On the Operations of the North China Film Company in Peiping During the Occupation

Once cinema took on its persuasive and pacifying character, it was naturally weaponized as a national propaganda tool. In the occupation of Peiping, collaboration with the Japanese stemmed from heightened political demands that treated cinema as an indispensable tool for educating the masses. At that time, the collaborationist North China Film Company had not only monopolized the film industry in Peiping, but also capitalized on its exclusive distribution and exhibition rights to tighten its grip on the major cinemas and a whole array of ancillary film provision services. The North China Film Company also began developing the film market with film screening tours in the outskirts of Peiping overseen by “Cinema Squads” for the purposes of helping instill a slave mentality. This in-depth research of this historical era will give subsequent generations of researchers a clearer picture of the significance of the time when the Peiping film industry was ruled with an iron fist.

Keywords: Movie Theaters ; North China Films ; Peiping Film Propaganda Campaigns ; The Occupation Period