Todd Balazovic

Plenty of action for a growing film industry

By Todd Balazovic (China Daily)
Updated: 2010-11-04 08:05

As China's film industry flourishes, the foundations for the future of the movie business are being laid.

This has me wondering - does Beijing have what it takes to be China's Hollywood?

The question comes off the back of a few month's of experiences in bars, restaurants and shopping centers where I have wandered off the street and into a pseudo-Hollywood set complete with film crews racing about adjusting lighting, directors barking directions and actors shining in the spotlight.

It seems not a week goes by that I don't witness this at least once.

This can really only indicate two things (for convenience's sake) - first, that I have a knack for wandering into other people's business or, which I think is more likely, Beijing is coming into its own as the cultural center for the movie industry.

Perhaps both are true.

Still, Beijing is not the only place pushing to position itself among the stars.

As if the rivalry between China's most modern cities needed any more fuel, Shanghai is also a major contender looking to cash in on the country's coming film boom.

But in order to properly draw a comparison between the two cities, a crucial question must be asked - What makes Hollywood? Is it the actors and actresses or is it the directors and technical hands?

Beijing was the first, and still is among the few places to offer higher education dedicated to teaching film.

With the Beijing Film Academy recently celebrating its 60th anniversary, it easily surpasses any other city in China in terms of creating big-name directors, producers and screenwriters.

On the other hand, it is easily argued that the Shanghai Drama Institute, one of the oldest acting schools in modern China, seems to be a steady producer of charming actors and beautiful (among other descriptors) actresses, such as Li Bingbing or Tang Wei.

So what makes a good film (aka the most money) - quality directors or solid performers? I'll let you decide.

From a historical perspective, the Chinese film industry has its deepest roots in Shanghai. It was the first place in China where a motion picture was filmed - The Battle of Dingjunshan in Shanghai in 1905. And it received the most attention from international audiences during a majority of the 1900s.

But it's worth mentioning, The Battle of Dingjunshan was based on a Peking Opera which was re-made for film.

And while Shanghai and Beijing may be the biggest players for the title of the China's Hollywood, there are a few minor players worth a mention. Places like Hengdian, which 10 years ago, was a desolate farming village in Zhejiang province.

Now, the place crackles with creativity, housing 18 different sets, including a life-sized replica of the Forbidden City, which are often utilized at no cost by China's film industry.

It went from a village where it was a struggle to keep food on the table to a town that earns millions of dollars each year.

While the city may not stand a chance of becoming China's Hollywood, it certainly exhibits the break-neck speed at which the industry has evolved, and therefore deserves an honorable mention.

And Hengdian is one of many small locations throughout China taking advantage of the growing industry.

Still, with China's cultural center quickly adapting to modern movie mayhem and the Beijing Film Academy still pumping out solid students, I've got the feeling that Beijing's film industry will soon leave Shanghai star-struck.

(China Daily 11/04/2010)