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In Maoist China, Mao was the ultimate figure at the pinnacle of the hero system that generated for most people aspirational feelings of eternal life. His death in 1976 initiated a search for a new hero system. Still on-going, the search has frequently changed its direction in the post-Mao discursive environment composed of complex ideological, economic, and artistic interactions and negotiations. This course closely examines the central role of cinema in this search. Students will gain an in-depth understanding of how films reflect and shape contemporary Chinese ideology and culture.