September 27 - Ye - Using Film & Cosmopolitan EA

I loved learning about China's history through the film. Professor Ye made the time go by very fast and had a wonderful way of using poetry to make his points. Unfortunately the films he shared won't work for my young students, but his way of explaining film as art is exactly the way all art forms should be shared. I hope to use his distinction between fabula and sujet in working with my students on literature as well.

The 6th grade studies ancient China as part of their ancient civilizations unit. The look at China's Middle Age that Professor gave us will really help me make this period come alive for my students.

Susan Dubin

For years I have been watching Chinese movies with English subtitles and American-Chinese movies. Lately I have been looking for all the American movies that were directed by Mr. Ang Le. Saturday, our first session, was great. It didn't feel like a traditional classroom. I enjoyed professor Ye's class very much. I wish to learn all the stories he told us about Chinese artists. I want to watch all the movies he talked about. Overall I was fascinated by professor's Ye's knowledge and talents in many different aspects of arts and history. After class we were talking to each other about how fun it would be to travel with him to Asia!

I also enjoyed Professor Ye and the information he provided. My favorite part of the day was his discussion on fabula and sujet. I will definitely be using this with my students. My only regret was that I did not take any notes. Unless I missed it, his PowerPoint presentation isn't in our binder. Would it be possible to get a copy? My memory isn't as good as it used to be.

I also regret that I didn't take any notes about the movies. If there is a handout that goes along with Professor Ye's lecture, I also would benefit from it.

I found Professor Ye's suggestions on using films and evaluating and critiquing them based on thier formal features especially helpful. Rather than simply asking what images may represent in a film, critiquing its use of camera angles and fades is a clever way of incorporating films into lessons. This may also help with justifying the use of a film.

I also echo the sentiments that several posts have expressed: I wish we had more time with Professor Ye.

PROFESSOR YE

He was truly an inspiration and an exceptional man to meet in person. I felt very excited when he presented the movie, HERO, which is one of favorite movies of all time. I was courious though and didn't have a chance to ask him, but the movie from my understanding took awhile to be released in the US.
Another movie that I like is John Woo's classic, Die Xue shuang xiang/THE KILLER, staring Chow Yun-Fat, Danny Lee and Kenneth Tsang but this movie is more of a gangster thriller with very strong violence but it combines martial arts and modern weaponary action.
I also like the idea of incorporated more multimedia films besides documentaries that students really becomed tired of.
The TRU network and you tube have a broadcasting of the Leshan Buddha that is very interesting, The Leshan Buddha built in the Tang (Tong) Dyansty is a massive Buddha carved into the cliff face that lies of the confluence of three rivers, then the presentation draws comparisons to the Buddha in the Middle East, (Afghan I believe )that were destroyed by the government.

I felt I learned so much in such a short time with Professor Ye. I have written "fabula and sjuzet" on the white board in my house and constantly reflect on that perspective. I just loved the idea of the concept. I was the teacher who always asked "What does it mean?" because that was how I was taught. My degree is in art and I think the one philosophical thing I learned was how to make something out of nothing. I always hated that in order to graduate college I had to assume about images, while in my own work there was always a specific meaning to the story and a a specific art to which I had crafted. So in short "fabula and sjuzet" was the answer to my problem of making something out of nothing.

I also loved Professor Ye's experience in China. I felt I learned the perspective of a devoted China native that loved his country and wanted everyone to learn about it. I also never knew that poetry was so essential to the Chinese culture. I have never learned that poetry was such a essential art to the Chinese.