WHAT: Film screening of "Shanghai Express" starring Marlene Dietrich and Anna May Wong, followed by QA with James Zimmerman, author of "Peking Express" (in-person)

WHEN: Friday, May 26, 2023. Screening from 6:45- 8:05 PM Beijing time; doors open at 6:15 PM.

WHERE: At the residence of James Zimmerman near Guanghua Lu in the Central Business District, Beijing. Details will be provided to those who have registered and paid 48 hours before the event. Space is limited.

MORE ABOUT THE EVENT: You've seen the positive reviews of James Zimmerman's book "Peking Express". Some of you attended his RASBJ book talk, or trekked with him to the site of the train heist and hostage-taking featured in "Peking Express". Now watch the movie inspired by the same real-life century-old event that the book describes. "Shanghai Express" was directed in 1932 by the iconic Josef von Sternberg. Though its script strays from historical fact, the movie is famous for its evocative and lavish black-and-white visuals, for its super-stars Marlene Dietrich and Anna May Wong, and for the ways it addressed social issues that resonate in Hollywood today. After the 80-minute screening, James will answer questions informally, allowing those who need to depart right after the screening to do so. Melinda Liu will moderate.

The film is not only about history, but also about cinematic and societal norms. Quoting a "Senses of Cinema" review, Wikipedia described "the 'peculiar bifurcation' of the film's view of race, as most of the respectable 'white' characters in the film are seen as both flawed and racist…[and the portrayal of women is] 'surprisingly feminist', with Dietrich being a 'strong, dominating presence' and Wong's character her equal."

HOW MUCH: RMB 100 for RASBJ members and members of partner RAS branches; RMB 200 for non-members. Drinks and light snacks are included.

HOW TO JOIN THE EVENT: As space is limited, please register early to avoid disappointment! Click "Register" or "I will Attend" and follow the instructions. After successful registration and payment, you'll receive a confirmation email. If you seem not to have received it, please check your spam folder. If you encounter difficulties paying via WeChat Pay, you may wish to try Alipay instead.

REFUND POLICY: Attendees will be refunded in full if RASBJ cancels this event. Registrations for those who have not paid 48 hours prior to the event will be cancelled. After May 24, if you registered/paid but discover you cannot attend, please email communications@rasbj.org to let us know; RASBJ will offer your spot to others and if someone takes your slot you'll be refunded.