Autumn Gem Article in the World Journal

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We have a new article from David Wang about Autumn Gem, our screening tomorrow at the Chinese Culture Center, and our new iPad textbook, in the World Journal today:


自2007年開始籌畫研究,2009年自費開拍「秋瑾」紀錄片的華裔第二代張蕊(Rae Chang)與先生曹健鏗(Adam Tow),日前完成「秋瑾」(Autumn Gem)電子書,已在蘋果iBook上架。內容不但有文字,還有圖片及電影片段,是一本「多媒體電子書」。「秋瑾」目前在舊金山中華文化中心展出,張蕊和曹健鏗將於本周六,17日上午11時,在中心講解電影及示範電子書。
「秋瑾電子書是我們在開拍電影時,就考慮這麼做的,」曹健鏗表示,拍「秋瑾」前,他回母校史丹福大學的東亞圖書館收集資料;張蕊則回母校柏克萊加大東亞圖書館研究,兩人還訪問過美國的專家學者,以及秋瑾的後代,「無數文字和圖片內容,再加上電影片段,成為今天這本電子書。」

張蕊指出,出版電子書是希望藉著影音、照片、文字綜合起來的多媒體,造就一種新的教育形式,「比如說書中談到秋瑾的時代背景,就可以按書中的連結,去看背景資料,或是電影中的片段。」張蕊表示,未來的教材將會朝向多媒體的方向進行。

張蕊和曹健鏗的中文程度不太好,但因為看了一本介紹「鑑湖女俠」秋瑾(1875-1907)生平的書,兩人不但放下工作,還投資了6萬元拍電影,「想把這位少為人知的中國女權運動先驅者,介紹給西方世界」。

「秋瑾是位非常特別的人物,」張蕊指出,婦女在清朝是沒有地位的,裹小腳、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,是中國婦女運動的先驅。」張蕊今年6月看到中國第一位上太空的女太空人劉洋,她第一個反應是:「劉洋是現代的秋瑾!」

張蕊和曹健鏗今年3月到現在,跑遍灣區所有圖書館,放映「秋瑾」並舉行座談,向大家介紹秋瑾,「很多老僑說看到他們的上一代;而年輕一代則反應對這段歷史有更多的瞭解。」張蕊表示,「秋瑾」放映總共超過120多場,灣區放映之前,曾在加拿大、夏威夷、澳洲、香港放映過,下個月還將到日本去放映。

「秋瑾」電影及電子書詳情:autumn-gem.com。

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Life Matters Interview at ABC Radio

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There’s a popular public radio program in the United States called All Things Considered; in Australia, a similar program is called Life Matters on the Australia Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) radio station. We were interviewed by Sydney-based program host, Richard Aedy, in the Melbourne station on Tuesday morning prior to our screening at Deakin University. This was our second radio interview, the first being at 3CR Community Radio 855 AM in Melbourne.

I think I speak for most people that hearing my own voice played back to me sounds odd. Do radio hosts, such as Richard, who have such soothing and melodic voices, feel the same way?

The actual interview will be broadcast next week, and we’ll try to get a podcast or MP3 of the interview that we can link to in this article. Until then, check out the photos from ABC Station!

Here are photos from our radio interview on the Life Matters program at ABC Radio.

3CR Community Radio 855 AM Interview

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Rae at 3CR Community Radio 855 AM in Melbourne

On Saturday, we were interviewed by 3CR Community Radio 855 AM in Melbourne. Peter Krausz and Melinda O’Connor from the Media Moves program interviewed us about Autumn Gem and our upcoming screening tonight at RMIT University. I’ve been interviewed before on radio, but this was Rae’s first time. I thought we did a pretty job, though I’ll have to listen to the podcast to confirm!

With one radio interview under our belt, we’re looking forward to our second! Tomorrow morning, we’ll be heading to the Melbourne ABC Radio station for the Life Matters show. We hear that this program is comparable to NPR’s All Things Considered!

Here are some photos from our radio interview at 3CR Community Radio 855 AM.