A Collection of Teachers and Friends cover

A Collection of Teachers and Friends

Rating 3.6
Word count
178K words
Chapters
50
ISBN
9787101167238

Tags

Summary

Li Qiankuan, born in January 1941 in Penglai, Shandong, is a member of the Central Research Institute of Culture and History, a member of the China Association for Promoting Democracy, and president of the China Film Foundation. He formerly served as chairman of the China Film Association, vice chairman of the Jilin Provincial Federation of Literary and Art Circles, member of the Standing Committee of the Central Committee of the China Association for Promoting Democracy, and chief director of the Changchun Film Studio. This memoir recounts the author's artistic life, including descriptions of the creative pursuits and behind-the-scenes stories of The Founding Ceremony, The Chongqing Incident, and The War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea, films that played a vital role in his artistic career.

Editor's review

The Master and Friends Collection is a heartfelt retrospective by the renowned director Li Qiankuan, now nearly eighty. Opening this book, one is greeted not by abstruse theories of film art but by warm, vivid character sketches. In plain, unadorned prose, Director Li recalls dozens of mentors and friends who guided and supported him along his artistic path—towering figures of the film world such as Xia Yan, Wu Yinxian, and Xie Jin, as well as celebrated artists such as Wang Zhaowen and Wu Guanzhong. The book's special value lies in its being a firsthand private memory archive of a witness, offering extremely precious primary historical material for understanding the ecology, interpersonal networks, and spiritual transmission of China's literary and artistic circles in the mid-to-late twentieth century. The details of exchanges over creative ideas, assistance in life's difficulties, and steadfast commitment to artistic ideals not only outline the character and camaraderie of a generation of artists but also reflect the cultural pulse of an era. Reading this book is like listening to a wise elder speak unhurriedly; in these stories filled with human warmth, one deeply feels how 'respect for mentors' and 'friendship' nourished and shaped an artist's life and work. It transcends the ordinary memoir and is a sincere writing of gratitude, transmission, and the 'human history' of China's literary and artistic circles.

Who it's for

A good fit for

  • Readers interested in the history of Chinese cinema, especially the filmmakers before the Fifth Generation directors.
  • Young creators eager to draw nourishment for life and art from the details of interactions among literary and artistic luminaries.
  • Readers who enjoy nonfictional character essays full of human warmth and historical feeling.
  • Researchers or enthusiasts hoping to understand interpersonal relationships and spiritual transmission in twentieth-century Chinese culture and art circles.

Not a good fit for

  • Readers seeking systematic film theory, directing techniques, or revelations about behind-the-scenes filmmaking.
  • Readers expecting fast-paced, strongly plotted storytelling.

Reading tips

  1. Treat it as a collection of group-character essays; you need not read in order and can start with the chapter on an artist you know best.
  2. While reading, you may explore the representative works (films, paintings, writings) of the people mentioned to enrich the experience.
  3. Savor the emotion and respect embedded in the author's plain narration—this may be the book's most moving aspect.

About the publisher

Zhonghua Book Company China · Founded in 1912

Zhonghua Book Company is a publisher known for collating ancient texts and academic publishing, with its output centered on Eastern philosophy, culture, classic works, art, and historical reading. Its library contains 532 titles, including Chen Shou's Records of the Three Kingdoms, Guo Qingfan's Collected Commentaries on Zhuangzi, the four-volume Chinese Literature: Four Great Classical Novels, and the two-volume Table of Seal and Clerical Script Forms from Qin, Han, Wei, and Jin. These titles span historical classics, commentaries on the philosophers, classical novels, and philological reference works. Representative authors include Chen Shou, Guo Qingfan, Wu Cheng'en, Shi Nai'an, Cao Xueqin, Luo Guanzhong, Xu Wenwu, and the Hanyu Dazidian character-form group, reflecting a focus on primary sources and scholarly editors. Its publishing character lies in combining authoritative editions and annotated texts with both accessible classics and specialized research. Public information on its fuller catalog is limited; this note describes only the directions evident in the library's holdings.

Contents

  1. 版权信息
  2. 自序
  3. 喜剧大师的悲剧人生——吕班导演印象
  4. 电影《初升的太阳》没有升起——与金山、孙维世导演的难忘合作
  5. 栽培“五朵金花”的人——王家乙导演
  6. 跟“恶霸导演”一起拍戏——忆著名导演赵心水
  7. 忆刘国权导演
  8. 著名军旅艺术家黄凯大哥
  9. 著名电影美术师王兴文老师
  10. 艺好人更好的赵丽蓉大姐
  11. 他从《青松岭》走来——李仁堂印象
  12. 艺术型的电影领导丁峤
  13. 扮演毛泽东“第一人”古月
  14. 永远的“老兵”陈播
  15. 指挥奇才尹升山
  16. 忆夏公
  17. 影坛好汉林农
  18. 芳华·瑞芳——深切缅怀张瑞芳大姐
  19. 黑土地里走出的表演艺术家——李默然印象
  20. 大演员的品格与魅力——陈强老师印象
  21. 老实做人、认真演戏的“鬼子王”方化
  22. “绝代佳人”夏梦
  23. 演戏如命,一丝不苟——记表演艺术家项堃
  24. 电影音乐是升华影片灵魂的重要元素——兼谈与作曲家施万春的合作
  25. 银河里一颗明亮的星——谢铁骊导演印象
  26. 中国电影史学大家程季华
  27. 笑对苍天 华彩人生——深切缅怀挚友张笑天
  28. 配音艺术家向隽殊
  29. “向我开炮……”——刘世龙印象
  30. 好领导田聪明
  31. “漫威之父”斯坦·李
  32. 表演艺术的魅力——谈卢燕女士
  33. 影坛老兵——刘龙从艺七十年
  34. 影坛一朵圣洁的玉兰——深切缅怀于蓝大姐
  35. 一幅永远美丽的画像——秦怡大姐
  36. 艺术要“绝”——国画大师李苦禅印象
  37. 从军统特务到政协委员——沈醉印象
  38. 《黄氏圈论》与黄传贵其人
  39. 与相声大师侯宝林的忘年交
  40. “童心老人”荣高棠
  41. 忆油画大师李宗津先生
  42. 大画家袁运生侧记
  43. 怀念恩师田风——《人间自有真情在——新中国电影教育开拓者田风传略》序
  44. 最先聚焦“上甘岭”的人——《沙蒙传》序
  45. 不应忘却的人——《王滨传》序
  46. 笔墨传心境——《丈木画集》序
  47. 太行山飘出的一朵彩云——《苏云传》序
  48. 向新中国电影事业的开拓者致敬——《于敏文集》序
  49. 勤奋赢得的丰收——《高国良影视美术集》序
  50. 坚守与弘扬——范梦《版画艺术论》序

FAQ

What is the book mainly about?
This book is director Li Qiankuan's collection of reminiscence essays about dozens of mentors and friends in his life, focusing on his interactions with literary and artistic seniors such as Xia Yan, Xie Jin, and Wu Guanzhong, and revealing a generation's artistic character and deep friendship.
What are author Li Qiankuan's representative film works?
Li Qiankuan is a renowned director. Major revolutionary historical films he co-directed with his wife Xiao Guiyun, such as The Founding Ceremony, The Chongqing Negotiations, and The July 7th Incident, have had far-reaching influence and are important works in Chinese film history.
What is the writing style of this book?
The style is plain and unadorned, with sincere and restrained emotion; it focuses on character sketches and recollections of the past, carries a strong tone of nostalgia and gratitude, and unfolds at a gentle pace rich in human warmth and historical feeling.

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About the author

李前宽 Author

Li Qiankuan is an author about whom limited public information is available. The main verifiable detail is his authorship of the book Shiyou Ji (A Collection of Teachers and Friends), which is categorized as a classic work and serves as the core text for understanding his writing. Judging from the title and category, the book most likely centers on interactions, reminiscences, or essays concerning teachers and friends, carrying a strong humanistic and personal tone. Its subject matter leans toward people and friendships, while its style appears plain and sincere. Since the database contains only one work by him and lacks reliable records of his life, career, or creative history, this introduction refrains from further speculation about his background and cannot definitively establish when the book was written or what it fully contains. For readers wishing to know this author, the most direct approach remains reading Shiyou Ji itself and appreciating, through the text, his focus on human bonds and the value he places on relationships with teachers and friends.