Challenged by the popularization of TV sets and video compact
discs, Chinese movie making has been in the doldrums in recent
years, even with the rise of the so-called "fifth generation" of
internationally-acclaimed directors, represented by Zhang Yimou,
Chen Kaige and Tian Zhuangzhuang. To head jury of the 6th Changchun
Film Festival, an annual film festival being held August 23-26 in
Jilin provincial capital this year, Xie Tieli, 77, one of China's
most celebrated Chinese film directors and chairman of the China
Film Association, came to
Changchun. During an interview with Xinhua News Agency, he
voiced his views concerning the development of the domestic film
industry.
Open up Rural Market
"How can China's cinema industry run at a loss? With a population
of 1.3 billion, if everybody spends US$1 seeing a film, the total
income should be US$1.3 billion!" an American movie-goer once
commented.
This foreigner's words set Xie thinking. Chinese filmmakers have
been fixing their eyes on the key metropolises, paying little
attention to small and medium-sized cities, let alone the rural
area in which most of the population dwell. Even today, the film
projection team equipped with a 16mm projector still travels "as a
guerrilla unit" from village to village. Thus, why not erect
simply-structure cinemas in the countryside to show films with a
35mm projector? Even without the stereophonic effect, at least they
are much better than open-air theatres that can be found everywhere
in rural areas, with 0.5 to 1 yuan at most for a ticket. According
to Xie, this move is supposed to serve multiple purposes. First,
more peasant film-goers can be drawn to the cinema. It can be seen
as an example of "small profits and good sales." Second, the issue
of ticket sales can be solved, since it is not easy to collect fees
at an open-air theatre. Third, a potentially large film market can
be developed.
Besides, scriptwriters should write more scenarios to the liking of
the peasants, simple and easy in concept and vivid and lively in
language. Xie criticized himself, in that his early movies such as
Early Spring and A Dream of Red Mansions were too
deep for a rural filmgoer's appreciation. "Today very few film
workers would like to go to the countryside to observe and learn
from real life," Xie sighed.
"To open up the rural market is a feasible strategy for the
development of the Chinese movie industry," Xie said.
Shortage of Funds for Movie-making Demands Prompt
Solution
Due to the scarcity of funds, filming has been slack. Moviemaking
is such an industry that requires a heavy initial outlay, while
reaping profits lags far behind. Currently, giving awards is the
main way to spur the development of the film industry in China.
However, many excellent scripts cannot be filmed as a result of
capital shortage. Naturally, film financing becomes empty talk.
"The country should take measures to offer development funds.
Probably this is the fundamental way to promote our film industry,"
Xie said.
According to him, each year over 50 percent of the movies made in
France are state-funded, while such state-backed movies account for
60 to 70 percent of the total films produced in Russia. The German
Federal Film Board (FFA), a governmental film funding institution,
grants much financial support for local filmmaking. Unfortunately,
many unsupported top-notch Chinese film scenarists and directors
have been lured by high income into producing TV serials.
"A
shortage of funds brought about the brain drain in film circles,
which, in turn, has caused the slump in the Chinese cinema. So, our
film-making industry faces a vicious circle," commented Xie with
heavy heart.
Chinese Cinema Calls for a Supervisory System
"The further development of the Chinese movie is predicated on the
establishment of an effective supervisory system to regulate both
the distribution and showing of films," he said.
Xie's long-held wish to lay down rules to gauge the film market
management has never been fulfilled. Last year, the State
Administration of Radio, Film and Television promulgated an
Ordinance on Film Administration, which is far from being
satisfactory in terms of both the establishment of a sound and
strict supervisory system and the implementation of the relevant
regulations prescribed in the decree.
Taking the prevalent concealment of box-office income as an
example, Xie pointed out that, without an effectual supervisory
system, this phenomenon could cause at least two problems. "First,
after China's entry into the World Trade Organization (WTO), it has
been stipulated that two-thirds of the movies shown in China must
be Chinese films. However, who takes the responsibility to carry
out this regulation? Second, failing to report box-office receipts
has encroached upon the interests of film studios, whose enthusiasm
and ability to invest in new movie productions will be damaged
correspondingly."
(新華社 [Xinhua News
Agency], translated by Shao Da for china.org.cn, August 21,
2002)