China-underground.com is a website about China curated by Matteo Damiani and Dominique Musorrafiti (DMSL.co).
About China-underground
China-underground.com and CinaOggi.it are two sites dedicated to Chinese culture and represent a virtual bridge between Asia and Western countries. Since 2002, China-underground has organized cultural events and festivals, and created documentaries, photoreports and magazines (Cina Magazine, Chine Magazine).
In 2001 they made their first documentary about Beijing modernisation (Beijing overload). The following year they made A Sud Delle Nuvole, a documentarist project on ethnic minorities in Yunnan province. In the same year, they founded the weblog cinaoggi.it, in Italian and two years later its English counterpart, china-underground.com. In 2005 they moved to Kunming, the capital of Yunnan, where they took to a new level their work on China, working along with International NGOs, Chinese medias, organizing cultural events like the BigScreen Festival in 2006 and 2007 (guests & jury members: Jia Zhangke, Wang Xiaoshuai, Ye Yongqing, Marco Ceresa, Jeremy Goldkorn, Tujiko Noriko, Mono, Wang Yao, Yan Yan Mak and others) and in 2008 starting the paper magazine Cina Magazine, in Italian (2008-2015) and in French (2013-2015), made in cooperation with the Yunnan Tourist Development Committee, shooting videos and mainly taking hundred of thousand of pictures, and collecting a huge archive on China. The magazine has been distributed at the World Expo Milano 2015, China Pavillion.
In 2017, Planet China magazine was founded, featuring exclusive interviews with thinkers, filmmakers, artists, writers and entrepreneurs.
For general inquiries or for advertising inquiries, use the email address below:
info at china-underground.com
Dominique is Italian and proud to be a mix, her father is Italian with Greek and Polish heritage and mother is Haitian with Dominican, Spanish, French, Portuguese, African and Native American heritage. Being a mix make her appreciate to want to understand different cultures and lifestyles. She grew up in Italy, lived few years in Haiti, seven years in China, four in Spain and UK. Traveling makes her feel that we can learn something from every situation in every part of the world.
Matteo Damiani is an Italian photographer, author and motion designer. Matteo lived and worked for ten years in China. During his stay in China, he paid attention to social issues apparently of secondary importance, but which influenced heavily the Chinese domestic policies over the years.
Ciao
Planet China
Planet China vol. 12
STOP HATE, Stand against racism and violence. Exclusive interviews with Julia Chang Wang, Michelle Yang, Popo Fan, Melodie Zhao, Jessica Chou, Mimi Choi, Jingyi Wang, Tina Fung, Si Jie Loo.
Planet China vol. 11
Celebrating women who push boundaries. Exclusive interviews with 16 Chinese female artists, entrepreneurs, writers, scientists, and athletes: Muna Tseng, Shu Lea Cheang, Nona Mock Wyman, Elaine Yan Ling Ng, JuJu Chan Szeto, Shirley Dong, Siu Tin Chi, Tella Chen, Michelle Hong, Denise Huang, Chen Li, Denise Tam, Shuling Guo, Zoie Lam, Chia-Chi Yu, Zihan Yang.
Planet China vol. 10
Interviews with Liu Bolin, Zhang Chong, Janice Wong, Alice Poon, Huichi Chiu, Jiannan Wu, Yulong Lli, Heng Yue, Jumping Goat, Katherine Lee.
Planet China vol.09
Celebrating women who push boundaries. Exclusive interviews with 16 Chinese female artists, entrepreneurs, writers, scientists and athletes: Li Jingmei, Sissi Chao, Jill Tang, Xing Danwen, Shirley Ying Han, Echo He, Xia Jia, Xue Mo, Meng Du, PeiJu Chien-Pott, Jiayu Liu, Qu Lan, Tiffany Chan, Xiong Jingnan, Gia Wang, Chen Jie.
Planet China vol. 08
Interviews with Guobing Yang, RongRong & Inri, Hilda Shen, Zhang Bo, Zhang Chong, Wang Wen, Chen Donfang, Gan Jianyu, Webson Ji, Frode Z. Olsen, Yale Yuan Shifu
Planet China vol. 07
Interviews with some of the best Chinese chefs and experts around the world: Matt Chen, Ken Chan, May Chow, Li Dong, Yu Bo, Jeremy Pang, Taozi, Michelle Lau, Cherry Li, Lee Xin Li, Piero Kuang Sung Ling
Planet China vol. 06
Interviews with Hao Wu, Badiucao, Margaret Sun, Elsbeth Von Paridon, Yafei Qi, Eric Fish, Zhang Yang, Hannah Li, Song Wen, Michael Pettis
Planet China vol. 05
Exploring the Chinese LGBTQ community in Mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and abroad. Exclusive interviews with Helen Zia, Joanne Leung, Shanghai Pride, Beijing LGBT Center, PFLAG China, Lin Zhipeng (No. 223), Simon Chung, Lucie Liu, Chen Chen, Lin Junliang.
Planet China vol. 04
Interviews with Zhang Huan, Manya Koetse, Jeremy Tiang, Michael Standaert, Rebecca F. Kuang, Lisk Feng, Herman Lee, GuiGui SuiSui, Lance Crayon.
Planet China vol. 03
Interviews with Wang Xiaoshuai, Stefano Boeri, Li Wei, Hui He, Yan Hua Wang, Boris Wilensky, Hua Dong [Re-Tros], He Sen, Ming Youxu, Josh Summers.
Planet China Vol. 02
Celebrating women who push boundaries – This second volume of Planet China is a collection of selected interviews with inspiring women that worked hard to reach their path and dreams: Anita Wong, Helen Feng, Zhuo Dan Ting, Min Liu, Qin Leng, Thierry Chow, Tang Min, Yang Ruiqi, Augusta Xu-Holland, Chiara Ye, Matina Cheung, Heanney McCollum, Elle Lee
Planet China vol. 01
Interviews with Jia Zhangke, Daniel Lee Postaer, William L. Gibson and Paul Bruthiaux, Robert G. Price, Shadow Chen, Guoke, Chi Wang, Ben Randall, Kevin Tallon, Duran Levinson.
China Suburbia
Examination of suburban life in 2000s Yunnan. From urban villages to ghost cities: snapshots of suburban life in Kunming’s urban villages.
China Suburbia (February 2018)
China Photojournalism
- Parkour in China, 2009, Matteo Damiani
- Spectacular Yuanyang rice-paddy terracing images and video, 2001-2014, Matteo Damiani
- Gulangyu colonial architecture, 2008-2014, Matteo Damiani
- Lucky Charm Enchanting Your Eyes, 2010, Dominique Musorrafiti
- Yuantong Temple, Xiamen, 2008-2017, Matteo Damiani
- Being Seventy in China, 2010, Autori vari
- Being Twenty in China, 2010, Autori vari
- 44 images of daily life for Chinese children, 2010, Autori vari
- Red Kunming, 2010, Dominique Musorrafiti
- Viaggio nel passato, 2010, Dominique Musorrafiti
- Exploring Abandoned Brick Factories in China, 2010, Matteo Damiani
- Time travel in Chinese alleys, 2010-2014, Dominique Musorrafiti
- People from Suburbia, 2010-2014, Dominique Musorrafiti
- A day off at the beach for Chinese families: Analog Sands, 2010-2014, Dominique Musorrafiti
- Hong Kong, 2008-2014, Matteo Damiani
- Wild Stone Forest in Yunnan, 2010-2014, Matteo Damiani
- Animals of China, 2011, Matteo Damiani
- Lost cities, Temporary Ghost Town in China, 2011, Matteo Damiani
- Cosplay in China, 2011, Matteo Damiani
- Flowers of Yunnan, 2011, Matteo Damiani
- United bugs of China, 2011, Matteo Damiani
- Lost & Found: forgotten memories – Found films in China, 2011, Dominique Musorrafiti
- Living in a post atomic China, 2011, Dominique Musorrafiti
- How to turn a city into powder, 2011, Matteo Damiani
- Luna Park fun in China, 2011, Matteo Damiani
- Panlong Temple, Kunming, 2011-2017, Matteo Damiani
- Bamboo Temple, Kunming, 2011-2017, Matteo Damiani
- Inside the Dwarf Empire, 2011, Matteo Damiani
- The Bizarre Kingdom of the Little People, 2011, Dominique Musorrafiti
- La vita miserabile di un pesce rosso in Cina, 2011, Matteo Damiani
- CuiHu Park, Kunming, 2011, Matteo Damiani
- Daguan Park, Kunming, 2011, Matteo Damiani
- Heqing of the Bai people of Yunnan, 2012-2014, Matteo Damiani
- The Working Class in China, 2012-2014, Matteo Damiani
- Bem-vindo ao Amoy, Xiamen, 2009-2013, Matteo Damiani
- Chenggong, one of the largest ghost town in Asia, Matteo Damiani
- Spinner 360 in Wonderland, 2012-2013, Dominique Musorrafiti
- 110 Kids, Photo-project on Chinese Street Children, 2013, Dominique Musorrafiti
- Lijiang old town through the lens of a Lubitel 166+, 2012-2014, Dominique Musorrafiti
- Luoping golden fields, 2012-2014, Dominique Musorrafiti
- The Amazing Rapeseeds Fields of Luoping, China, 2012-2016, Matteo Damiani
- Forgotten places, 2011-2015, Matteo Damiani
- Staring at the sea, 2008-2016, Matteo Damiani
- Light leaks and double exposures from China, 2009-2016, Dominique Musorrafiti
- Kunming countryside, 2009-2016, Dominique Musorrafiti
- Beijing, Evolution of a City, 2008-2016, Matteo Damiani
- The Hungry Ghost Festival, 2009-2016, Matteo Damiani
- Exploring Dianchi Lake, 2008-1016, Matteo Damiani
- Chinese Street Kids, 2008-2016, Dominique Musorrafiti
- The Earth Forest of Yuanmou, 2008-2016, Matteo Damiani
- The Ancient Earthen Castles in Tulou, 2008-2016, Matteo Damiani
- Red China Photography, 2008-2016, Matteo Damiani
- China Suburbia, osservazioni sulla vita suburbana in Cina, 2016, Matteo Damiani
- DeepDreaming China, 2016, Matteo Damiani
- The story of the field in front of my house, 2016, Matteo Damiani
- Somewhere in China: the story of Doctor Ma, 2012-2017, Dominique Musorrafiti
- Escape from fashion, 2012-2017, Dominique Musorrafiti
Events organized by China-Underground/CinaOggi
BigScreen Asia 01, 2004, Padova
The first edition of Big Screen took place in Padua, Italy from the 18th to the 24th of March 2004. This first edition was organized by the portal Cinaoggi.it and the University Student Association (ASU) together with Progetti Giovani. Other associations such as the commune of Padova and the University of Padova together with the Shanghai Theatre Academy collaborated with the festival. The festival screened several works from Italy and China. The students of the Shanghai Theatre Academy also screened their works. It was the first Asian Cinema Festival in Padova.
Works: Wong Karwai, Wang Xiaoshuai, Jia Zhangke, Fruit Chan, Hayo Miyazaki, Osamu
Tezuka, Kazuhisa Takenouchi, Hugo Ng, Kiyoshi Kurosawa.
Guests: Wu Baohe (professor, Shanghai Theatre Academy), Marco Ceresa, Marcello
Ghirardi.
Art directors: Dominique Musorrafiti, Matteo Damiani
BigScreen Pills, 2005, Padova
A taste of short films, video art, movies and documentaries leading up to the second edition of BigScreen Asia. From art bonded to body bonded to art linked to technical means through stories of Western and Asian authors. During the evening successions of images of full and empty that describe the passage from the old traditions to the new artistic expression in China. The end of the evening featured a concert by Japanese band Mono.
Organization: Cinaoggi, ASU
Authors: Lisa Partby (The new flowers of Beijing, Pao ma liu liu), abelvideo, He Jia, Guan Jang, Zhang Yang, Singing Chen, Chen Chieh-jen, Tsui Kuang-Yu, Hu Jieming.
Hosts: Valentina Pedone, Felix Schoeber, Mono
Art Directions: Dominique Musorrafiti, Matteo Damiani
BigScreen Asia 02, 2005, Padova
Third appointment with the culture and cinema of the East. This edition was enriched with a view on modern Thai cinema, a substantial display of short Korean films, a photographic exhibition and a concert on Asian themes by Claudio Rocchetti. This has been of course accompanied by the presentation of works by famous producers . Wang Xiaoshuai, Wong Karwai, Fruit Chan, Rintaro, Katsuhiro Otomo, Zhang Yang and Jia Zhangke.
Organized by: Cinaoggi, ASU, University of Padova, Progetto Giovani, Padova province and Municipality
Hosts: Marco Ceresa, Marco Della Gassa, Marcello Ghiraldi, Stefano Locati
Art directors: Dominique Musorrafiti, Matteo Damiani
BigScreen Italia, 2006, Kunming
In November 2005 the organizers of CinaOggi moved to Kunming and BigScreen followed its creators to China. The festival continued to change, growing and transforming into a real competition. Different Italian universities, “La Sapienza” (Rome) , University of Naples , The Oriental languages department of the “Ca’ Foscari” University of Venice together with Yunnan Arts institute helped with the birth of BIGSCREEN ITALIA 2006. The event took place in Kunming from the 19th to the 23rd July 2006. This time the project was much more ambitious than past events.
The international high ranking jury included: Wang Xiaoshuai ( Silver Bear In Berlin, Jury’s prize in Cannes), Jia Zhangke (Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival), Ye Yongqing (famous chinese artist), Marco Ceresa (one of the most important Italian sinologues and collaborator of the Venice Film Festival) and Song Jie (Dean of the Yunnan Arts Institute Cinema and Television Department).
The idea is that the Italian works are selected by a Chinese jury.
BigScreen Festival 2007, Kunming
International Video Festival in China Kunming, Yunnan, 27 November 2007 – 1 December 2007
From November 27 to December 1 the Chinese city of Kunming hosted the 2007 BigScreen International Film Festival, featuring 94 films from more 30 countries. The Festival was co-organized by CinaOggi.it, GoKunming.com, Yunnan Experimental Film Base, Broadcasting and films center under the patronage of Istituto Italiano di Cultura. The official supporting media was the Chinese newspaper Dushi Shibao.
The winning films from BigScreen Film Festival 2007 were announced by a jury composed of Marco Ceresa of the Venice University “Ca’ Foscari”, screenwriter Wang Yao and Jeremy Goldkorn, founder of the highly influential Danwei.org. Winners included Hong Kong director Yan Yan Mak‘s “The Scarlet Robe” for best long film, “Il Vecchio e la Fontana” by Tony Palazzo of Italy for best short film, “Living in a Perfect World” by Italians Diego D’Innocenzo and Marco Leopardi for best documentary and “Almost Like One of the Family” by Astrid Goransson from Sweden for best animation.
Four films by French director Jean-Gabriel Périot – “Even if she had been a criminal”, “Dies Irae”, “Under Twilight” and “Nijuman No Borei” were collectively honored as the best entries in the videoart and experimental films category. The jurors said they based their selections upon the theme of modernity vs tradition, which was a common thread in all the winning movies. Special Guest were the hongkongese director Yan Yan Mak, who presented her movie “The Scarlet Robe” starring the singer Denise Ho and the Japanese singer Tujiko Noriko. Special focus on Don Askarian and Lasse Gjertsen works.
Jurors: Marco Ceresa, Wang Yao, Jeremy Goldkorn
Art directors: Dominique Musorrafiti, Matteo Damiani
Organized by: CinaOggi, GoKunming, Broadcasting and films center
Tour in Cina di Jennifer Gentle, 2007
Jennifer Gentle’s first Chinese tour was organized in collaboration with Population Services International (USA), SubPop (USA), Yunnan Arts Institute (CHINA) and with the patronage of the Italian Cultural Institute in Beijing.
The best of BigScreen Festival, 2008, Beijing
BigScreen Pills 2008, Kunming
Magazines
Planet China
Planet China 1, 2009
Planet China 2, 2009
Planet China, Speciale Yunnan, 2009
Cina Magazine/Chine Magazine
Cina Magazine 1 (Sprea Italia SRL), 2008
Cina Magazine 2 (Sprea Italia SRL), 2008
Cina Magazine 3 (Sprea Italia SRL), 2008
Cina Magazine 4 (Sprea Italia SRL), 2008
Cina Magazine 5 (Sprea Italia SRL), 2009
Cina Magazine 6 (Sprea Italia SRL. Pubblicato in Italia e Francia), 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015
The Rebels of the Neon God – Beijing 01, 2001
Once we were a psychedelic band …
Overloaded Peking, 2002
Documentary with Jia Zhangke and dj Gaohu
Glamorous Pharmacy rare live demo, Beijing, 2002
Rare recording of the legendary Chinese band by Massimiliano Carponi.
A Sud delle Nuvole, 2003
Soundtrack by Acid Mothers Temple & Makoto Kawabata
I love you, I protect you, 2006
Client Population Services International (USA), YOUTHAids
The Dwarf Empire in China, 2011
A traditional Chinese funeral, 2012
City Eraser, 2013
Traditional Bai People Spring Festival in Yunnan, 2014
How China recruits Americans as spies – Interview Nate Thayer, 2017
Future Imperfect, 2017