Il passato in TV: analisi delle narrazioni storiche della produzione televisiva cinese
abstract
This paper examines the interplay between history and television in the People’s Republic of China, investigating how this medium has played a pivotal role in reinforcing public memory and providing frameworks for validating individual memories. To delineate the components of these frameworks, we have considered narrations of personal stories in which historical events provide a context for the character’s experience. In addition, two documentary series serve as quintessential instances of history’s narrative as articulated by ordinary citizens and prominent political leaders. Ultimately, the study highlights how Chinese television uses historical narratives to ‘reconfigure’ the present within an ‘orthodox depiction of history’, where uncertainties and conflicts find their ‘appropriate’ resolution.
Keywords: Documentary • Memory • Chinese television • Narrative • Identity