Film Technology in Socialist Chinese Cinema

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by Zhaoyu Zhu

Type

Studies

Subject

Countries > China

Keywords

China, technology, 1950s, 1960s

Publishing date

2026 (July 21, 2026)

Publisher

Routledge

Collection

Media, Culture and Social Change in Asia

Language

English

Relative size

Physical desc.

Hardcover • 158 pages
6 ¼ x 9 ½ inches (16 x 24 cm)

ISBN

978-1-04-111429-1

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Book Presentation:
This book examines the history of film technology in Maoist China from the foundation of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) in 1949 to the beginning of economic reform in 1979 from the perspective of technology transfer.

Highlighting the trade exchange of technology equipment and scientific knowledge between China and the globe, this book explores the history of film technology in the socialist state, showing that the function of film technology under socialism is different from that of capitalist countries, which mainly use film technology to raise films’ commercial appeal and to generate profit. Instead, the use of film technology became a key link in the Chinese film industry to promote socialist propaganda and pedagogy.

In showing how the film industry in China became a state-led megamachine centralising the sustainable production and supply of filmmaking resources, this book will be a valuable resource for students and scholars of film studies, contemporary cinema, and Asian media and communication studies.

About the Author:
Zhaoyu Zhu is a teaching fellow in Communication and Cultural Studies at the University of Nottingham Ningbo, China. He received the Katherine Singer Kovacs Essay Award from the Society of Cinema and Media Studies in 2022. He writes widely about Chinese film history (particularly Chinese film technology), Chinese cinemas, and film festivals.

See the publisher website: Routledge