Beijing's Best Events That Won't Leave You Hungover, Dec 4-10

Our Events Watch series aims to highlight happenings that aren't focused on alcohol and drinking, but instead take a more educational or productive approach. Events include comedy, talks, networking events, markets, dinners, and more.

Monday, Dec 4

Comrade Kim Goes Flying - North Korean Film Screening and Q&A With Director Nicholas Bonner
We'll always leap at a chance to get a peek into North Korea, partly as a chance to learn some previously unknown details or just to continue to satisfy our curiosity. Tonight's event at Wudaokou's Bridge Café is no different, with a special screening of Nicholas Bonner's feature film Comrade Kim Goes Flying, which was shot in the Hermit Kingdom, and is referred to as the first 'girl power'-style movie from the country. The plot follows a young miner from the countryside, Kim Yong Mi, who dreams of becoming a trapeze artist and seems like her dream will come true after scoring an opportunity to audition for a circus in Pyongyang, but not everyone is as excited about the chance as she is. Stick around after the screening for a discussion with director Nicholas Bonner. 8pm. Free. The Bridge Café

Tuesday, Dec 5

Regretters at Camera Stylo
Camera Stylo is the natural choice for a cozy and quiet night out. This Tuesday, the cinema-slash-bar collaborates with QSpace to host a 'Queer Screening' of the Swedish movie Regretters (Ångranan). The film follows two men in their 60s who had undergone sex change operations earlier in their lives. Unfortunately, one other thing besides the sex change that the two characters have in common is that they both regret it. The movie received best documentary awards from numerous European film festivals as well as universal praise from critics. 8pm. Suggested donations. Camera Stylo

Wednesday, Dec 6

Decentralization of Power in China: A Failure?
In an essay written by Deng Xiaoping just four years after Mao Zedong's death, he stated that China should move away from the "overconcentration of power," thus establishing a more institutionalized system with divided responsibilities and duties. However, following the 19th Party Congress, it's apparent that president Xi is doing anything but. Dr. Susan Shirk will try to deconstruct and answer the question why a country with a growing middle class and a modern market economy is turning towards an autocratic rule. 7.30pm. RMB 60, RMB 30 (students), Free (members of Beijing International Society). New Zealand Embassy

Thursday, Dec 7

Professional Development Series: Community Building and Company Culture
JingJobs and Beijing Women's Network collaborate on a community and relationship building event titled Community for Unity - Creating Culture and Achieving Cohesiveness. Whether you're a CEO or a regular peg in the company, professional relationships matter equally to both and modern companies more often than not hire people with a greater variety of backgrounds, countries, and age groups. While working together and getting to know someone with a different outlook than you is usually fun, it can also make making crucial decisions or utilizing a similar way of thinking or an ability to compromise, mean a great deal. This event will cover topics like how to work in a diverse environment, how to build a community and organizational culture, avoiding fragmentations in the company, and others. 7pm. RMB 60. InnCube.

Friday, Dec 8

Elimination of Violence Against Women Art Exhibition 2017
China Women's Film Festival is back and it's not movies they are bringing with them this time – the organization has been working on women's and LGBTQ rights through various art forms and this time chooses comics as its main medium of expression. Expect female superheroes, technicolor drawings, and heart-wrenching stories. The topics tackled in the artworks range from imprisonment and sexual abuse, to acid attacks and the importance of Wonder Woman. P.S. Some pieces on display are laced with augmented reality, so you'll want to download the Blippar app on your smartphone before you go. Daily 9.30am-5.30pm. Free. The Crossroads Centre

Saturday, Dec 9

Audition for Miracle on 34th Street
So you think you can act? Let your childhood dreams come true via Charity Readers Theatre's rendition of the Christmas classic Miracle on 34th Street. Reader plays mean that there are no special lights or props, no costumes and music, but a creation of theater magic from the actors alone, who are allowed to carry scripts to refer to. Anyone interested in acting is welcome to audition. 10am. Free. Dongsi Longfu Theatre

Sunday, Dec 10

Yoga Party
Prices for yoga classes rage from 'Is the teacher made of gold?' to 'I'm not quite comfortable with going to that stranger's home,' which is a pretty wide scale. However, Lululemon celebrates the opening of their new branch this week and must be very excited since they‘re handing out free events left and right. Catch your breath after the Saturday night boogie with a crowd of like-minded yogis and at a gigantic yoga party on Sunday afternoon, which is probably going to feel more like a festival, seeing how many people they're expecting to come. Check out their official WeChat account (ID: lululemon), where you can find all of the upcoming event listings. 2pm. Free. APM Mall (Wangfujing Street)

Of course, you can find all of this week's event listings here: thebeijinger.com/events.

Images: Igert.org, Squarespace.com, Ram Devineni, courtesy of organizers

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