Analyzing the narrative context of post-industrial audio-visual works in Northeast China from the absurdity in the documentary Tie Xi Qu: West of the Tracks (2002)

¹ Zhengzhou University, School of Fine Arts, 450001 Zhengzhou, China
² University of Lisbon, Faculty of Fine Arts, 1249-058 Lisbon, Portugal
³ Shanghai Jiao Tong University, USC-SJTU Institute of Cultural and Creative Industry, 200241 Shanghai, China

^* Corresponding author: drartesyangyu@zzu.edu.cn

Abstract

Since 2019, Northeastern post-industrial culture has been a popular topic of discussion; the general public refers to it as the Northeastern Renaissance. Crises of identity, honor, and faith have been recurring themes in several Northeastern films released in recent years. Furthermore, these cinematic narratives frequently generate somber humor by presenting an enormous contrast between ideals and actuality. The article examines how the post-industrial narrative context of Northeast China has influenced audio-visual cultural products and contemporary Chinese popular culture. To elucidate the fundamental aspect of the Northeast narrative, the article’s author employs the absurd theory of Albert Camus. The main structure and viewpoints of the article are as follows: The first is after presenting individuals’ contemplations on the Northeastern Renaissance-instigated post-industrial narrative of the Northeast. In the following sections, the article explores the narrative context of post-industrial audio-visual works in Northeast China, focusing on the absurdity depicted in the documentary Tie Xi Qu: West of the Tracks (2002). The authors’ analysis reveals how the documentary captures the socio-economic decline and the resulting human experiences of absurdity and dislocation. Key findings indicate that the narrative structure and visual style effectively convey the bleak realities of post-industrial life, offering critical insights into the region’s socio-cultural transformation. These findings suggest that future research should explore the intersection of visual media and social change in other post-industrial contexts.