Society

Movie heroes defy mountains and rivers

By Hu Yongqi (China Daily)
Updated: 2010-09-20 08:24

History of plot twists

The first batch of mobile cinemas was set up in 1950, when 1,817 projectionists were trained in Nanjing, Jiangsu province, according to the National Film Museum in Beijing. They were an instant hit.

"It was like a gala in the 1970s and 1980s," said Wang Guangqian, general manager of Qiandongnan Film Screening Corporation. "Projectionists were extremely popular and people would even come to help us carry the equipment."

Related readings:  Mountain cinema screens one film 18,000 times  Cinema industry booms on urbanites' growing incomes  China, the big draw for IMAX  The latest kungfu film star - an overweight bunny

However, by the 1990s, that popularity was fading, largely due to the growing access to television, and many projectionists were forced to find alternative jobs in cities.

"The 1990s were really tough for me," said Xie, who started his career after graduating from middle school in 1983, the year before the industry hit a peak with 120,000 mobile cinemas. "It was the smiles on the people's faces that kept me going. That's why I stayed in the business."

In 1998, the Ministry of Culture and the SARFT jointly launched the 2131 Program, which was aimed at enabling more rural residents to watch movies. Between 2001 and 2005, village screenings attracted a total audience of more than 5 billion.

More than 80,000 projectionists hosted 7.7 million screenings in remote and under-developed regions last year, according to China New Rural Film Screening. On average, mobile cinemas visit villages at least once a month.

However, despite an investment of 770 million yuan by the central government last year, mobile cinemas are still facing a shortage in funds, cinema managers complained.

The SARFT already pays a subsidy of 100 yuan for every showing, with 70 yuan going to the projectionist, although officials are expected to double that this month at the National Conference on Rural Film-screening in Lanzhou, capital of Gansu province.

In Guizhou, mobile cinema workers received a joint subsidy from central and provincial authorities of 87 yuan per film. The Qiandongnan prefecture is also expected to contribute 13 yuan but has not done so since September 2009.

"The shortage in funds has hindered the development of mobile cinemas in the prefecture and reduced the income of projectionists," said Yang Yilin, manager of Qiandongnan Film-screening Corporation.

Speaking in dialects

More than 80 percent of Qiandongnan's 4.4 million population belong to ethnic groups, with one-fifth ethnic Miao. Therefore, movies dubbed in the local dialects are extremely popular.

During a cinema screening this month in Tonggu, a village 30 km from the prefecture's capital of Kaili, just 100 of its 2,000 residents turned out to watch the first movie, which was in Mandarin. Yet, another 400 rushed to join them for the start of the main feature, which was the box office hit Founding of a Republic dubbed in the Miao language.

"It's amazing to see the actors playing Chairman Mao (Zedong) and Chiang Kai-shek talking in Miao," said villager Zhao Yuan'ou, 55. "I couldn't believe it that the dubbed version included lots of unique humor for Miao people."

Song Qisheng, director of Qiandongnan Film-screening Corporation's dubbing center, said the enthusiasm shown by ethnic groups has kept his team motivated. "It makes us very excited," said Song, whose office walls are covered with awards.

The studio, one of 10 nationwide, was given two new recording machines worth 300,000 yuan each last year by the SARFT. However, one has still not been used, as the studio does not have sufficient money.

The center was supposed to dub 84 films in 2009 but only got 60,000 yuan from the prefecture government - enough for just six films.

Yang Tongying, deputy director of Qiandongnan's bureau of radio, film and television, said the authority has applied for more funds to support the dubbing center.

"We understand the prefecture government generates relatively little revenue," said Song, "but our company needs another 100,000 yuan a year. The government should support us because we're doing a job people like." 

More cover stories