***Formerly titled "South of the Clouds, North of the Nagas: Yunnan's Changing Role in the Mekong Region." The title and abstract of this talk have changed slightly.***

Part of the Ronald and Janette Gatty Lecture series

Dr. Juliet Lu, Atkinson Center for Sustainability Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Development Sociology, Cornell University

Since the late 1990s, Chinese investment in Laos has grown exponentially and is transforming many areas of the country. Chinese actors involved in driving this expansion, from traders to agribusiness firms to state officials, tend to insist that these investments are not just business endeavours but drivers of development. They often compare Laos to China 30 years ago in terms of its degree of economic development, articulating a narrative that China’s model of development can be exported and applied in other countries. In this talk, I present multiple perspectives on how ideals of development translate from China into the Lao context. I use the stories of three groups of actors engaged in the cross-border agribusiness investments and trade to show how narratives of development are rooted in personal histories and ties to China. These experiences often differ and the narratives of development that individual actors tell are motivated by their own strategic interests. Still, they demonstrate the tendency to compare the two countries as a way of understanding the rapid transformation of Laos through Chinese investment, and of considering broader implications for the future.

1988 > Hong Kong > Directed by Wong Kar Wai
With Andy Lau, Maggie Cheung, Jacky Cheung
Set amidst Hong Kong's ruthless, neon-lit gangland underworld, this operatic saga of ambition, honor, and revenge stars Andy Lau as a small-time mob enforcer who finds himself torn between a burgeoning romance with his ailing cousin and his loyalty to his loose cannon partner in crime whose reckless attempts to make a name for himself unleash a spiral of violence. Hong Kong auteur Wong Kar Wai's first feature length film. In Cantonese. Subtitled. Cosponsored with the East Asia Program.
1 hr 42 min

We will start taking reservations one week in advance of a film's first play date.
Reservations can be made here:
https://cinema.cornell.edu/virtual-cinema-order-form

2000 > Hong Kong > Directed by Wong Kar Wai
With Maggie Cheung, Tony Leung Chiu-wai
Two neighbors wrestle with irresistible desire for one another upon learning of their spouses' affair in a romantic and melancholic film set in 1960s Hong Kong. In Cantonese, Shanghainese, French & Spanish. Subtitled. Cosponsored with the East Asia Program.
1 hr 38 min

We will start taking reservations one week in advance of a film's first play date.
Reservations can be made here:
https://cinema.cornell.edu/virtual-cinema-order-form

1994 > Hong Kong > Directed by Wong Kar Wai
With Brigitte Lin Ching-hsia, Tony Leung Chiu-wai, Takeshi Kaneshiro, Faye Wong
The film tells two stories, both set in contemporary Hong Kong, of young policemen trying to get over bad relationships and having crazy encounters with other women: a hit woman for the mob and an obsessive fast-food waitress. Fabulous soundtrack. The film that introduced American audiences to Hong Kong auteur Wong Kar Wai. In Cantonese & Mandarin. Subtitled. Cosponsored with the East Asia Program.
1 hr 37 min

WORLD OF WONG KAR WAI - COMING SOON! from Janus Films on Vimeo.

The Fulbright U.S. Student Program supports college graduates conducting research or teaching in any field in more than 150 countries. Applications are due in the fall; students who wish to begin the program immediately after graduation are encouraged to start the process in their junior year.

United States citizens in any field of study are eligible.

Contact: fulbright@einaudi.cornell.edu, https://einaudi.cornell.edu/fulbright-us-student-program

The Fulbright U.S. Student Program supports college graduates conducting research or teaching in any field in more than 150 countries. Applications are due in the fall; students who wish to begin the program immediately after graduation are encouraged to start the process in their junior year.

United States citizens in any field of study are eligible.

Contact: fulbright@einaudi.cornell.edu, https://einaudi.cornell.edu/fulbright-us-student-program

Take your learning to the next level with regional and thematic minors from the Mario Einaudi Center for International Studies and our programs. Whatever your major and career goals, our wide geographical reach and interdisciplinary focus provide opportunities for you to expand your global knowledge and broaden your approach to your studies and the world. Find out if an Einaudi Center minor is right for you and how to apply.

Co-sponsored by the Tatkon Center for First-Year Students

Contact: einaudi_center@einaudi.cornell.edu; https://einaudi.cornell.edu/learn/minors-and-academics

Explore options beyond academia and discover how to make informed decisions for career choices in government, non-profits and industry. Test-drive career opportunities through career panels, individual and group sessions, site visits and more. Visit website for more details.

Contact: sap@cornell.edu

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Contact: irm@einaudi.cornell.edu; https://einaudi.cornell.edu/academics/international-relations-minor