Song Qisheng, director of Qiandongnan Film-screening Corporation’s dubbingcenter, said the enthusiasm shown by ethnic groups has kept his team motivated. “It makesus very excited,” said Song, whose office walls are covered with awards.
The studio, one of 10 nationwide, was given two new recording machines worth300,000 yuan each in 2009 by the SARFT. However, one has still not been used, as thestudio does not have sufficient money.
The center was supposed to dub 84 films in 2009 but only got 60,000 yuan from theprefecture government - enough for just six films.
Yang Tongying, deputy director of Qiandongnan’s bureau of radio, film and television,said the authority has applied for more funds to support the dubbing center.
“We understand the prefecture government generates relatively little revenue,” saidSong, “but our company needs another 100,000 yuan a year. The government shouldsupport us because we’re doing a job people like.”
Ma shows reel strength as projectionist
By HU YONGQI
BEIJING - When Ma Gongzhi was a teenager, his sister used to carry himon her back to watch movies at village screenings in his native Hunan province.
“It was fabulous,” said the 36-year-old. “Television sets were really rare backthen in the 1980s.”
Born with infantile paralysis, Ma has struggled with serious disabilities hisentire life and today is only 1.43 meters tall. Yet his disability has not preventedhim from indulging in his love of cinema by becoming a rural projectionist.
For the last 22 years, he has shown more than 10,000 films in five townshipsacross Yongxing county. His determined attitude has helped him to support hisfamily and provide a vital service to his community.
After dropping out of middle school in 1988 because his family could notafford the tuition fees, Ma borrowed a projector from a family friend.
“He insisted I carry the projector on my own, otherwise he would not tell mehow to screen films,” said Ma, whose mother was also a projectionist. “I did it andso he taught me.”
For his first public screening, Ma charged adults 5 jiao (about 7 US cents)and children 2 jiao. Although he made only 10 yuan from that movie, within fourmonths he was able to spend 1,960 yuan (290) on a new projector.
Shortly after, Ma met his wife, Tan Fengying, at one of his mobile cinemashows. “She said she was attracted to me because I was little but strong,” hejoked.
The couple was married two years later and now has two children - adaughter named Dianying, which is the Chinese word for “movie”, and a soncalled Yingxing, or “movie star”.
“It’s amazing but movies are like a bridge connecting me with my husbandand my children,” said Tan.
In 2009, Ma joined the New Rural Film-screening Project and now receives a40-yuan subsidy from the provincial government for each screening.
Although far from rich, Ma said he does not expect any favors from thecounty or provincial governments. “I just want to live a normal life like myneighbors,” he added.
Ma’s dream for the future is to buy a digital video camera to record the livesof farmers in his county, especially those who help out people in need.
September 20, 2010
Travelers make final stretch for reunions
As millions return home for Spring Festival, He Na travels with a migrant worker to Henan province to learn about the joys and sorrows of life on the road.
He Na reports.
NANHEDIAN, Henan : As Li Fengcai looked into the two large plastic bags stuffedfull of gifts for his wife and children, he broke into a wide smile. His long wait tosee his family was almost over, his home just a short train ride away.
“I have been waiting for today for a long time. The minutes dragged like hours thismorning,” said the 45-year-old father as he stared from a platform at Beijing RailwayStation. “I haven’t been back home for more than half a year. My youngest son is only twobut he grows so quickly; I do not know whether the clothes I have bought him are bigenough.”
Li is a bricklayer and has worked in the capital for more than 10 years. He onlygets the chance to return to his hometown of Nanhedian in Henan province once a year,usually for Spring Festival.
Now is the most important time for migrant workers who spend most of the yeardoing hard labor on large city construction sites. Every year during the “spring rush”, thecountry’s peak travel time, thousands of them will be hoping to collect their wages andhead out to the countryside on trains and buses.
The lucky ones get their pay in time, but wage problems are common and stillcontribute to a rising number of labor disputes.
“I planned to catch the long distance bus as soon as I got my wages for the last sixmonths in 2009 but my boss failed to get the money in time, so we all had to wait for acouple of days,” Li said. “I eventually got the money and can have a good Spring Festivalwith my wife and children. I wish I had wings and could fly straight home.”
After the chaos caused by a snowstorm in January 2009, when almost 90 percent offlights from Beijing were grounded and most highways were closed, Li opted to travel bytrain instead. The nation’s rail network transports about 200 million people every yearduring spring rush, which lasts 40 days. “I usually take the bus because it is quicker. Itnormally only takes me 13 hours to get home,” he said.
Following a one-hour delay, Li was in his seat and chattering like an excited childas the train pulled out of the station at 1:30 pm. His mood quickly changed to one ofimpatience, however, when the train kept stopping to wait for other ones.
He already stood waiting at the doors with his plastic bags in hand when the trainarrived in Nanyang, the closest city to his hometown, at 7:30 am the next day. Withinminutes, the laborer had lugged his heavy bags out of the station and onto a bus headingto Nanzhou county.
Li was on the home straight but he was now more anxious than ever. He wasbecoming angry with the bus driver who was going slowly so he could pick up morepassengers. “My wife and my son will be waiting for me at the bus station in the cold.