Home From Drama to Film, as a Genre Bridge and New Main Melody Narrator – A Discussion on the Creation Path of Up-and-Coming Director Rao Xiaozhi
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From Drama to Film, as a Genre Bridge and New Main Melody Narrator – A Discussion on the Creation Path of Up-and-Coming Director Rao Xiaozhi

  • Jun Zhuang

    Jun Zhuang is a professor from the School of Film and Television Arts at Liaoning Normal University and a visiting scholar at the Department of East Asian Languages and Civilizations of Harvard University.

    and Meng Xu

    Meng Xu is a master of drama and film studies in Drama and Film Studies from the School of Film and Television Arts at Liaoning Normal University.

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Published/Copyright: May 23, 2025
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Abstract

As a representative of China’s up-and-coming directors, Rao Xiaozhi’s films are characterized by theatrical narratives, genre strategies, and a sense of “community.” He has found his career path within the development trends of the Chinese film industry, while also opening up new creative field. At the same time, he embodies the opportunities and responsibilities for the up-and-coming directors within the New Main Melody. This article focuses on Rao Xiaozhi’s creative path and cinematic texts, exploring the dramatic features, modernist imagery, genre fate, and the transformation of New Main Melody creation in his works, to discuss the relevance of his cinematic creations to contemporary times.


Corresponding author: Meng Xu, School of Film and Television Arts, Liaoning Normal University, Dalian, China, E-mail:
Translated by Deyue Kong, University of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Beijing, China, kongdeyue910@foxmail.com

Funding source: the Ministry of Education

Award Identifier / Grant number: 22JZD029

About the authors

Jun Zhuang

Jun Zhuang is a professor from the School of Film and Television Arts at Liaoning Normal University and a visiting scholar at the Department of East Asian Languages and Civilizations of Harvard University.

Meng Xu

Meng Xu is a master of drama and film studies in Drama and Film Studies from the School of Film and Television Arts at Liaoning Normal University.

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Postscript

The originally article entitled 由戏入影·类型桥梁·新主流书写 – – 新势力导演饶晓志创作路径谈 was published in Dianying Xinzuo 电影新作 (New Films) 2024 (01): 40–52.Search in Google Scholar

Received: 2025-03-16
Accepted: 2025-03-19
Published Online: 2025-05-23
Published in Print: 2025-04-28

© 2025 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston

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