Business screen magazine (1942)

An EXCLUSIVE article b>i the Drputu ChUf Film Sretion of China'M MUitary ASai''t Commission; I'icf-PiTfiidi-nt of thr Cki»a Film Studio, at Chungkiny. China. {Bdow: CrneratiMtimo Chiang Kai'Chek.) n by T. Y THE SCREEN UNITES THE 400,000.000 AGAINST THE AGGRESSOR •ic There are two old Chinese sayings: ■"// 15 better to see a thing once than to hear about il hunihed limes." "A picture is north more than a thousand words." These two Chinese sayings were meant to advise men that in learninsi anii in working they should make it a ])oint to see the task with their own eyes. Those were the days when science was still in its infancy. There were no motion pictures to serve as demonstrations for the benefit of those who wanted to study a certain subject. But painting, printing and the making of wood-cuts were China's earliest and best-developed arts. There [was also the shadow play, which ■ dates back to 121 B. C. It was an (attempt to represent by means of i moving images, or shadows, some I incident in history or a story that fcarried a moral. The.se. then, were uhe instruments which the ancient .'Chinese employed to spread popular education, and their use persisted until the advent of the 'Miitieth century, when a drastic rarisformation in the methods of ■ liiration began to take place in hina as the result of the impact of western iuHuence. One of the distinctive features of the history of China is the predominant part played by agriculture in her social development. Agricultural production and technique form the basis upon which the community established itself and flourished. In a self-sulficient rural economy, people were apt to be contented. They lived peacefully with one another in their own community and would not think of interfering with the affairs of peoI)le in another community or invading their territory. For the same reason, they could not imagine how others should break into their domain and take away their means of livelihood. Their primary producing units were rural family groups engaged in agricultural and household industry. Hence, large-scale industry could not develop and industrial science and techniipie remained on a low level. Agrarian Tradition Persists It is the persistency of the agricultural society that accounts for the backwardness of all branches of industry in China up to a very late period. However, since the opening of the door of China by the Opium War. 1842. the prosper ity and stal>ilit\ of the self-sullicienl agricultural .society had been somewhat shaken and the foreign influence that came in the wake of that war brought with it advanced industrial technique, which introduced a gradual transformation in the condition of life. This transformation was accompanied by social and political changes and disturbances usually consequent upon any general struggle to get rid of the binding force of the institutions of an agricultural and feudal society. An Arena of Exploitation These changes and disturbances continued through the founding of the Republic to the conclusion of the Northern Expedition which finally unified the country under one central government. A new political framework was thus set up. Hut being an industrially backward country, ('hina was still the arena where industrial powers competed with one another for the control of her vast resources and labor. Owing to her proximity. Japan was the most ambitious and aggressive. By dint of the power which she newly acquired through the 'adoption of Western scientific techniepie. she penetrated into (!hina through economic means aiul invaded China with military might. Films and Inulstrialization Faced with the double task of putting China's house in order and fighting the Japanese aggressor, the Chinese realized that they had lo adopt western methods to industrialize the land. The educational film, product of advanced industrial technique and one of the most effective instruments of popular education, naturally entered into the scheme. Remembering that "It is better to see a thirig once than to hear about it a hundred times" and that '\\ picture is worth more than a thousand words." the Chinese gave the film a very important place in the educational program of the country. Previous to the outbreak of war ill 19.37. the Chinese Ministry of Education had already announced the following principles to guide the making of educational films. 1. To develop national consciousness among the people. * According to this principle, the following films were produced: Between Death and Honor, (the story of a great scholar and patriot at the end of the Sung Dynasty) : A SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTION TO THE WORLDWIDE HISTORY OF VISUAL EDUCATION \\umber Sei-en * 1943 19