Across China: Short films popular in remote county

Although not well travelled herself, the name Chen Lihua, who lives in a remote village in north China, has made its way across China after a short film about her life was posted on popular websites Youku and Tencent.

The film has garnered more than 80,000 hits on Tencent.

"We were surprised to see how influential a short film could be, especially one set in a remote area," Chen, 33, said, hoping her story would encourage more people in difficulties.

"Mother," a 15-minute short film, was made by amateur film makers in Jixian County, Shanxi Province, thanks to funding from the local government.

In July 2013, the county announced an ambitious project -- it wanted to fund the production of a short film made in each of its 79 villages, with locals writing scripts and starring in the productions. So far, 62 have been completed.

"We saw a lot of positive elements to Chen's story. She was such a strong-hearted, optimistic mother," said Li Aiqin, from the county publicity department.

The movies cover various themes, including benevolence, corruption and the pursuit of dreams. They are shown on local TV channels, and uploaded to websites, and shared on social networks including Wechat and Weibo.

"The directors, actors and crew are all amateurs, and the scripts are all based on real stories from the villages," said Wang Yanzhang, an official tasked with managing the productions.

"Mostly, people have chosen to star in their own stories. Everyone has shown real passion for this fresh and fascinating experience," Wang said.

Each film is assigned a budget of 5,000 yuan (787 U.S.dollars), and all the actors perform for free.

"I can see how appealing this project is to the people that live in this mountainous area. Some have never even left the county, but now they are almost 'public figures,'" said Fan Jizhong, one of the directors.

Lyu Guiming, a local photographer from a poor rural family, played himself in "Pursuit of Dreams."

"Although, obviously, the quality is not on par with professional productions, I still prefer our films, because I feel very close to the scenes, actors, stories and dialects presented in them."

"The film has made more villagers appreciate my work, and it has helped my confidence. Moreover, it has inspired many young people in the countryside to pursue their dreams," Lyu said. Endi