The Carnivals of Life — An Introduction to the Festivals of the Yiche People
The Carnivals of Life — An Introduction to the Festivals of the Yiche People is one of the most talked-about Documentary movies released in 1986, attracting audiences with its cinematic storytelling and memorable performances.
This early Chinese ethnographic film documents festivals of the Yiche people of the Hani ethnic group -- their folklore and cultural phenomena, such as reproductive worship dance; their collective socializing on festival nights and marriage customs; and the "haruzhe," which has both characteristics of blood sacrifice and prayer, a ritual to offering for a good harvest. The directorial debut of documentarian Hao Yuejun, the film uses the language of documentary but with a specifically ethnographic focus on history and customs, and is recognized as an important historical work in its own right for 'restarting' ethnographic filmmaking after the end of the Cultural Revolution; in fact, this particular method of had never been used in China before.
