduced me to a few of her friends.

“Tell me if you still love her after watching the film,” I joked with them.

“They will,” Lisa cut in, a big smile crossing her face. “Because they are my friends!”

With my friend and fellow writer Jennifer Anton

We had plenty of food and drink at the reception. Shortly before 8 p.m., everyone walked into the theatre for the screening. Lisa, my supportive husband Francis, Chao, an ITT student who was working with me throughout the evening, and I were the only people remained in the reception area. Lisa and I had both given out our tickets to our friends, and even if we had tickets, we might not have the nerve to watch the film with so many people who know personally, a big difference from attending film festivals at other cities.

We walked into the theatre for Q & A a few minutes before the end of the film. The theatre was very quiet, except for an occasional sniffing from one seat or another, indicating someone was crying. A mere glance on the screen on which my father was giving me his last wave shortly before his passing brought tears to my eyes.

We had a long Q & A session and most of the people in the audience stayed until the last minute.

Thank you all from the bottom of my heart!

Roger Ebert’s full review:

http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20120118/REVIEWS/120119987

Interview with Phil Ponce on Chicago Tonight Show, WTTW:

http://chicagotonight.wttw.com/2012/01/19/mulberry-child

Jian Ping, author of Mulberry Child: A Memoir of China.

Jian and Jodi who performed Jian as a child met at the theatre at PSIFF

I arrived at the Regal Theatre to attend the 1^st screening of Mulberry Child shortly after 12 noon on Saturday and was surprised to see two long lines of people in front of the entrance. I had never been to this theatre before and thought one had to wait to get in for all the screenings.

“Jennifer,” a man in the line waved to me.

It took me a second to recognize Sean Valla, my film editor. I met Sean quite a few times during the editing process of the film in Los Angeles and was always impressed by his dedication and patience combing through mountains of footage and the endless close ups of my face for all the interviews that my director Susan conducted.

I was thrilled to see him and surprised to learn the two lines were all for entry to the screening of Mulberry Child: one line for ticket holders and the other, people standing by for the possibility of getting in at the last minute, for tickets had been sold out the week before. My heart skipped a beat.

By the time I managed to get into the theatre, my executive producer Ellis and his wife Gillian and Susan were already there. I saw the theatre was nearly full and felt sorry that many people waiting outside wouldn’t be able to come in.

Susan tapped me on my shoulder. “I want you to meet Jodi,” she said.

I looked at the little girl by her side. Jodi performed the 6-year-old me in the film and I had never met her before.

I wrapped Jodi in my arms. “You did a wonderful job,” I murmured in her ear.

Jodi gave her shy smile and looked at me with an expression I had seen so many times on the screen.

Jian and Lisa after Q & A when Jian signed books for interested viewers

I scanned the audience and was thrilled to see a few familiar faces, including Quyen Tran, my cinematographer and her husband, Sam, Eli Bergmann, my book editor, and his girlfriend Lily. They had driven all the way from Los Angeles to watch the film. I also noticed Chaz Ebert sitting next to Ellis, and a couple rows below, Norman Mark and his beautiful wife Grace. I was touched.by all the support.

Half way through the film, Lisa was ushered into the theatre. She had just flown in from Chicago this morning to attend the Q & A and I was relieved that she made it on time.

As it was at the Heartland Film Festival, many people in the audience asked questions about the film, my parents and their views on the Cultural Revolution, and Lisa’s on-going process of identifying with her Chinese roots. When the Q & A session ended, quite a few people lingered behind and continued the discussion. Once Chinese man’s comments particularly touched me.

“I also come from the Northeast of China,” he said, as we shook hands. “I was sent to the countryside for six years,” he continued. “I very much like the presentation of that historical period in your film as it was done sensibly, not an over kill.”

It meant so much to me the remark came from someone who had lived through the Cultural Revolution in China.

Once again, I was overwhelmed and touched by the reaction from the audience.

Image by bamalibrarylady via Flickr

I arrived to the beautiful sunshine at Palm Springs yesterday afternoon. After checking in at the Renaissance Hotel and getting my credentials at the hospitality room at the hotel, I got together with Ellis, my film executive producer, and Susan, my director.

We started this exciting film festival by attending a private party in the home of Brenda, a former film commissioner in Illinois. Brenda lives in Palm Springs now, but because of her Chicago ties, there were many people from Chicago and the midwest were there, including Chaz Ebert, Roger Ebert’s wife and Morman Mark, a former Chicago TV host and journalist. I was trilled to meet her and many others.

Listing of Mulberry Child in the program of PSIFF

Early this morning, I went out for a hike on a trail behind the Art Museum, about 6 blocks away from the hotel. I waited until daylight to get on the trail and was soon captivated by the tranquility of the sprawling mountain ranges around me. I was relieved to see another hiker half way up a hill and watched him disappear as I stopped to admire the scenes of the valley.

Despite my fear of getting lost, I couldn’t resist the temptation of going higher and reaching one and then another peak. When I finally sat down on the flat surface of a large rock, I found myself bathed in the warmth of the rising sun. I extended my arms toward the blue sky, my thoughts turning to my grandmother and father, wishing that somewhere up there, they could see me and know I was here to tell their life stories on the screen to a large audience.  Memories of my childhood flooded back, with grandma’s smiling face vividly in my mind. Watching the valley below me—dotted with palm trees and swimming pools, I found it hard to believe this was reality. Tears came to my eyes as I told Grandma that her legacy would live on through generations to come…

The first screening of Mulberry Child is at 12:30 p.m. today. As I descended quickly down the trail, I wiped away the tears of gratitude and joy and felt more determined and energized than ever before.

Jian Ping, author Mulberry Child: a Memoir of Child.

Selection by Diane Ledet

I’m thrilled and honored to be notified about the selection of Mulberry Child in Diane Ledet’s “Top Ten of 2011″ book list.

Here is Ledet’s posting: http://bookwinked.wordpress.com/2011/12/03/top-ten-2011/.

I’d also like to share some exciting news: Mulberry Child movie, a feature-length documentary based on the book, will come to Chicago in January, 2012. It will be shown as part of the documentary series at the Gene Siskel Film Center.

Screening schedule is as follows:

8 P.M., Saturday, Jan. 21;

8 P.M. Tuesday, Jan. 24; and

8 P.M., Thursday, Jan. 26.

Director Susan Morgan Cooper will come from Los Angeles to attend all the screenings, so will be Lisa and me. We will be all at the Q & A after each show. Hope to see you at one of these screenings!

Jian Ping, author of Mulberry Child: A Memoir of China. Mulberry Child movie is directed by Susan Morgan Cooper and narrated by Jacqueline Bisset.

Little Jodi who played Jian

Director Susan Morgan Cooper and cast–who played little Jian and her parents in Mulberry Child speak about their experience behind the scene. Click on the link below to view the interviews.

Director and Cast Talk about the Making of the Film

Enjoy!

Jian Ping, author of Mulberry Child: A Memoir of China. For more information, visit www.mulberrychildmovie.com, www.mulberrychild.com, and www.moraquest.com

Maya Lin with her fans at ITT

Last week, Maya Lin, best known as designer of the Vietnam Memorial in Washington D. C., came to Chicago to give a talk about art and the environment to a packed auditorium of 500 people at the College of Architecture, Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT).

I learned about Lin when I was doing my graduate studies at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio. My landlady Margaret was a close friend of Lin’s mother and I heard about the controversy on the Vietnam Memorial from them. Over the years, I came across Lin’s name at various occasions and knew she had become a well-known architect, but never followed her work or activities.

The Wall by Lin

Listening to Lin, I learned for the first time about her large-scale outdoor and indoor designs that immerse themselves with their natural surroundings. Lin stated that is a balance of art, architecture and monuments. Her talk at IIT was focused on art and environment and the work her foundation “What is Missing” strived to achieve: advocating for a sustainable living world.

She uses recyclable and sustainable materials for her artwork. Terra Bench, one of her artwork, is selected in “Design for a Living World” exhibition at the Field Museum in Chicago. It is made from red maple that was certified by the Forest Stewardship Council and was sustainably harvested from Maine forests. It showcases the beauty of a tree while presenting forest terrain in the seat base.

Terra Benby by Lin

“I’m an landscape artist of the 21^st century, balancing between outdoor and indoor designs,” Lin said. “I want to create a different relationship to the world around us.”

Lin showed short videos from “What is Missing” that aimed to bring “awareness about the present sixth mass extinction of species,” and to “prevent deforestation.” She advocated it as “a wake up call and a call to action.”

“We spend more time planning what to have for dinner than what our great grandchildren will have,” she said. She urged Americans to reexamine their lifestyle and consume less.

I gained a new level of respect and admiration for Lin’s work and her devotion to the protection of the environment as an artist and citizen.

By Jian Ping, author of Mulberry Child: A Memoir of China. Mulberry Child has been developed into a feature-length documentary film by award-winning director and is narrated by Jacqueline Bisset. For more information, visit www.mulberrychildmovie.com, www.moraquest.com and www.mulberrychild.com.

Wang Jisi giving a talk in Chicago

Professor Wang Jisi, Dean of the School of International Studies at Peking University, gave a talk on the grand strategy of China earlier this week in Chicago. The event was organized by the Chicago Council of Global Affairs.

Several hundred people packed the meeting room at the Peninsula Hotel. Wang, who is currently at Princeton University as a visiting scholar, captured the full attention of the audience. He talked about China’s core interests today, namely sovereignty, security and development; China’s domestic priorities and foreign policies, and the focus of Chinese government on “the improvement of Chinese people‘s living standards, welfare and happiness via social justice.”

The key issues of the talk was covered in his article titled China’s Search for a Grand Strategy which was released in the Foreign Affairs, March/April 2011. Read details from link below: http://www.ciss.pku.edu.cn/en/DocumentView.aspx?id=666.

Jian Ping, author of Mulberry Child: A Memoir of China. Mulberry Child has been made into a feature-length documentary film by award-winning director Susan Morgan Cooper and is narrated by Jacqueline Bisset. Visit www.mulberrychildmovie.com for more details. For more information about the book, visit www.mulberrychild.com, www.moraquest.com

Mulberry Child, the feature-length documentary based on my book Mulberry Child: A Memoir of China, is finally coming to its completion! Last week, Jacqueline Bisset did the voice narration for the film and this week, the filmmakers are working on the final sound mix and color treatment. I can hardly wait to see the final cut!

I’m delighted to learn about the involvement of Jacqueline Bisset. Not only because she is a well-known actress and will bring more appeal to the film, but also the fact that she replaced much of the narration which was given by me. I must say that I’m much relieved, although my producer and director have been most supportive and encouraging about my voice and accent.

I very much enjoyed the film making process and loved working with the crew, especially Susan Morgan Cooper, my director. However, I also realized my limitations. One of the most humbling experiences was my struggle with the pronunciation of certain words.

Susan interviewing Jian Ping

I still remember vividly a roomful of people helping me say “a long gown,” which somehow, became something like “long gone” when I said it. In the end, we had to change the word to “long robe”. We laughed about it so hard that Susan and I were literally in tears.

I did learn to speak slower and clearer, which is of tremendous importance to me, for I’ve given and continue to give frequent talks about my book, China in the 60′s/7-’s and today, and other social and cultural issues related to China at schools, organizations and book groups. I even gave a few motivational speeches to large groups, sharing the resilience demonstrated by my family–the mulberry children who survived and thrived like mulberry trees–to encourage people to overcome the hurdles in their lives. And I’ve learned just as much from many people in the audience by our interactions and conversations.

As for the film, there are many personally important and moving moments for me: re-enacted scenes on my grandmother, Nainai, a woman with bound feet but boundless love, my father, Hou Kai, who passed away right after the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, and my mother, Gu Wenxiu, who was stoic and strict when I was a child and a wonderful and loving mother and grandmother today at 83.

After the hard work of a year and a half, a feature-length (86 minutes) documentary has been produced by a strong, professional team. The result of collective efforts, with the vision of a creative director. I feel very fortunate to have their belief, support, and dedication!

Jian Ping, author of Mulberry Child: A Memoir of China. www.mulberrychild.com, www.moraquest.com. Mulberry Child has been developed into a feature-length documentary film and will be released in 2011.

By Jian Ping

Gan, Corkery, Li and other delegation and faculty members

The John Marshall Law School (JMLS) officially opened its Chinese Intellectual Property Center in Chicago on August 23. Dean John Corkery presided over the ribbon-cutting ceremony, which was well attended by distinguished guests, representatives of Chicago law firms, faculty, students, and the media.

The Center is the first of its kind in the U.S. I was pleased to have the opportunity to attend the ceremony.

“The John Marshall Law School and the Chinese intellectual property community, particularly the State Intellectual Property Office of China (SIPO), has enjoyed many years of successful cooperation,” said Dorothy Li, Co-Director, Asian Alliances Program at the John Marshall Law School. “The Resource Center will provide a unique stage for IP dialogue between the U.S. and China in the years to come.”

Professor Wen, Chief Judge Holderman, Hon. Sharon Barner and IP attorney Jeff Duncan at the panel

A delegation of six people headed by Mr. Gan Shaoning, Deputy Commissioner of the State Intellectual Property Office (SIPO), and Lu Kun, Deputy Consul General from the Chinese Consulate in Chicago also attended the opening ceremony.

Over the past 17 years, SIPO has sent more than 600 Chinese students for short and long term studies at  JMLS. Gan said the Resource Center would provide a new platform for American students and IP practitioners to learn more about Chinese intellectual property law and help enhancing the mutual understanding and communication between the two countries.

Professor Wen Xikai, a member of the Chinese delegation, gave a two-hour lecture on the implications of the third amendment to China’s Patent Law that became effective on October 1, 2009. She briefed the captivated audience of nearly a hundred students, faculty and IP attorneys from the Chicago area, providing them with the background of the three amendments implemented respectively in 1992, 2000 and 2008 and addressed in details the changes made in the 3^rd amendment.

Ribbon cutting at the opening ceremony

Joining Wen after her talk in a discussion panel regarding the Chinese IP law and practices are Hon. James F. Holderman, chief judge of the United States District Court, Northern District of Illinois, Hon. Sharon Barner, former Deputy Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office and Jeff Duncan, partner at Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione.

“Foreign companies welcome the changes,” Barner commented about the 3rd amendment. “However, the key still lies in the ability to enforce the regulations.”

John Marshall Law School started working with China’s law schools and government agencies in 1994. Besides training Chinese students in the U.S., the School also runs a summer program in which they send 20 or so students to study in China for a month.

Jian Ping, author of Mulberry Child: A Memoir of China. Visit www.mulberrychild.com, www.moraquest.com for more information. Mulberry Child has been made into a feature-length documentary film by award-winning director Susan Morgan Cooper and will be released in 2011.