We hope everyone is enjoying the Year of the Snake so far! March is Women’s History Month and we’ll be having two special events in celebration of this important time.

Final Screening

On Thursday, March 14, we’ll be showing the film at the San Ramon Public Library. This will be our last scheduled screening, as we’ll be focusing more on promoting the AUTUMN GEM iBook in the future. If you haven’t had a chance to see the film, come out and join us at this free event! The San Ramon Branch of AAUW is sponsoring the screening.

Thursday, March 14, 2013
7:00pm
San Ramon Public Library
100 Montgomery St.
San Ramon, CA 94583

Conference Presentation

I will be presenting on a panel at the Women’s History in the Digital World conference, to be held at Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania March 22-23.

“The Women’s History in the Digital World conference brings together scholars working on women’s history projects with a digital component, exploring the complexities of creating, managing, researching and teaching with digital resources.”

This is an especially timely topic as we’ve been seeing the convergence of education and technology recently. Please help spread the word about this event to your friends and colleagues. If you are in the Bryn Mawr area, come by and check it out!

Women’s History in the Digital World Conference
March 22-23, 2013
Bryn Mawr College
Bryn Mawr, PA 19010-2899

Women’s History in the Digital World Call for Papers POSTER

The WOMEN我們 Exhibit Opening Reception at the Chinese Culture Center on Saturday was a lively success! We had a fantastic turnout with many viewers attending the artists panel moderated by CCC Executive Director Mabel Teng. The panel was a great opportunity to dialogue with the audience regarding the exploration of gender issues in our work, attitudes towards feminism (whether one identifies as such or not), and the contemporary women’s movement in China.

We had a wonderful time interacting with audience members and getting their thoughts on our work. Interestingly, the exhibit also attracted a large contingent of people gathered outside who were participating in a rally protesting the Japanese takeover of a group of islands also claimed by China (a very contentious issue amongst Chinese at home and abroad). It was fascinating to hear the wide range of reactions to issues addressed in the exhibit, including gender transgressions, LGBTQ identities, and sexual discrimination from these viewers who came upon the show by chance.

The day before the opening, we attended a press event at the gallery and participated in a group dialogue with Professor Lenore Metrick-Chen, an Art and Cultural Historian from Drake University in Iowa. The exhibit was also featured in a news segment on KTSF Channel 26, a local TV station serving the Asian community. Our AUTUMN GEM posters are featured in the opening shots of the segment – check out the video clip below!

It was great meeting the other artists for the first time and seeing the threads connecting our work. Engaging with them was an eye-opening and enlightening experience, and definitely gave us a new perspective on our own project.

The WOMEN我們 Exhibit runs through November 30, 2012, so be sure to check it out and invite your friends. Click on the link below to view the news segment and photos from the opening reception!

http://photos.tow.com/Autumn-Gem/Screenings/Women-Exhibit-at-CCC/25423435_rnWFfj#!i=2092824569&k=6ZJkgMm

The AUTUMN GEM iBook will be on display as part of the Chinese Culture Center’s new exhibit, WOMEN我們. The exhibit, whose title means both “women” and “we,” presents 13 artists from both China and the U.S. whose works focus on the expression of feminism and sexual identity in Chinese visual culture. Paintings, drawings, video works, and installation art by female, male, and LGBTQ artists explore the themes of visibility, authority, and possibility within gendered spaces.

WOMEN我們 will be on view from September 15 – November 30, 2012. Join us for the opening reception on Saturday, September 15, 1:00-4:00 with artists panel at 2:00pm. Free and open to the public!

Chinese Culture Center of San Francisco
750 Kearny St., 3rd Floor
San Francisco, CA 94108

http://www.c-c-c.org/2012/07/25/women我們-feminism-lgbtq-asian-american-asian-art/

Back in early March we were interviewed by the World Journal regarding our Bay Area library screenings and upcoming AUTUMN GEM iBook.

張蕊、曹健鏗拍紀錄片「秋瑾」 免費看

記者王慶偉聖他克拉拉報導

因為看了一本介紹「鑑湖女俠」秋瑾（1875-1907）生平的書，兩位華裔第二代（ABC）張蕊與先生曹健鏗，不但放下工作，還投資了6萬元，「想把這位西方世界鮮為人知的中國女權運動先驅者，介紹給全世界」。張蕊和曹健鏗拍攝的傳記紀錄片「秋瑾」，從本月起到5月，在灣區各地圖書館免費播放。張蕊和曹健鏗將出席每場放映會，解說電影並和觀眾交流。
「秋瑾是個非常特別的人物。」張蕊表示，婦女在清朝是沒有什麼地位的，要裏小腳，還不能讀太多書，「而秋瑾不但追求婦女解放，爭取男女平等，還立志推翻封建王朝。」

不同於商業電影「競雄女俠秋瑾」，張蕊與曹健鏗在打算拍攝「秋瑾」時，就計畫朝「教育」方向進行。「秋瑾是誰？誰才是真正的秋瑾？秋瑾又代表了什麼？」是張蕊和曹健鏗想在這部電影中表現「真實的秋瑾」。

張蕊和曹健鏗也作足了功課，分別在張蕊的母校柏克萊加大東亞圖書館，曹健鏗的母校史丹福大學胡佛研究院和東亞圖書館收集資料；並在美國訪問三位學者專家，以及仍在中國的秋瑾後代，在紀錄片中講述秋瑾歷史。

張蕊和曹健鏗於2007年開始籌畫準備。張蕊為這部電影辭去工作，專心製片，光是在準備上，就花了五個月，2008年開拍，到秋瑾的故鄉浙江紹興、（曾經埋葬秋瑾的）杭州等地實地拍攝後；再回到灣區，在灣區各地的公園及外景，開拍電影中的故事情節，請到武打女星李靜（李連杰學妹）扮演秋瑾。在2009年製作完成。

曹健鏗表示，電影不純是紀錄片，可以說是融合故事情節的「Doc-Drama」。因為是自付經費，許多場景都以克難方式完成，「就像矽谷的創業從車庫開始，許多場景是在車庫裡搭景完成。」

百多場在全美各地的放映會，張蕊和曹健鏗最起碼有一人出席每次的放映，講解電影並和觀眾交流。「這是非常難得的一個經驗。」上百場的放映會中，經常有觀眾會說自己祖父母的經歷就和電影中一樣；許多觀眾反映看過這部電影「才真正瞭解秋瑾」。

「秋瑾」今年將完成全美各地巡迴放映，但和電影相關的工作才開始。曹健鏗和張蕊已經給電影製作了解說講義（Study Guide），向學生教導認識中國女權的歷史。兩人將著手製作電子書，放在iBook上發行，並尋求適當的網路，將電影完整版放在網上，讓人一次看個夠，而不需要分幾次才能看完。

「秋瑾」從本月起到5月中，在灣區各地圖書館免費放映，詳情：autumn-gem.com/screenings/。

http://sf.worldjournal.com/view/full_story/17729308/article-張蕊

Welcome 2012! We’re gearing up for the Year of the Dragon! After over 100 screenings across the U.S., Canada, Australia, and Hong Kong, we’ll be focusing on showings right here in the Bay Area, starting with a series at the San Mateo County Libraries.

We’ll also be hitting the East Bay (Berkeley, Fremont, Livermore, Danville, Dublin), South Bay (Cupertino, Los Altos, San Jose, Mountain View, Sunnyvale, Campbell), and San Francisco.

You can view our full screening schedule here:
https://autumn-gem.com/screenings/

Please pass the word to your friends and family. We hope to see you at one of our local events!

• SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, BAY AREA, HONG KONG SCREENINGS
• LI JING OPENS MARTIAL ARTS SCHOOL
• 1911 REVOLUTION CENTENARY
• AUTUMN GEM IN THE BLACK

FALL TOUR DATES ANNOUNCED

AUTUMN GEM will have its first Asia showing in Hong Kong next month! We’ll also have events in the Bay Area and Southern California. Check below to see if we’re headed to a venue near you. For detailed information, visit https://autumn-gem.com/screenings

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
September 22: Cerritos Public Library.
September 24: San Marino Chinese Club.
September 24: West Covina Library.
September 24: California Lutheran University, Thousand Oaks
September 25: Fullerton Library.
September 27: Diamond Bar Library.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
October 3: Santa Clara City Library.
October 5: Hayward Public Library.

HONG KONG
October 24: City University of Hong Kong.
October 24: Hong Kong Baptist University.
October 25: University of Hong Kong.
October 26: Chinese University of Hong Kong.
October 27: Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.
October 28: Hong Kong Institute of Education.

If you have friends in the area, please let them know. Feel free to invite them to an event on our Facebook page:

https://autumn-gem.com/facebook/

AUTUMN GEM ACTRESS OPENS MARTIAL ARTS SCHOOL IN L.A.

Li Jing, the star of AUTUMN GEM, recently opened a new martial arts school in Temple CIty, CA. Wushu Action Star Academy is “a world class martial arts training center providing instruction in Wushu and Taichi.” The school held their Grand Opening Celebration on September 10 and is currently enrolling students of all ages and levels.

As some of you may know, Li Jing was Rae’s first wushu coach at UC Berkeley, and we’re excited to hear she’s teaching again! For those of you living in Southern California, here’s your chance to learn from “Qiu Jin” herself!

http://www.wushuactionstar.com

1911 REVOLUTION CENTENARY

October 10, 2011 marks the 100th year anniversary of the Chinese Revolution, the cause Qiu Jin devoted her life to. China is celebrating this momentous occasion with several events and exhibitions, including two major films that include Qiu Jin. 1911 is a historical drama directed by and starring Jackie Chan, and will feature Qiu Jin as a supporting character. The Woman Knight of Mirror Lake is a full-length feature on Qiu Jin, directed by Hong Kong filmmaker Herman Yau. Check out a scene-by-scene comparison of AUTUMN GEM with this new film here:

Hong Kong Feature Film on Qiu Jin

1911 will be released in China on September 23. The Woman Knight of Mirror Lake opens in Hong Kong on October 13. For those of you in the area, go see the films and let us know what you think of their portrayals of Qiu Jin.

AUTUMN GEM IN THE BLACK

Four years, three countries, and over a hundred screenings later, we’ve finally broken even on the film! Our next step is getting it aired on public television. We are currently looking into local cable channels and educational distributors such as NETA (National Educational Telecommunications Association).

Here is the World Journal newspaper’s coverage of our screening at the San Diego Chinese Historical Museum last Saturday. Reporter Daming Lee wrote about our first major public event at La Jolla Country Day School in May 2009.

秋瑾紀錄片放映滿百場
記者李大明聖地牙哥報導

正值辛亥革命成功、中華民國誕生100周年之際，旅美華裔曹健鏗、張蕊夫婦拍攝的傳記紀錄片「秋瑾」也在美加各地放映整整100場。這一富有意義的巧合，顯示海外華人新一代重拾歷史使命的心願，更標誌文化傳承有更堅實基礎。

上世紀70年代出生的曹健鏗與張蕊，分別是香港、台灣移民的後代。曹健鏗畢業於史丹福大學，張蕊則是柏克萊加大高材生，兩人在拍攝傳記紀錄片「秋瑾」之前，對百年中國近代史所知有限，對電影製作更是一竅不通。一個偶然機會，他們看到了一本介紹「鑑湖女俠」秋瑾（1875-1907）生平的書，深為這位女傑立志推翻封建王朝、追求婦女解放、最終為理想獻身的事蹟所感動，決心拍攝一部影片，讓海外華人下一代瞭解這些可歌可泣的往事。

兩位年輕人不顧資金匱乏、經驗不足，說幹就幹。他們走遍秋瑾故里浙江紹興，請教研究秋瑾的中外學者，終於在2009年完成這部長達一小時的傳記紀錄片，並在聖地牙哥的私立中學「La Jolla Country Day School」首映，受到許多好評。

此後兩年，曹健鏗與張蕊帶著自己的這部處女作，馬不停蹄地奔走於美國東西兩岸放映，漸漸引起了媒體與公眾的注意。上周末，兩人回到當初起步的聖地牙哥，在當地「中華歷史博物館」為華洋朋友作了第100場放映，作為對辛亥革命百周年的獻禮，並告慰秋瑾烈士。

近百名華洋朋友應邀在聖地牙哥中華歷史博物館觀賞了這部電影，曹健鏗、張蕊還即席回答了觀眾的提問。歷史博物館館長莊紹文代表社區，向兩人頒贈了感謝狀。

I was alerted to an article in the New York Times recently about female genital mutilation (also known as female circumcision) in Africa. Young girls are taken to a “cutter” who carves out their clitoris and labia with a razor, then stitches the flesh back together, leaving a small opening for urination and menstruation. The purpose is for ensuring chastity and “lowering the sex drive of our daughters,” according to one practitioner.

The reporter notes that this is “a form of oppression that women themselves embrace and perpetuate.” I’m reminded of the similarities with footbinding. Women were the ones who carried out the process within the family (usually the mother or grandmother), and they were often the most resistant to change when the practice began to fall out of favor. In fact, even after it was officially banned in 1912, it would continue for over 30 years afterwards, perpetuated by women themselves.

While female genital mutilation is currently illegal in several African and Middle Eastern countries, it is still practiced widely and has even found its way to the U.S. Let’s hope it will be eradicated soon, and, like footbinding, seen as the inhumane violence against women that it is.