Introduction : mapping the field of Chinese-language cinema

This collection of essays covers the cinematic traditions of mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and the Chinese diaspora from the beginning of Chinese film history to the present moment. In compiling a highly selective “film historiography,” as it were, we editors face once again the dilemma of choice and inclusion—namely, what constitutes “Chinese cinema” or “Chinese-language cinema.” As we attempt to come to terms with an ever-evolving phenomenon and a developing subject of investigation, we provisionally define Chinese-language films as films that use predominantly Chinese dialects and are made in mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and the Chinese diaspora, as well as those produced through transnational collaborations with other film industries.