The first TV History of filmmaking in China from its beginnings in the 1920s to 1982, featuring Shanghai cinema of 1930s; the progressive filmmakers; the organisation of filmmaking under the post-war communist government; the impact of the Cultural Revolution; the work of Xie Jin. Presented by Tony Rayns. Includes interviews with Xie Jin, Shen Fu, Sun Yu, Sun Daolin, Huang Shaofen, Zhang Junziang, Shu Shi, Wu Haiyan, Xu Shangchu, Wang Lingu, Zhao Jing, Gong Xue.
Presenter: Tony Rayn.
Director: Ron Orders
Producers: John Ellis Simon Hartog, Keith Griffiths
Channel 4 Visions series, 14 September 1983
Total length 57 mins