Practicing Runaway: What Happened to Pu Shunqing in the Early Chinese Film Industry?

Abstract

Abstract The paper takes the question “what happened” to investigate women film pioneer Pu Shunqing’s experience and practice in the Chinese film industry of the 1920s. It not only looks at reasons for her successful participation to the field of screenwriting where no women had before, but also examines the process of how she intervened in the filmmaking, and how she was suppressed by a series of industrial norms and changes. Through a detailed archival survey on Pu’s personal experience and her performance in the cultural and industrial transformation. The study not only reveals several specific details regarding this women film pioneer and her practice, but also reflects on the process of her departure and thus sheds light on the situation of women who tried to take on creative roles behind the camera in the early film industry.