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Used in classes.

Biographical information.

Zou Zengtang (b. 1936) was born in Zoujia Village, Shangdian Town, Binzhou City, Shandong Province. He is one of the interviewees appeared in the documentary The Starving Village (2010) by Zou Xueping. In this interview, Zou Zengtang talks about the starvation and deaths during the Great Famine. The transcript of this interview has been translated into English.

Zou Quantang (b.1955) was born in Zoujia Village, Shangdian Town, Binzhou City, Shandong Province. He is Zou Ailing's younger brother. In this interview, Zou recalls his experiences during the Great Famine. In 1958, four-year-old Zou Quantang was given one bun per day; he would have starved to death if his sister did not save food for him. When he had dumplings for a New Year, he almost died of overload on that day. The filmmaker's description of this interview has been translated into English.

Zou Peiyi (b. 1941) was born in Zoujia Village, Shangdian Town, Binzhou City, Shandong Province. In this interview, Zou remembers about People's Commune canteen, what people ate, how they starved and died during the Great Famine. The transcript of this interview has been translated into English.

Zou Peiyao (b.1938) was born in Zoujia Village, Shangdian Town, Binzhou City, Shandong Province. He was the keeper of commune property in the village during the Great Famine. In this interview, Zou recalls what people ate at that time. The transcript of this interview has been translated into English.

Zou Peiquan (b.1945) was born in Zoujia Village, Shangdian Town, Binzhou City, Shandong Province. In this interview, Zou recalls his experience during the Great Famine. In 1958, people worked together in the field (called 'large formation combat') and sometimes grains were left rotten in the field. He picked and ate those rotten grains when he was very hungry. Soon afterwards he quit school, began eating in People's Commune canteen and went out working in the field and digging wild herbs. That year forty people in his village starved to death. The filmmaker's description of this interview has been translated into English.

Zou Peiji (b. 1944) was born in Zoujia Village, Shangdian Town, Binzhou City, Shandong Province. In this interview, Zou recalls the difficult time during the Great Famine, when two people died every day in the village and nobody worked in the field. The transcript of this interview has been translated into English.

Zou Peifu (b. 1941) was born in Zoujia Village, Shangdian Town, Binzhou City, Shandong Province. In this interview, Zou recalls that 1960 was the hardest year with severe shortage of grain. The transcript of this interview has been translated into English.

Zou Jinping (b. 1941) is a resident of Zoujia Village, Shangdian Town, Binzhou City, Shandong Province. In this interview, Zou describes life during the Great Famine when there was severe shortage of food, even cooking utensils.

Additional notes and transcript files created by Zou Xueping.

Zou Dengke (b. 1938) was born in Zoujia Village, Shangdian Town, Binzhou City, Shandong Province. In this interview, Zou recalls life during the Great Famine. In the beginning, Zou and his wife tried everything to earn money for food, saving most food for their children. After the People's Commune canteen was established, he could get food after carrying coal every day, and life became slightly better. Although he saw food get wasted and knows that the famine was not a natural disaster, Zou still insist that the famine is not caused by Chairman Mao's policy, but the cadres at the local level. The filmmaker's description of this interview has been translated into English.

Zou Dengchang (b.1952) was born in Zoujia Village, Shangdian Town, Binzhou City, Shandong Province. He is Song Qiuying's second son. He was very young during the Great Famine, but it left him a clear and profound memory. In this interview, Zou recalls what food he ate. His mother went out begging. His older brother died at 11 years old, who got poisoned after eating worms because of hunger. His grandfather starved to death. He also recounts which family suffered more and had more people died during the famine. He also recalls experience during the Cultural Revolution, especially how grandpa Changjin was forced to commit suicide by jumping into the well because he was accused of 'speculation and profiteering' by the cadres, who were punished afterwards. The filmmaker's description of this interview has been translated into English.

Zou Ailing (b.1941) was born in Zoujia Village, Shangdian Town, Binzhou City, Shandong Province. She is Zou Quantang's older sister. In this interview, Zou clearly remembers the starvation she experienced during the Great Famine. When the 'Five Winds' first started, people had nothing to eat and the People's Commune canteen was not set up; Zou has eaten anything she could find. During the famine, her mother and two uncles all starved to death. The situation improved slightly later and people could eat sweet potato after earning work points, but many children starved to death. The filmmaker's description of this interview has been translated into English.

Category: Grains, Cereals, Crackers, and Cookies

Carl Whirley lecture Notes