Mi Niang

Since 2013, CINEMATEK has been defending the exceptional and unique oeuvre of Chinese documentary filmmaker Wang Bing. In December, we will show his latest film, Dead Souls (2018), which was also presented in Cannes. At the same time, in KANAL we present Wang’s  Mi Niang  , a film produced by CINEMATEK, that is shown for the first (and only) time. There, it enters into a dialogue with  Eight Chapters in Four Movements by Italian artist Teresa Cos: a confrontation of two temporal experiences.

Mi Niang is a 23 year-old woman from Laos. For the price of 500 yuan, she was sold at the Chinese border to Dongda, who works on the rubber plantations for a living. His wife passed away leaving him with two children. He owns nothing and he can only rely on contract work from the plantation owners. On September 28, 2014 after an argument, Mi Niang resolved to leave Dongda.

CINEMATEK has been a leading force for 80 years in providing daily explorations through the history of cinema. From the beginning, the approach has been wider than just a historical perspective, also reflecting the relationship contemporary, visual and performance arts have with the moving image. Through festivals and film-cycles CINEMATEK presents the works of the avant-garde, showcasing artists bringing together different disciplines and pushing the language of film. It was no surprise that the CINEMATEK accepted the Kanal Foundation's invitation for them to join forces.

Working in dialogue with Argos, Centre for Art and Media and collaborating with the Centre Pompidou Experimental Film Department SHOWroom CINEMATEK daily screens the work of contemporary filmmakers shown in a continuous digital program. Once a month the showroom will also host a special event, SWEET 16, paying tribute to 16mm film.

​Mi Niang

Wang Bing
China, Belgium - 2014

Color- 78’ - sound