Propaganda films are now being shown ahead of every movie in Chinese theaters to promote the Communist party’s policies.
A series of four short videos titled The Glory and the Dream — Our Chinese Dream are now being shown to moviegoers prior to the film they're seeing. The PSAs were launched on July 1.
Each one of these three-minute films explain and promote to the public one of the key values held by President Xi Jinping’s administration: "The Chinese Dream," "Core Values of Socialism," "Four Comprehensives" and "Five-in-one Overall."
The State Administration for Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television (SAPPRFT) has said that they are “aimed at helping the public better understand and accept the policies and visions of the party.”
Many Chinese celebrities have helped to create these videos, with A-listers such as Jackie Chan, Li Bingbing (of Transformers: Age of Extinction), Donnie Yen (of Rogue One) and the TFBoys (ugh) to name but a few.
It is expected that the presence of celebrities, who SAPPRFT said acted pro bono, will attract the attention of some audience members.
But are the propaganda films actually working? According to a movie theater employee interviewed by state-run newspaper The Global Times, many ticket holders have started showing up late to screenings so that they don’t have to watch them. (The article appears to have been pulled offline).
Only time will tell if the information from these videos will be absorbed by the public.
[Image via SimonQ錫濛譙 on Flickr]
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