Broadening the Scope of Renminxing The Communication of Emotion in Pema Tseden’s Balloon
Keywords:
People-orientedness; Pema Tseden; Balloon; Tibetan Cinema; Cinematic Emotional ExpressionAbstract
This article examines Pema Tseden’s film Balloon and explores the expansion of “people-orientedness” (renminxing) and its emotional expression in contemporary cinema. Beginning with the theoretical tradition of “people-oriented” literature and art in China, the article argues that the concept is not fixed, but constantly evolving through different historical contexts. Cinema should not only represent people’s material lives, but also enter into their emotional worlds, values, and spiritual experiences.
The article argues that the significance of Balloon lies in its departure from the tendency toward scenic representation and romanticization often found in Tibetan-themed cinema. Through a “local perspective,” the film presents the contemporary realities of Tibetan society. Rather than constructing Tibet as an idealized and isolated cultural landscape, the film depicts ordinary Tibetan people’s everyday lives, language, religious beliefs, and ethical dilemmas within the process of modernization.
The article further argues that the core of “people-orientedness” lies not merely in recording external social conditions, but in understanding the emotional and spiritual worlds of ordinary people. Through the family story of Dargye and Drolma, Balloon explores questions of reproduction, religion, responsibility, and bodily autonomy, revealing the anxiety, confusion, and struggles experienced by Tibetan communities during social transformation. Although the film focuses on Tibetan society, its emotional concerns transcend ethnic boundaries and create shared experiences among audiences.
The article concludes that Balloon demonstrates the openness and evolving nature of “people-orientedness” in contemporary cinema. New cinematic practices continually expand understandings of who constitutes “the people,” presenting them not only as subjects of historical narratives but also as individuals with complex emotions, personal choices, and spiritual needs. Through emotional communication, Balloon broadens the cultural meaning of “people-orientedness” and reveals cinema’s potential to connect different communities through shared human experiences.
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