Military and Revolutionary Events in China in the 1930–1955 in Color Soviet Documentaries – МЕЖДУНАРОДНЫЙ ЖУРНАЛ ИССЛЕДОВАНИЙ КУЛЬТУРЫ

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Victor K. Belyakov
Sergiev Posad Branch of VGIK, Moscow, Russia
125009, st. Bolshaya Dmitrovka, d.21 / 7.
Associate Professor
Ph.D. in History of Arts
e-mail: vic.belyakov@gmail.com

Military and Revolutionary Events in China in the 1930–1955 in Color Soviet Documentaries

Abstract: The article discusses the history of creation of the first color documentaries dedicated to the Chinese Revolution and proclamation of the People's Republic of China. They were created by famous Soviet documentary filmmakers who were sent specifically for filming revolutionary events by agreement between the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party and Stalin. Two film crews were sent to work in China – led by famous Soviet film directors Leonid Varlamov and Sergey Gerasimov. The films themselves were shot on captured German color stock and many episodes were shot related to the most important military events of the struggle against the Kuomintang army, celebrations marking the formation of the People's Republic of China and various aspects of the peaceful life of the Chinese people. Only a small part of the footage was included in the two films created, and most of it was deposited in the State Archive of Film and Photo Documents. The filming itself and installation and tinting work were carried out with the participation of Chinese filmmakers. The article contains a number of unique facts and details gleaned from preserved archival materials, which allow us to tell with a high degree of reliability the true story of the creation of films.

Key words: China, the Chinese revolution, newsreels, Shanghai, documentary, filming, production element, color cinema, footage.

References:

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For Citation:

Belyakov, V. (2020). Military and Revolutionary Events in China in the 1930–1955 in Color Soviet Documentaries. International Journal of Cultural Research, 4 (41), 147–156. DOI:10.52173/2079-1100_2020_4_147

DOI: 10.52173/2079-1100_2020_4_147