This two-part documentary tells the history of China in the 20th Century - entirely with original archives and motion pictures.

From the very first newsreels and documentary footage filmed in China at the turn of the century, up until the present day, CHINA YELLOW, CHINA BLUE uses visual documents to portray the struggle and changeover between two Chinas: one continental and rural, enshrined by the Empire and Confucianism, the other coastal, urban and mercantile, and founded on maritime trade.

These are the angles which the film approaches, China yesterday, China today, China Yellow, China Blue. The making of the film required a long, intensive period of seeking out every possible source of footage.

The film is in two parts: Part 1, THE TIME OF TROUBLES, covers the years up to 1949, and Part 2, THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA covers 1949 to 1996.

"Highly Recommended! A remarkable set of two videotapes that provides a broad overview of 20th century China using only newsreel and documentary footage along with a generally even-handed narrative that, rather than betraying a bias for one or another of the socio-political systems under which the country has endured, consistently focuses on the impact of societal and governmental structures on the people. [The] footage, especially from the early years, is riveting, truly transporting a Western viewer to a setting that is exotically foreign in both place and time, yet always grounded in the human dimension of the people who are depicted. An excellent introduction to modern China and would be a superb way to generate class discussion." - Educational Media Reviews Online

"A miracle, CHINA YELLOW, CHINA BLUE avoids all the pitfalls that can make historical documentaries difficult to digest." - Liberation (Paris)

"Rich with exceptional archive documents." - Telerama (Paris)