Paper 1

Farewell to Nostalgia: Mainland Chinese Youth's De-territorialization of Hong Kong Classic Films

——Li Mingyang, Li Yanlei

Accepted for the 2025 Hong Kong Film Studies Conference.

The CEPA has gradually revitalized the Hong Kong film industry amid cross-regional integration. Despite the rise of new mainstream and new Hong Kong films, classic Hong Kong films still hold considerable sway over Chinese audiences, particularly the young. Unlike those who lived through Hong Kong cinema’s golden age, young Chinese viewers revisit these classics not out of nostalgia, but with a retro affect that is highly critical and reflective. This affect spurs them to reinterpret the "Hong Kong characteristics" in these films. From Gilles Deleuze's nomadic theory perspective, the "Hong Kong characteristics" in film have long been trapped by a local consciousness and identity rooted in "negation," leading to a nostalgic fixation. However, the engagement of young Chinese audiences has revitalized these characteristics. In cyberspace, they use non-linear editing software to disrupt the nostalgia cycle, infusing the gaps with a blend of Chinese traditional and contemporary youth cultures. This allows the "Hong Kong characteristics" in film to break free from the territory of negation.

In recent years, Dreamcore imagery has gained popularity on Chinese internet platforms. Its film-textured visual style has led many to view it as merely a continuation of "analog nostalgia." However, this perspective is paradoxical. As "digital natives," Dreamcore creators have never experienced the analog era and thus have no past to reminisce about. In fact, Dreamcore represents a retro emotional practice. Yet, in cultural studies, long-standing biases often lead people to regard retro as a derivative of nostalgia. This stems from a cultural environment characterized by linear time, where people tend to equate "ancient" with "old" by perceiving time through space. However, retro is not synonymous with nostalgia, and Dreamcore is distinct from analog nostalgia. For creators who have never experienced the analog era, the retro space they construct offers an entirely new temporal experience, which is a progressive emotional practice. To clearly reveal the progressiveness of Dreamcore, this article will first analyze the differences between retro and nostalgia and use this analysis to distinguish Dreamcore from analog nostalgia. It will be argued that the creation of Dreamcore aims to break through spatial cognitive limitations and pursue a genuine temporal experience.

Paper 2

The Distinction between Retro and Nostalgia: The Real Dimension of Time in the Images of "Dream Core"

——Li Mingyang, Li Yanlei

Accepted by Appreciation, scheduled for July–August 2025.

Paper 3

Research on "Post-adolescence" Trends in Recent Chinese Cinema

——Li Yanlei, Li Mingyang

Accepted by Film Studies, scheduled for August 2025.

The increasing post-adolescent population in China has triggered a structural shift in the film market. This demographic now dominates both the creation and viewership of films, resulting in a significant increase in post-adolescent characters on screen. These characters underscore the disconnect between the post-adolescent group's spiritual and physiological ages, as well as their prolonged and passive transition into adulthood. Although the post-adolescence image is a common theme in global cinema—often portrayed by young directors in Germany and Japan—it remains underexplored in Chinese films. Existing studies are few and often misunderstand the concept of post-adolescence. Therefore, it is crucial to redefine the concept and characteristics of post-adolescence in China and analyze the artistic traits that Chinese films develop while portraying post-adolescence images.

With the development of the Internet and the rise of Generation Z, the integration of ACGN culture and mainstream culture has deepened continuously, and its influence on film aesthetics has become increasingly significant. Many filmmakers have attempted to incorporate ACGN elements into their works, but there are few successful cases that have broken through the barrier between live-action films and ACGN culture. Most films fail in this integration, resulting in poor box office performance and negative reviews. Japan, as the birthplace of ACGN culture, has valuable experience in the field of anime and manga adaptation films that is worth learning from. Among these filmmakers, Japanese director Fukuda Yuuichi has attracted much attention in China for his expertise in directing anime and manga adaptation films. His films successfully integrate ACGN culture through cross-dimensional art scenes, character portrayals with ACGN aesthetics, and anime-like sound elements. Therefore, studying Fukuda Yuuichi's cinematic style can provide important references for Chinese filmmakers to break through the barriers between live-action films and ACGN culture.

Paper 4

A Study on Fukuda Yuuichi’s Cinematic Style

——Li Mingyang, Li Yanlei

Published in Comparative Study of Cultural Innovation 9(14), May 2025.