Home

JOCELYN FORD - FILMMAKER • JOURNALIST• EDUCATOR


When she was a cub reporter for Japan's largest news agency in the 1980s, Jocelyn Ford noted she lacked the ambition of other young reporters who were hell-bent on climbing the career ladder. It would take years for Jocelyn to realize her lack of traditional ambition helped catapult her to many firsts, and supercharged a much more personally satisfying life trajectory.


During her nearly four decades in East Asia, Jocelyn has opened two news bureaus for U.S. public radio's biggest business show Marketplace, first in Tokyo later in Beijing. In Japan, as the first foreigner in the Prime Minister's press corps, Jocelyn's reporting was the catalyst for headlines about the abuses of World War II "comfort girls," which at the time were largely ignored by media and history books alike. In China, the U.S.-born journalist became the first foreigner to create and co-host a live news show for China Radio International, and later directed and produced the first documentary film to probe misogyny and ethnic discrimination experienced by an ordinary Tibetan, a widowed mom.


The documentary, the award-winning 2014 film NOWHERE TO CALL HOME: A TIBETAN IN BEIJING​premiered at the Museum of Modern Art in New York to sold-out audiences, and has been translated into 11 languages. Over her distinguished career Jocelyn has garnered numerous awards, including the prestigious Japan Prize for educational documentaries, presided over by Japan's crown prince, and Overseas Press Club and National Press Club Awards in the U.S.


Over dinner, Jocelyn will share her story of the challenges and joys of simply (or not so simply) following one's passion, starting when she was a teenager in her parents' kitchen proudly declaring herself to be a humanist not a feminist. (She eventually "got" the need for feminism after entering the work force in Japan, and finding her proposals for writing about women's issues were systematically curtailed by her (male) editors.) Recently appointed as an honorary professor at a Chinese university, Jocelyn is now focusing on alerting privileged members of society-- who typically regard themselves as standard bearers of the "norm"-- that instead of expecting outliers to conform to their ways, it's time for THEM to adapt and make room for others.


Come listen to Jocelyn's story, learn about her work, and watch some of her film clips!


For Jocelyn's full bio, please click the speaker bio tab below. For more information regarding the film NO WHERE TO CALL HOME: A TIBETAN IN BEIJING, please visit http://tibetaninbeijing.com and http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/24/movies/nowhere-to-call-home-examines-prejudices.html?_r=1​


Please kindly note that spotlight dinners are women-only events. And since all proceeds from our ticket sales go straight to supporting our Bethel China, our charity of the year, all tickets are nonrefundable and nonexchangeable. But we would like to give you be a big thank you for supporting Bethel China and their work in caring for and educating abandoned children that are blind or visually impaired.

If you haven't already been added into the BWN Wechat Groups, please add WeChat: ledo3454 and asked to be added in.

Agenda

19:00 - 19:15
Check In
19:15 - 20:00
Dinner
20:00 - 20:45
Spotlight Dinner Presentation
20:45 - 21:00
Q&A

Speakers

  • Jocelyn Ford (FILMMAKER • JOURNALIST• EDUCATOR)

    Jocelyn Ford

    FILMMAKER • JOURNALIST• EDUCATOR

    http://tibetaninbeijing.com

    China-based award-winning radio correspondent, filmmaker and educator Jocelyn Ford has been a journalist in East Asia for nearly four decades. For over ten years, Jocelyn was bureau chief for U.S public radio's premier national business show, Marketplace. She opened news bureaus for the flagship program in Tokyo in 1994, followed by Beijing in 2002.

    Prior to that, Jocelyn became the first foreigner to join the prime minister's press corps for Japan’s Kyodo News Service. There, her reporting on the WWII “comfort women” was a catalyst for the Japanese government to acknowledge a role in WWII forced prostitution.

    In 2001 Jocelyn arrived in China, where she became the first foreigner to develop and co-host a drive-time radio program for China Radio International’s first live news broadcasts. Her time spent on the front-line of indigenous journalism organizations in both Japan and China has given her unique insights into the two societies.

    For U.S. radio, Jocelyn has reported on a wide range of topics, from the 2005 Indian Ocean tsunami that struck Indonesia to Japanese therapy robots for dementia patients to the role of poetry in Chinese politics.

    In the mid-2000s a chance encounter on the streets of Beijing with a widowed Tibetan street vendor resulted in a new career as a documentary filmmaker. Jocelyn’s award-winning 2014 film NOWHERE TO CALL HOME: A TIBETAN IN BEIJING premiered at the Museum of Modern Art in New York to sold-out audiences, and has been translated into 11 languages.
    Following the film’s global tours and screenings in China, Jocelyn developed a multimedia cultural diversity appreciation curriculum for Chinese high school and college students. In 2019 she was awarded an honorary professor position in western China, where she continues to teach global skills for 21st century students.

    Over her distinguished career Jocelyn has garnered numerous awards, including the prestigious Japan Prize for educational documentaries, presided over by Japan’s crown prince, and Overseas Press Club and National Press Club Awards in the U.S.

    Jocelyn has traveled widely to about 50 countries. Over the years she has played French Horn in the Taipei Philharmonic orchestra, enjoyed Japanese waterfall climbing and learned Odissi classical Indian dance. Jocelyn currently splits her time between Chongqing and Beijing.

    view more

Documents

Venue

一坐一忘

工人体育场北路21号
屯三里永利国际大厦
Beijing, China

If you have any questions please contact

Contact Organizer

Show on map