The (Mis)Representation of China

The film Up the Yangtze attempts to show representation for the culture and country of China. In an attempt to show how tourism, development and upgrades are benefiting the country as a whole and the people within it, the film also contradicts itself when it shows how these developments can also negatively affect the people of China.

The film focuses on the developments the country has taken to improve their economy. For example the cruise boat featured in the film shows how tourism has made a major positive improvement for China, however it also focuses on the fact that struggling families living in the rural areas near the river are significantly misrepresented as "the people of China." The film follows Cindy and her family and watching the film you learn that Cindy and her family's home has been nearly washed away due to changes in the water level of the river. So on one hand the river is a symbol of opportunity for those who work on the cruise ship or benefit from the money that tourism can bring in, but on the other hand, families like Cindy's who are also the people of China are completely forgotten and have to navigate through their struggles alone.

So how does Up the Yangtze achieve and also ignore representation? The director puts great effort in to show how there are two contrasting sides to citizens of their country, however there are multiple perspectives that we did not see. While I do understand that a film can only cover so much,  I think it is also important for a viewer to know that the situation with China, the river and the Three Gorges Dam is not black and white. I feel as if the film only focused on the radically different roles for dramatic effect leaving out "the middle man" and leaving many perspectives mis or even completely unrepresented.

It is clear that there is a lot of room for the idea of representation to grow and while it may seem far off now, I am hopeful that one day there won't be a culture, group, or any type of person that feels that they are under or misrepresented in the world.