Public Events

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The program addressed visa-related developments in 2025, interactions with law enforcement, and travel concerns. It was advertised with immigration attorneys and nonprofit leaders; this archive preserves the historical program rather than current legal guidance.

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The conversation brought students and society members together to exchange questions with Link.

The announced conversation traced experiences moving from reporting and editing in market-oriented media toward independent journalism, feminism, and social research.

Set against the cultural and intellectual changes of the 1980s, Milati follows a young woman’s passage from performing in a military arts troupe to writing and thinking independently. The conversation introduced the novel and Yan’s experience of writing and publishing it overseas.

The afternoon brought together an author presentation, audience Q&A, and a book signing. The event was conducted in Mandarin and organized by Datong Society.

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The program centered on an open conversation between the invited scholar and participants.

The lecture was presented primarily in Mandarin and explored the history of rural healthcare.

Set in a Northeast Chinese industrial city during the layoffs of the 1990s, the film follows a former steelworker who tries to build a piano for his daughter. Its story of family and friendship also offers a view of the changing place of industrial labor in everyday life.

The post-screening conversation featured Berkeley political scientist Kevin O’Brien and history PhD student Lillian Xiying Lin. Both guests brought connections to Northeast China to the discussion. The film was shown in Chinese with English subtitles, followed by discussion in English.

The announced selection comprised Praise the Pink Heaven (Qin Feikai), Hourglass House (Hu Yinghai), and Somewhere (Li Jiahe).

Drawing on his involvement in the litigation, Zhu introduced how the case was organized and pursued. The lecture connected the history of the dispute with broader questions about legal advocacy and the ways a community can use the courts to defend its interests.

Held in Mandarin as part of Datong’s Chinese-language lecture series, the event brought students and members of the wider community together for a lecture and questions.

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Set amid the transformations of the Three Gorges region, Still Life follows people looking for family members as familiar landscapes are dismantled and rebuilt. Datong’s screening created space to consider these changes through film and conversation.

Peter Hessler joined the post-screening discussion over Zoom, while Andrew F. Jones attended in person. In a thank-you email the following morning, organizer Marshall Li recorded an audience of more than 160 people from across the Bay Area and the team’s wish to send Hessler a signed thank-you card.

The society’s earlier archive also records a screening of this film in 2015.

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Zhou Hao’s documentary follows urban redevelopment in Datong, Shanxi, and the tensions surrounding the transformation of the city. Datong Society paired the film with perspectives from public service and research on Chinese politics and society.

The event program lists former Oakland mayor Jean Quan and Berkeley sociologist Thomas Gold as panelists, with Junius Brown moderating and Luxi Peng hosting. The screening was followed by a panel and audience Q&A. The original program acknowledges support from Andrew F. Jones, Annie Campbell Washington, and Jianye He.

The society’s earlier archive also records a screening of this film in 2015.

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The program announced a post-screening discussion with Junius Brown, then a Berkeley political science PhD candidate.

The program combined a research presentation with questions and discussion from participants.

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The program combined a guest presentation with questions and discussion from participants.

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