In 2013, Chinese director Feng Xiaogang bemoaned Beijing’s censorship regime, calling it a “torment.” Since then, China’s censors have become stricter. As art-house filmmakers struggle to operate and Beijing has sought to popularize propaganda, the entertainment industry has become dominated by patriotic blockbusters and military dramas.
This edition of Flash Points explores the fine line between art and propaganda in modern China—and what it means for Chinese artists to create at a time when, FP’s James Palmer writes, writers and directors tend to “opt for mediocrity for the sake of safety when they’re not making outright, if sometimes entertaining, propaganda.”
A scene from the TV show The Long Season shows three men sitting on a cushioned bench. And older man wearing a vest sits in the middle, and two younger men flank him, one smoking a cigarette and the other appearing to yawn.
A scene from The Long Season.Tencent Studio
How Did This Brilliant Chinese Rust Belt Noir Get Made Under Xi?
The Long Season is the funniest, saddest show to come out of China, FP’s James Palmer writes.
Chinese soldiers stand in tanks in Beijing
Chinese soldiers stand in tanks during a parade celebrating the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China in Beijing on Oct. 1, 2019. Kevin Frayer/Getty Images
China’s Entertainment Future Is Guns, Trains, and Loving the Party
As censorship tightens, tales of technology and the military are mandatory, Lauren Teixeira writes.
A scene from The Battle at Lake Changjin 2.
A scene from The Battle at Lake Changjin 2.BONA FILM GROUP
The Art of Suffering
Two new works of Chinese government propaganda meet with very different reactions from viewers, Rebecca Davis writes.
‘The Age of Awakening’ Hong Kong Premiere
People attend the premiere of the Chinese TV series The Age of Awakening at the Grand Hyatt hotel in Hong Kong on July 12, 2021. Zhihua/China News Service via Getty Images
China’s Newest Action TV Show Is a Propaganda Hit
Private partnerships are upping the Communist Party’s entertainment game, Alex Colville writes.
Moviegoers watch a film in Taiyuan, China, on Feb. 12, the first day of the Lunar New Year. China’s box office revenue hit a record .2 billion in 2019.
Moviegoers watch a film in Taiyuan, China, on Feb. 12, 2021, the first day of the Lunar New Year. China’s box office revenue hit a record $9.2 billion in 2019.Zhang Yun/China News Service via Getty Images
Patriotic Blockbusters Mean Big Box Office For Chinese Filmmakers
Censors have deliberately created a market ripe for propaganda, Amanda Morrison writes.
