FilmIndia (1940)

F1LMINDIA September 1940 in China) was produced by the United Photoplay Service. The picture was shown at Soviet Cinema Festival (1935) in Moscow, which was my first opportunity to get acquainted with the Chinese films. In Moscow this picture was highly commended and received Honour Certificate for 'the bold attempt at realistic portrayal of the life and noble qualities of the Chinese people in the film." Eisenstein, Pudovkin and Dovzhenko were among the members of the jury. The Chinese Government have in recent years taken keen interest in the film industry. Notable work has been done by the Motion Picture Direction and Guidance Committee of the Central Kuomintang Quarters. Elaborate government-owned Central Movie Studio was formally opened in 1935 .situated in picturesque island in Lotus Lake near Nanking. In conjunction with the Chinese Institute of Educational Cinematography, shorts of natural science, sanitation and hygiene, were produced by this studio. Also long feature films, most noteworthy of which is "Sacred Password" — a true story of the revolutionaries in Kweichow was produced. In 1936, Ministry of Education manifested an active interest in cinematography. It opened the Central Institute of Technology which devotes great deal of energy to the teaching of different phases of cinematography. CHINESE MOVIE SCHOOL Almost simultaneously, plans for the creation of a "Movie School" were announced by the Great China University of Shanghai. The plans include courses in direction, scenario writing, editing, stage set up, acting, photography etc. Notable cinema wDrkers were on the teaching staff. It is a four year course for a B.A. degree in that branch. Being hampered by an inadequate capital, the Chinese cinema industry could not afford to purchase the latest equipment used in America. The best movie cameras in Chi? a today, for instance, are those which had been rejected by Hollywood five or six years ago. And necessary equipments such as the background projectors have never been used in the Chinese studios, because they are too expensive. In spite of such difficulties not a few Chinese directors have succeeded in producing pictures of pretty high artistic standard. STORIES WITH SOCIAL SIGNIFICANCE Chinese scenario writers have begun to introduce new themes in preference to those of amorous nature. "Wandering Kids" presents the problem of educating poor children; "Son of a Slave" shows class consciousness of modern workers; "Rights of Women" brings up the problem of women's vocations; "At the Crossroads" deals with the unemployment problem. More and more noted Chinese dramatists have taken to scenario writing. In the early stages of its development until 1931, the Chinese motion picture was looked upon by men of letters as a thing below their dignity, to take up. Now, scenarios of most Chinese pictures are written by renowned dramatists such as Tien Han, Yang Hansheng and many others. With the removal of the capital to Chunking, and the occupation of the coastal towns by the Japanese, the Central Movie Studio went to that Szechuan city. There, by the side of Kialing River, it is now resuming its work with undiminished vigour. While the private movie corporations have ceased production and the Central Movie Studio is re-establishing itself the China Motion Picture Corporation, a subsidiary of the Political Department of the National Military Council, is now trying to fill the gap. This corporation was started about five years ago, as the division of Cinema Education under the Political Training Department in the Generalissimo's Headquarters. As an integral part in the war of resistance, the China Motion Picture Corporation has produced films of patriotic nature — "Protect Our Home", "Our Last Stand", "Fight To The Last", etc. Pictures in the process of being made are "Struggle", "I am a War Refugee", "Air Hero's Death", "Victory of Taierchwang", "Fisherman of the South", etc. The titles themselves suggest the nature of these films. 34