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Ming Garden - Currently Unavailable
Documents the installation of a Ming-style
garden courtyard in The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City, the
first permanent cultural exchange between the United States and the People's
Republic of China. Twenty-one craftspeople and five engineers, with their
own chef, were brought over from Suzhou to construct the courtyard. Suzhou
Gardens have been renowned in China for hundreds of years, with their
unusual rock formations made of naturally eroded limestone, elegant wooden
architectural elements, and fired terracotta brickwork, but the techniques
involved in their construction are largely unknown in the West. The Chinese
garden provides an island of serenity within an urban environment and
makes manifest the philosophical principles that pervade Chinese art and
culture. Curator's Comments: Much of the film is narrated by Joseph DiGiacomo, foreman of the American crew who worked with the Chinese craftspeople. He comments on the mutual respect that developed between the American and Chinese workers. The interactions between the Chinese and American crews are more than merely amusing sidelights: they reveal how regard for craftsmanship helps to hurdle barriers of language and culture. DATE: 1983 COUNTRY: United States CREDITS: PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: TOPICS:
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