Amid change, film screener goes on
Source: Xinhua |
November 24, 2011, Thursday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
BUFFALO is packing up his equipment in a remote village in east China's Jiangxi Province, preparing a film screening for a village boy who received an acceptance letter from a recognized college.
Buffalo is a nickname for 59-year-old projectionist Li Yongbang, who earned his name because he was often seen traveling with heavy equipment on his back. In those days he traversed hilly and bumpy roads to remote areas carrying celluloid projectors, a power generator and gallons of diesel oil with only a shoulder pole.
From the 1950s to the 1980s, watching an open-air movie on the threshing floor was the best way for Chinese villagers to entertain, since most villages did not have electricity, let alone TV. Being a career projectionist was for a time a dream of rural kids.
"People walked more than 10 kilometers to see a movie," Buffalo said. "My father squeezed into the crowd, and I was seated on his shoulder. Then I changed my dream job to projectionist."
Buffalo realized his dream in 1978. His colleagues included former soldiers, teachers and civil servants. They were required to have knowledge of literature, music, painting and electricity. These people were selected to form groups of two or three people. They would travel together to villages in rural areas to screen films.
Early in his career, a movie easily attracted over 1,000 people. "Fans would stay all night in front of the screen, and watch the same movie again and again," Li said.
In the late 1980s, audiences gradually declined. Most villages got electricity and television became popular. Change accelerated after young villagers left for the cities.
In 1990, his team was dismissed. Most teammates changed careers, but Buffalo chose to stay with movies. He ran a small cinema in his village.
Then in 2006, the Chinese government decided to subsidize mobile cinemas in rural areas, hoping to revitalize movie screenings in the countryside by offering at least one free movie to each village every month. Li soon registered as a projectionist again. But this time, he got a set of digital movie equipment and a motor-tricycle. He promised to show at least 300 films a year.
Buffalo is a nickname for 59-year-old projectionist Li Yongbang, who earned his name because he was often seen traveling with heavy equipment on his back. In those days he traversed hilly and bumpy roads to remote areas carrying celluloid projectors, a power generator and gallons of diesel oil with only a shoulder pole.
From the 1950s to the 1980s, watching an open-air movie on the threshing floor was the best way for Chinese villagers to entertain, since most villages did not have electricity, let alone TV. Being a career projectionist was for a time a dream of rural kids.
"People walked more than 10 kilometers to see a movie," Buffalo said. "My father squeezed into the crowd, and I was seated on his shoulder. Then I changed my dream job to projectionist."
Buffalo realized his dream in 1978. His colleagues included former soldiers, teachers and civil servants. They were required to have knowledge of literature, music, painting and electricity. These people were selected to form groups of two or three people. They would travel together to villages in rural areas to screen films.
Early in his career, a movie easily attracted over 1,000 people. "Fans would stay all night in front of the screen, and watch the same movie again and again," Li said.
In the late 1980s, audiences gradually declined. Most villages got electricity and television became popular. Change accelerated after young villagers left for the cities.
In 1990, his team was dismissed. Most teammates changed careers, but Buffalo chose to stay with movies. He ran a small cinema in his village.
Then in 2006, the Chinese government decided to subsidize mobile cinemas in rural areas, hoping to revitalize movie screenings in the countryside by offering at least one free movie to each village every month. Li soon registered as a projectionist again. But this time, he got a set of digital movie equipment and a motor-tricycle. He promised to show at least 300 films a year.
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