What a film about a poor Gansu farmer says of China’s quest for soft power

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the movie industry “an important battlefield for ideological and propaganda work”, one that reflects the growth of China’s soft power.

Critically acclaimed films such as Ju Dou and Raise The Red Lantern by Chinese director Zhang Yimou that dealt with sensitive themes and raised censors’ hackles when they were released in the 1990s would not make it to cinema screens today, said observers. They see the Chinese film industry gradually moving towards movies of the Mao era, with recent nationalistic blockbusters such as the Wolf Warrior action movies, or patriotic films like My People, My Homeland, emphasising themes of heroism or featuring self-sacrificing officials or party members.

artistic expression must “serve the people and socialism”.

Movies are a tool in this effort to spread “zhengnengliang” or positive energy – booster shots of faith in the party’s leadership that have become all the more important considering challenges such as Covid-19

Movies hold up a mirror to our societies. To be sure, there is America’s Top Gun to match the Wolf Warrior movies, but the likes of Nomadland and Parasite do not flinch from showing the imperfections in American and South Korean societies, respectively.

For Qns on movies and censorship....