Videos

Li Manshan: Portrait of a Folk Daoist, by Stephen Jones, is a documentary of a group of Daoism priests and musicians in north China, presenting scenes from their lives over three decades that provide insights into their life and personality. The film suggests the destruction of the great temples and much of their traditional ritual repertoire under Maoism, but reveals the persistence of Daoist liturgy and the importance of texts and music. It documents the evocative, ever-present centrality of writing (scriptures, talismans, calligraphy) in Daoist ritual while showing the day-to-day activities of the priests in the extraordinary landscape of the region. To watch, please visit: https://vimeo.com/155660741.

For more works and activities of the director, who has also just published a major volume on the subject, see stephenjones.blog

The Professor: Tai Chi’s Journey West is a feature documentary about Tai Chi and one of its great masters, Cheng Man-Ching, a man who brought Tai Chi and Chinese culture to the West during the swinging, turbulent 1960’s. This film tells his remarkable story and features Tai Chi as a martial art and a spiritual practice. Available on DVD and Video On Demand. To see the trailer and for more information please visit the website: www.tai-chifilm.com.