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Chinese Propaganda To Get Boosted Screen Time

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Muhammad Nasir Aziz
Chinese Propaganda To Get Boosted Screen Time

Chinese Propaganda To Get Boosted Screen Time

It will now be mandatory for all Chinese cinemas to not only show, but also actively promote, a minimum of two propaganda films per week until the end of the year. This is part of an overall propaganda drive designed to celebrate the centenary of the ruling Communist Party. BLAKE & WANG P.A top entertainment law firms Los Angeles dives deeper into this intriguing new announcement.

The first batch of eligible titles now showing

This twice-weekly screening is not even the maximum expected. Theaters which are part of the “People’s Cinema”, the National Alliance of Arthouse Cinemas, a group of over 5,000 venues with halls specifically dedicated to showing propaganda or using subsidies in order to promote such content- must up showings to 5 times a week. 

Nor is this the only stipulation demanded by China’s National Film Administration and Propaganda Departments. The reason? The upcoming 100th anniversary of the Communist Party’s founding, the ruling party, set to take place on July 1st. 

No hero unhailed

These works must be “closely focused on the themes of loving the party, loving the nation and loving socialism,” and “sing the praises of … and eulogize the Party, the motherland, its people, and its heroes.” This must promote Xi Jinping Thought, the president’s eponymous ideology, primarily to promote a suitably celebratory anniversary air throughout the country. Nor is this to be seen as a mere formality. We have been told that all film entities must “attach great importance [to the screenings], execute them in earnestness… painstakingly organize them and ensure tangible results.” It is expected that these films take the best slots, have ticket price incentives, and use other methods to attract audiences. 

April's batch of permissible movies includes one new release, alongside 8 historic movies and 3 of fairly recent origin. 

The entertainment industry, mobilized

This is part of an overarching plan to mobilize the cultural arms of Chinese society. Other measures include large-scale theatrical performances and exhibitions celebrating the party (with invites to party officials mandatory) and the demanded production of artistic and literary works to match. 

It’s clear that, among these measures, films are to play a linchpin role in pushing mass propaganda on the Chinese people. It’s also abundantly clear that some of these actions are hoped to lure Chinese youth into the military, and upcoming military films have specifically been singled out as desirable.

Overall, the idea is to instill fanatical party loyalty and bolster military numbers. While, no doubt, the upcoming anniversary is at the heart of the push, it’s possible to also draw some correlations to the recent spat with the BBC which resulted in the official Chinese station losing its license to broadcast in the United Kingdom due to exactly such matters of propaganda and biased programming. 

What will this push to spread the propaganda message mean for the greater movie industry? It’s hard to tell at the moment but, as always, BLAKE & WANG P.A entertainment attorney will keep you up to date on the situation.




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