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RAI FILM Festival takes place on 27-30 March 2025. Learn more.

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Marriage, Maoism and Modernity

Directed by Gary Seaman, Steven Rousso-Schindler, Zhifang Song

2009 – 30'

Synopsis

This film outlines the types of marriage exchange practiced in a Chinese village over the last fifty years. Dowry, brideprice and exchange marriages have dominated the marriage market in turn as villagers have responded to changes in economic, political and social conditions. At present, the practice of “pseudodowry” (indirect exchange) marks the ability of young women to demand large payments of cash from the groom’s family, which are used to create prestigious public displays of wedding gifts for the bride. A historical overview links the personal life of Mao Zedong to issues of parental authority in arranging marriages.

RAI FILM Festival 2025

The next RAI FILM Festival will take place in person from 27-30 March 2025 at the Watershed Cinema and the Arnolfini International Centre for Contemporary Arts in Bristol (UK) and online throughout the month of April 2025.