Questioning Madness in <i>It’s Okay to Not Be Okay </i>(2020) and <i>Feng Ai </i>(2013)

Xinyi Wang

doi:10.63385/cvca.v1i2.273

Abstract

An increasing number of contemporary East Asian films and television series show alternative portrayals of characters with mental disabilities that differ from mad men, fools, or other stereotypes of people with disabilities. These stereotypes of disabilities are related to ableism, an able-bodied center point of view. While critically examining ableism and visual culture theory from a film studies perspective, this paper focuses on the popular Korean TV series It's Okay to Not Be Okay (Saikojiman Gwaenchana, dir. Park Shin-woo, 2020) and the Chinese documentary Feng Ai ('Til Madness Do Us Part, dir. Wang Bing, 2013), both of which resist the simplified depiction of characters with mental disabilities as mad people or fools. Both films challenge an ableist depiction, but they approach the “invisible” mental disabilities in different ways. It's Okay to Not Be Okay (2020) contests the marginalization of characters with mental disabilities by using various film styles and taking advantage of the media platform Netflix, whereas Feng Ai (2013) blurs the boundary between people with and without mental disabilities by exploring human existence and feelings. To be specific, It's Okay to Not Be Okay (2020) highlights the diversity of characters with mental disabilities by illustrating their different experiences and social backgrounds, while Feng Ai (2013) pays attention to the living conditions and personal feelings of people with mental disabilities.

Contemporary Visual Culture and Art

Questioning Madness in <i>It’s Okay to Not Be Okay </i>(2020) and <i>Feng Ai </i>(2013)

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