As IMAX, the world's leading premium cinema network, continues to expand in China, it is strengthening cooperation with local movie makers who can produce high-quality movies that appeal to Chinese audiences.
IMAX has seen significant growth in China with nearly 800 theaters now operating across the country.
In a recent interview with China Global Television Network (CGTN), Liao Yiman, vice president of film programming at IMAX China, stressed the company's commitment to integrating all aspects of the cinematic experience, from film creation to audience engagement, while highlighting local content.
Liao emphasized the importance of collaboration with Chinese directors and production studios, which has brought many creative visions to larger screens. She noted that cultural resonance and innovative content are the keys to enhancing the collaborative efforts.
"We've noticed that local culture in China has really been instrumental in shaping movie-going preferences and, in recent years, audiences have developed a strong appetite for regional and fresh content that they can relate to or connect on a social or cultural level. That's why we can see that the successful films are mostly films that can spark social discussions or become cultural touchstones or even phenomena. Additionally, China has been producing more and more high-quality films both in terms of production value and narratives. This actually works in favor for IMAX," she said.
Several films produced in collaboration with the Chinese company Light Chaser Animation, including "Chang An," and " White Snake: Afloat," have received positive box office responses. Liao pointed out that such well-crafted productions not only elevate the quality of Chinese cinema but also enhance IMAX's audience base.
"The Light Chaser has really been instrumental in elevating Chinese animation to the global stage. They have really set the bar in creating visually stunning spectacles and setting milestones for the production quality of Chinese films and most importantly, they tell traditional Chinese stories seamlessly blended with a modern style in narrative and in aesthetics, which makes their work incredibly unique and valuable. Audiences who appreciate the high quality of the productions would really see IMAX as the go-to place to watch the films. This has led to a strong partnership between IMAX and Light Chaser. They have become our most collaborated animation studio in China," Liao said.
Since surpassing Japan in 2011 to become the world's second-largest box office market after the U.S., China has emerged as a market leader. Liao believes this growth in the film industry is beneficial for promoting Chinese culture and enhancing global communication.
"China has brought very unique cinematic stories to the global stage thanks to our very talented filmmakers to enrich cultural consumption, promote mutual understandings and foster deeper connections worldwide," she said.
IMAX expansion in China driven by local content
A video featuring a former member of Unit 731, a notorious Japanese germ-warfare unit during World War II (WWII), was released on Thursday in northeast China's Harbin, revealing details of how the unit used meteorological data to conduct horrific bacterial experiments on human beings.
The video was released by the Exhibition Hall of Evidence of Crimes Committed by Unit 731 of the Japanese Imperial Army, in which former Unit 731 member Tsuruo Nishijima detailed how the unit used meteorological data to carry out a bacterial dispersal experiment.
The video was recorded in 1997 by Japanese scholar Fuyuko Nishisato and donated to the exhibition hall in 2019, according to the hall, which was built on the former site of the headquarters of Unit 731 in Harbin, the capital city of Heilongjiang Province.
Jin Shicheng, director of the Department of Publicity, Education and Exhibition of the exhibition hall, said that Nishijima joined Unit 731 in October 1938 and served in the unit's meteorological squad. The squad was not a simple observation section but rather an auxiliary force supporting the unit's field human experiments by measuring wind direction, wind speed, and other conditions to ensure optimal experimental results, according to Jin.
Nishijima confirmed in the footage that "the meteorological squad had to be present at every field experiment." He testified to the "rainfall experiments" conducted by Unit 731, which involved aircraft releasing bacterial agents at extremely low altitudes.
At a field-testing site in Anda City, Heilongjiang, Unit 731 aircraft descended to about 50 meters above the ground. They sprayed bacterial culture liquids onto "maruta" -- human test subjects -- who were tied to wooden stakes. Each experiment involved about 30 people, spaced roughly 5 meters apart. After the experiments, the victims were loaded into sealed trucks and transported back to the unit, where their symptoms and disease progression were recorded over a period of several days.
"Unit 731's bacterial weapons were dropped by aircraft from a height of 50 meters in the open air. Therefore, the meteorological squad needed to observe wind direction and speed, which directly affected the precision and accuracy of the bacterial weapons deployment," said Jin.
Nishijima recounted the harrowing experience of the human test subjects.
"They were fully aware that inhaling the substances would certainly lead to death, so they closed their eyes and held their breath to avoid breathing them in. Their resistance prevented the experiment from proceeding. To compel them to comply, they were forced at gunpoint to open their mouths and lift their heads," said Nishijima.
These experiments, disguised as "scientific research," were in fact systematic tests of biological warfare weapons conducted by the Japanese military. The data generated from these inhumane activities became "research findings" shared among the Japanese army medical school, the medical community, and the military at large.
"At that time, the entire Japanese medical community tacitly approved, encouraged, and even participated in the criminal acts of Unit 731. The unit comprised members from Japan's medical and academic sectors who served the Japanese war of aggression against China. Thus, Unit 731 was not just a military unit but represented an organized and systematic criminal enterprise operating from the top down," said Jin.
Unit 731 was a top-secret biological and chemical warfare research base established in Harbin as the nerve center for Japanese biological warfare in China and Southeast Asia during WWII.
At least 3,000 people were used for human experiments by Unit 731, and Japan's biological weapons killed more than 300,000 people in China.
Video offers details of Japan's germ-warfare crimes in northeast China
