Kung Fu Fighting – Arts & Entertainment

I've had Mao's Last Dancer on my "to watch" list for a while now, and finally sat down and gave it a look the other night.

This week, propaganda-heavy China Central Television (CCTV) launched programming for American viewers produced out of a new office building steps away from the White House. Meanwhile, a determined and growing band of independent filmmakers documents the complex, often uncomfortable realities of China's past and present.

Now for something different to mix up your Chinese learning, here is a short Chinese film (30 minutes) by the Chopsticks Brothers who have made some popular movies on Youku. The title is Winner (The Ultimate Winner) 赢家 - yíng jiā.

Observers have been paying close attention to production on [...] "The Karate Kid" since the movie was announced last year; this has been, after all, more just an attempt to update a quarter-century-old pop classic but Hollywood's largest co-production with China to date. [W]e couldn't help but notice what will quickly jump out even to casual viewers: the cultural tourism that pervades the film.