季風人文講壇第80期：Karen Ma

China’s Millennial Digital Generation

with Karen Ma & Alexander Boyd

November 6, 2025｜In Chinese

China’s rapid urbanization and booming economy have long dominated its mainstream cinema. But a new generation of regional filmmakers is shifting the lens toward a different China—one far from the neon lights of Shanghai and Beijing. Karen Ma will discuss how new technologies and social changes have enabled China’s post-’80s indie directors to enter the mainstream, bringing fresh perspectives on rural life. Her talk draws from her new book China’s Millennial Digital Generation: Conversations with Balinghou (Post-1980s) Indie Filmmakers.

About the Speaker 

Karen Ma is a New York–based writer and scholar of Chinese cinema and literature. Raised in Hong Kong and Japan, she is the author of China’s Millennial Digital Generation and the novel Excess Baggage. A former journalist, her work has appeared in The New York Times, NPR, South China Morning Post, and The Japan Times. She teaches Chinese film at the China Institute in New York and gives frequent talks on Chinese film trends.

Alexander Boyd is Associate Editor of China Books Review. He served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Guizhou, China, from 2018-2020, and was a contributor to The China Project, Politico’s China Watcher newsletter, and the ChinaTalk podcast. He was previously Senior Editor at China Digital Times.