Constructing an Audience

I feel that Yung Chang constructs us as an audience by showing both the perspective of Cindy's family as well as the tourists on the cruise ship. It seems that his purpose for this documentary is to inform the audience on the struggles of the families suffering from the flood by the Yangtze, as well as show the actual geographic change in this region. He chooses to show the rising flood lines in modern moderns cities as to show that this struggle is not due to lack of effort. Though China may have the resources to fight the rising flood lines, it seems from what we can understand thus far that it is nearly inevitable.

In order to further construct us as an audience, Chang juxtaposes American wealth and ignorance with the hard work of the Chinese cruise workers. He is then almost asking the audience to empathize with the struggling families as well as asking us to open our eyes as Americans. If these cruise liners are as common as the movie makes them out to be, then it seems a bit sad that so many people leave with an incomplete understanding of Chinese culture and the problems caused by the flooding from the Yangtze.

I feel, as a viewer of this movie, that this is how Yung Chang wanted us to feel. It seems that his purpose for this movie was to show a perspective that is not often given and may inform those who are not familiar with the issues in China.