The founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949 marked the end of an era of Chinese filmmaking, an era marked by a high level of artistic and technical development. Since that time, it has been impossible to separate filmmaking from politics. When the Chinese Communist Party has loosened controls and encouraged art and culture, the film industry has prospered.
From A to Z, Abandon Superstitions (1958; Po Chu Mi Xing in Chinese) to Zuo Wenjun and Sima Xiangru (1984; Zuo Wen Jun Ahe Si Ma Xiang Ru), this comprehensive reference work provides filmographic data on 2,444 Chinese features released since the formation of the People's Republic of China. The films reflect the shifting dynamics of the Chinese film industry, from sweeping epics to unabashedly political docudramas, although straight documentaries are excluded from the current work. The entries include the title in English, the Chinese title (in Pinyin romanization with each syllable noted separately for clarity), year of release, studio, technical information (e.g., black and white or color, letterboxed or widescreen), length, technical credits, literary source (when applicable), cast, plot summary, and awards won.
