Documentary gives insight into China

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33422, 2 January 1974, Page 4

Documentary gives insight into China

One can never really! be certain about docu-i mentaries emanating from China: there is so often a suspicion that the camera sees only what it is meant to see. A case in point is Felix Green’s ‘‘One Man’s China” for all we know about Greene <is that he is a journalist and ,a film-maker, which might well be a family business

since two of the other three members of his production i team also have the surname J Greene. Nevertheless, his look at the changes in the education system in China since the cultural revolution rocked the country a few years ago was significant for a number of reasons.

Some of the new methods made good sense and are not far removed from ideas being given serious study by Western countries concerned that their education systems are behind the times.

As usual, the Chinese people were depicted as being well satisfied with their disciplined way of life and any teacher would be happy to have such attentive pupils. There was a remarkable scene showing workers, stretching as far as the eye could see, doing their morning phys. ed. and all in perfect time.

If nothing else the programme gave some small insight into the enormous potential of China to turn out vast numbers of highlyqualified people. And who could argue that democracy does not exist in China when the ruling body of a university contains a janitor, representing the maintenance staff. ♦ # *

Not many people in New Zealand would probably be familiar with the name Lillian Baylis, the subject of the latest “On Reflection.” Although there were oddities about the sound track—poor dubbing might have been responsible—Sir Ralph Richardson did a tidy job in telling of the sizeable contribution Miss Baylis made as a patron of the performing arts in Britain.