“Art College 1994” listens as art students discuss diverse topic

When I think of good animation, I remember humorous Pixar films and the exquisite visual and thematic content of Japanese animators, especially Hayao Miyazaki. I can’t put Chinese director Liu Jian in that esteemed group, but his “Art College 1994” has an appeal all its own with its recognizable, engaging discussions of philosophical topics and iconic artists.

Inspired by director/co-writer Liu Jian’s own 1990s academic experience, the title accurately identifies the time and place: “Art College 1994.” Throughout the film, young Chinese students talk about the nature of conceptual art, western versus eastern perspective in painting, western liberalism versus Chinese culture, individuality or commonality, creative freedom, and who decides what art is. All around the school, the casual interaction relies on questions to familiar issues.

An introductory quotation from James Joyce’s “A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man” sets the stage: “To live, to err, to fail, to triumph, to recreate life out of life.” Friends and colleagues then pursue ideas from Dostoyevsky, Picasso, Rothko, Sartre, Debussy, and more while posters, many American, populate the walls. Everyone is reading “Madame Bovary’s Lover,” though the two women students are given the least amount of time and then with sexist concerns (makeup, appearance, marriage, family) while the male students address the weightier issues.

Throughout the film, the candid, theoretical musings provide the interest through simplistic, hand-drawn, 2D animation, often only a mouth or one detail moving throughout sustained dialogue. Teachers and students at the China Academy of Art crafted the neorealistic animation they endorse. Details do matter in the carefully selected music (a nod to Kurt Cobain) and the wide-ranging, eclectic examples, along with obligatory digs at Hollywood, the economics of the art world on creative freedom.

All their concerns are familiar and irresolvable, especially for college students. Still, on balance, hanging out for two hours with these familiar young adults is a pleasant experience. In Mandarin with English subtitles, “Art College 1994” screens at Webster University’s Winifred Moore auditorium Friday, June 7, through Sunday, June 9, at 7:30 each of those evenings. For more information, you may visit the film series website.