The Behind-the-scenes Production of Zhuangzi Trying His Wife

Zhuangzi's wife trial: opening the origin of Hong Kong movies

19 13 years, almost at the same time as the filming of A Hard Wife, Blaskey and his brother Wan Wei Sha, who sells Asia, set up a gorgeous film company in Kowloon, Hong Kong, and co-produced Zhuangzi's Trying His Wife with the People and My Mirror Drama Club in Li Minwei, which is also the first short story film made in Hong Kong.

Over the past century, Hong Kong has always been an important place for China films at all stages of film interaction with the mainland and Taiwan Province province, whether it is the two peaks standing side by side, standing out from the crowd or the three pillars. Although the plot of Zhuangzi's Wife Trial is simple, it is the origin of Hong Kong films, and its producer Li Minwei is a man of the times.

On the main entrance of Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum in Nanjing, four characters are engraved: "The world is for the public". Few people know that Sun Yat-sen wrote these four words in person just to praise a person. At that time, the Northern Expedition had just begun. He carried a heavy camera, regardless of his life's danger, took pictures of attacking Huizhou City in the war, and even took a panoramic view of the battlefield from the plane. These battlefield video shots constitute a large-scale news documentary "The Battle of the National Revolutionary Army by Sea, Land and Air", which has become a powerful weapon to revitalize the nation. This man is Li Minwei, the father of Hong Kong films.

For a long time, in the history of old movies, he was only associated with Zhuangzi's wife trial. Therefore, Rocca, a senior Hong Kong filmmaker and film critic, said: "If China was a prosperous and peaceful China at that time and Hong Kong was a Hong Kong that paid attention to history and culture, the Li Minwei brothers might be enshrined in the palace of China films, enjoying all the honors and celebrating great events, just as the Lumiere brothers are to the French."

Zhuangzi's Wife Trial has two very important titles in the history of China film: it is the first film shipped overseas in China; China's first actress appeared in the film. Incredibly, during the eight years from the founding of the People's Republic of China 1905 to 19 13, there were no actresses in the old China films, and all the actresses were performed by actors who performed new dramas. This is true even in a movie that thoroughly describes the marriage relationship between men and women, such as "A husband cannot find a wife". At that time, Yan Shanshan appeared. She is Li Minwei's wife and plays a maid in the film, which is the first role played by a woman in China film history. Li Minwei's film career began in Hongkong, but the golden years of his life were spent in the 1920s and 1930s. 192 1 year, Li Minwei and his brothers Li Haishan and Li Beihai founded the first film factory in Hong Kong-Minxin Manufacturing Film Co., Ltd., located in Tai Hang, Hong Kong, which was later named "Screen Street" by the Hong Kong government. The people's hearts were eventually dissolved due to losses. Realizing that Shanghai is the center of film culture, Li Minwei decided to hold a meeting in Shanghai and co-organize Shanghai People's Letter with Li Yingsheng. The first film "Jade Clean and Ice Clear" was an instant hit, and other classic films such as "The West Chamber" were also filmed. From 1926 to 1929, Shanghai Minxin Company produced 20 films in four years. Li Minwei invited Ou Yangyuqian, Buwan Lane, Hou Yao and Sun Yu as directors. However, just when the cause of "Shanghai Minxin" reached its peak, the incident of Mulan's joining the army, which he took pains to shoot, caused him serious losses, and Shanghai Minxin closed down. At this point, Luo Ming offered him cooperation, and his wife Lin Chuchu encouraged him. They founded Lianhua Film Company, and under the banner of "Reviving and Transforming China Films", they filmed "Dream of Spring in the Old Capital". At the same time, he began to shoot Wild Grass Flowers and Love and Responsibility, the latter starring Ruan, but Ruan's sudden death later affected the appeal of Lianhua. Coupled with the outbreak of 1937 in War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, Lianhua Company was seized by the puppet troops. 194 1 year, Hong Kong fell, the studio was destroyed, Li Minwei sold his property, and distributed the income to employees to return home. Refusing to cooperate with the enemy, the whole family fled to Guangxi and participated in the Guangxi Provincial Art Museum hosted by Ou Yangyuqian. In his later years, regardless of his illness, he insisted on the technological innovation of movies. Beijing Film Printing Factory once hired him as the factory director, but he was seriously ill and failed to apply.

1October 26th, Li Minwei died at the age of 60. At his memorial service, the banner of "Father of China Film" was hung.