Picture ①: The stills of the film Five Golden Flowers. Picture ②: The stills of the movie Young People in Our Village. Figure ③: Exhibition Hall of Changying Former Site Museum. Picture ④: A corner of Changying Century City. Figure ⑤: The preface hall of the museum of the former site of Changying. Figure ⑥: Old photos displayed in the museum of the former site of Changying. Figure ⑦: Exhibition Area of Changying Printing Workshop.

The main building of Changying Museum. The above pictures are provided by Changying Group Co., Ltd

Core reading

The Changchun Film Studio, founded in 1945, is known as the "cradle of new Chinese films". In recent years, Changchun Film Studio has insisted on going deep into life, taking root in the people, keeping close to the times, continuously creating film and television boutiques, vigorously prospering cultural undertakings and industries, and actively demonstrating the style of the new era.

On a boat, Liu Sanjie sings a beautiful folk song (the film Liu Sanjie); In the northern mountain villages, young people braved difficulties and dangers to break through the mountains and draw water (the film "Young People in Our Village")

These classic film pictures were produced by Changchun Film Studio (the predecessor of Changying Group Co., Ltd., hereinafter referred to as "Changying"), which has become the memory of generations.

Changying was founded in 1945. As the first film studio in New China, Changying has created, filmed and translated more than 3600 films of all kinds in the past 79 years, and has sent more than 2000 excellent film art talents, technical talents and management talents to the country, known as the "cradle of new China's films".

In recent years, Changying has continued to create high-quality films and television products, vigorously prospered cultural undertakings and industries, and actively demonstrated the style of the new era.

"You can't write good works in the study, you must go into the hot life"

In the initial stage of the film industry in New China, Changying undertook its historical mission, shooting the first science and education film "Prevention of Plague" in New China, the first animated film "Catching Turtles in a jar", the first full-length feature film "Bridge" and other works, and translated the first translated film "General One Soldier" in New China, and also created "Shangganling", "White Haired Girl", "Liu Sanjie", and "Heroic Children" Classic films such as Visitors on the Iceberg, Dong Cunrui, Plains Guerrillas, and the Storm of 1894 have made pioneering contributions to the film industry of New China.

Going deep into life, taking root in the people and being close to the times are well-known and enduring sources of Changying classic films.

"I don't have a good meal today, only folk songs for my family..." The film "Liu Sanjie" is the first colorful scenery music film in New China. After it was released, it became a well-known masterpiece. The folk songs and Guilin scenery in the film are deeply in the hearts of the audience.

In addition to good reputation, there is also a good market. In 1979, Changying's work "The Sound of Guns from the Secret Service" was released, which triggered a nationwide movie watching boom. "The film finally sold more than 1000 copies, with 600 million people watching the film, and won 180 million yuan at the box office," said Ye Zilong, the curator of the museum of the former site of Changying.

The theme film has always been Changying's specialty. In recent years, Changying has launched a number of film and television works, such as "Old Aunt", "Cableway Doctor", "Border Guard", and many of them have won the "Five One Project" award, the Chinese Film Huabiao Award, the Golden Rooster Award, the Hundred Flowers Award, and other awards.

In 2021, the film "Young Companion Returns Home" produced by Changying was released, telling the story of a group of young people returning from their studies and leading the villagers to create a better and happy life under the background of the decisive battle to overcome poverty and build a well-off society in an all-round way.

"You can't write good works in your study, so you must go into the hot life." Ma Ben, the screenwriter of "Returning Home with Young Companions", introduced that in order to make the film closer to life, the main creators have gone into the countryside many times. "What impressed me most was that we went to Da'an City, a national poor county in Jilin Province, to collect folk songs. The local people in some villages and towns increased their income through straw weaving. They exported straw weaving products overseas and experienced many difficulties in the process. We adapted this true story into the film."

"In 1959, the classic film" Young People in Our Village "shot by Changying triggered a huge response. The times are changing, but young people returning to their hometown to start their own businesses are connected by blood and spirit. We salute the classic film, hoping to reflect the firm determination and belief of young people in the new era to build a better home, which is also the inheritance of Changying's history and culture," Ma Ben said.

"Focusing on the film industry and concentrating on making a good film"

Visitors come and go in the museum of the former site of Changying. Walking in the courtyard where he once worked, Chen Xuejie, an older generation actor of Changying, recalled the experience of making films more than 60 years ago. "At that time, the director and the crew took care of us, taught us by example, guided us carefully, and attached great importance to every detail." Chen Xuejie said that at that time, in order to make a good film, she would spend a lot of time and energy to figure out the characteristics of the role each time.

When shooting the film "Two Families", in order to play well the industrious rural women in the south, carrying water became a challenge for Chen Xuejie. "I lived in the northeast city when I was young, and seldom carried water with a carrying pole. Carrying water looks simple, but the inexperienced people really carried two buckets of water, and the pace was slow, and the body was inclined." Chen Xuejie said that in order to find a feeling, she specially observed the posture of local women when carrying water.

"The film reflects the rural life, and it is impossible not to go deep and true." In order to practice the action of carrying water well, Chen Xuejie gets up at more than 5 o'clock every morning, finds two wooden buckets to fill with water and carries them away. "At first, I couldn't find the balance point. I either leaned forward or backward. The old seniors in the factory instructed me to practice again and again, and finally it was like that."

"Focusing on the film industry and concentrating on making a good film" is not only the moral character of the older generation of filmmakers, but also the persistence of the new generation of Changying people.

Not far from the museum of the former site of Changying, a small white building stands quietly. Here is the Xiaobailou that many film writers once aspired to. "Heroic Children", "People in Middle Age", and the song "My Motherland" in the film "Shangganling"... One script and one music were produced in the small white building, and then moved to the studio and recording studio of Changying, and finally stepped onto the big screen, becoming the memory of the times.

Today, the story of Xiaobailou still inspires generations of young creators.

"I heard the story of Xiaobailou when I was young, which led me to engage in the screenwriting industry." Lin Xiaolin, deputy director of the Changying Script Center, said that in recent years, in order to focus on film creation from the source, Changying has made efforts to strengthen the cultivation of its own screenwriters on the one hand, and planned and formulated the working mechanism of "contracted screenwriters" and "contracted directors" on the other hand, Attract outstanding film talents with a lot of industry experience and creative practice, establish normalized contacts, reach long-term and stable cooperation, practically enrich the creative team, expand the reserve of excellent scripts, and enrich the themes of Changying's works.

"Let tourists really feel the development of Chinese film industry"

In the exhibition hall of the museum where Changying used to be, a "flash show" of the classic film Shangganling attracted many tourists. At the end of the performance, the performers in the museum and tourists from all over the world sang My Motherland together.

This year, the museum of the former site of Changying launched the "immersive museum" tour experience, in which students majoring in performance performed the classic scenes of the film "Shangganling" and "The Gunshot of the Secret Service" in the exhibition hall, so that movie characters could interact with tourists.

In 1998, Changying launched the reform of cultural system. Now, Changying Group has Changying Century City, Changying Film Concert Hall, Changying Former Site Museum, Changying Cinema and other cultural venues.

The museum of the former site of Changying, located in the old factory of Changying, was renovated by Changying Group in 2014 in the principle of "repairing the old as the old". In 2020, Changchun Film Studio was selected into the fourth batch of national industrial heritage. In 2023, the earliest and most complete film printing industrial site in China, the Changying Former Site Museum's printing workshop, will be open to the public free of charge. Since its opening, the Museum of the Former Site of Changying has received nearly one million tourists.

"In the museum of the former site of Changying, there are many classic movie scripts, as well as props, costumes and other objects for shooting movies, so that tourists can really feel the development of China's film industry." Ye Zilong said that in recent years, in order to optimize the tourist experience, he also launched an "immersive museum" activity, providing "light and shadow photography studio" travel photography services, so that visitors can visit more diverse More substantial.

Continuously launch excellent works, enrich tourist experience, carry out cultural activities to benefit the people... Today's Changying is still young and vigorous.

"Each generation has its own mission. Changying will always adhere to the creation and production of excellent film and television works as the top priority, and strive to create and produce more excellent film and television works that spread contemporary Chinese values, reflect the spirit of Chinese culture, reflect the aesthetic pursuit of Chinese people, and integrate ideology, artistry, and viewing organically." The Secretary of the Party Committee and Chairman of Changying Group solemnly said.

People's Daily (12 pages on June 13, 2024)

Share to let more people see