The Changchun Film Studios
The Changchun Film Studios were founded in 1950, integrating in 1955 the older Dongbei Film Studios (Northeast Film studios), which had settled in Changchun already during the civil war between 1945 and 1949. The Dongbei Studios’ history itself reaches back to even earlier times; they succeeded the former Manchukuo Film Association set up by the Japanese during the occupation of northeast China. Thus, historically speaking, the Japanese propaganda film studios became part of the earliest registered film studios in the People’s Republic of China.
The Changchun Film Studios – with a short break during the first part of the Cultural Revolution when no films could be made – produced propaganda movies until 1978. With the 3rd plenary session of the 11th Party Congress that year, Deng Xiaoping allowed for the “emancipation of the mind”, i.e. commercial movies could be produced as well, now. However, propaganda movies remained an important part of the production. “Chongqing Tanpan” is one of those movies produced in Changchun of which success is not measured in sold tickets. In 2000, the name of the studios was changed into Changchun Film Group Corporation.
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