AnrenisalsothehometownofLiuWencai(1887-1949),afamouslandlordduringtheRe-publicofChinaperiod(1912-1949).TheoldmoviemuseumjusthappenstooccupythemansionofLiuYuanxuan,aprominentfigureinLiu’sclan.
Itfeelsasifyouaregoingbackintimeuponenteringthismuseum.Ithasondisplayover20,000postersofoldmoviesfrombeforethe1980s,morethan3,000copiesofoldmoviesmadebeforethe1970s,3,000-oddcomicsofpre-1980smoviesandoldfilmmagazines,sixoldprojectorsmadebeforethe1970s,andcountlessticketsandbillsoffare,aswellasoldfilmstereosets.Caohasdevotedover20yearstoestablishingthismuseumanditscomprehensivecollection.
UniqueCollections
Dividedintodifferentexhibitionzones,themuseumhasanostalgicatmosphere,evokedwithposterspastedonthewallofclassicoldmoviessuchasFiveHeroesonLangyaMountainandoldfilmmelodiesplayingwhichalmosteveryChineseknows–suchasWhytheFlowersAreSoRed.TherearealsopostersoficonicChinesefilmstarssuchasZhouXuan(1918-1957)andZhangRuifang(1918-2012).
Many“firsts”inChina’sfilmhistoryfeatureamongCao’scollection,suchasthefirstmovieticketreleasedbyacinemaontheNanchangRoadinShanghaiintheearly1900s;thefirstbookonfilmandcinema–HowtoMakeaMovie–publishedin1921;andthefirstadministrativeregulationsontheoperationoftheaterspublishedin1930.OtherpreciousitemsincludeafilmstripofabattlefieldinEuropeduringWorldWarIIandthebookHollywood–AFilmEmpirepublishedin1946.CaoGuiminandhiscollectionsofoldmoviefilmstrips.Caohasanotherrarepieceinhiscollection–aspecimenofabanknotebearingtheimageofHongYong-hee,aNorthKoreanactresswhostarredinTheFlowerGirlin1972.Itmarkedthefirsttimeintheworldthattheimageofanactresshadbeenprintedonabanknote.Cao’sfullcollectionofitemsrelatedtoTheFlowerGirl,includingthescript,tape,posters,postcardsandthebanknote,alsodrewtheinterestofKimJong-il,lateleaderofNorthKoreawhowasalsoanavidcollectorofmovieitems.HeespeciallyaskedhisculturalcounsellortomakecontactwithCao.
TheculturalcounsellorvisitedCao’smuseumandtookalookathisexhibitsaboutNorthKoreanmovies.Whenleaving,theculturalcounselloraskedCaoifhecouldsellthebanknotewiththeimageofHongYong-heetoKimJong-ilastheleaderlikeditverymuch.CaorepliedthathewouldhavegladlygivenonetoKimifhehadtwo,buthecouldn’tbecauseheonlyhadone.
LatertheculturalcounsellorinvitedCaotobetheexecutiveproducerofafilmjointlymadebyChinaandNorthKorea.InSeptember2009,Caowasinvitedtoparticipateinthe“ChinaandDPRKFilmWeek”activityduringthecelebrationofthe60thanniversaryoftheestablishmentofdiplomatictiesbetweenthetwocountries.Duringtheevent,CaoinvitedtheactressHongYong-heetosignhernameonaposterofTheFlowerGirlthathehadcollected.
AnotheriteminwhichCaotakesgreatprideisafilmprojectorproducedbytheGermancompanyFriedrichKruppAG.OntheprojectorareChinesecharactersshowingthatitpassedthroughcustomsonJune8,1896,inShanghai.
AccordingtoCao,theprojectorfirstplayedamovieinShanghaionAugust11,1896.In1904,theprojectorwastransportedfromShanghaitoBeijingtoshowamovieduringthecelebrationofthe70thbirthdayofEmpressDowagerCixi(1835-1908).However,itsufferedamalfunctionandburnedout.Todaywecanstillseethatblackspotonit.
ObsessedwithOldMovies
Cao’slegendaryexperienceswithfilmsareasfascinatingashiscollection.AnativeofYangzhouCityinJiangsuProvince,CaogrewupinGansuProvince,wherehisfather,anarmyman,wasstationed.
WhenCaowasachild,helikedreadingcomicsbooks.Hewouldreadthemforhours,andnotstopevenwhenitwasmealtime.Whenhewas11yearsold,hisfatheraccidentallydroppedsomeofCao’scomicsontothestoveandtheyimmediatelyburnttoashes.Caowasheartbroken.Headmittedthathisaffectionformovie-relateditemswasmorethanjustapassinginterest,butratheraninherentpassionthathaslastedthroughouthisentirelife.
In1986,CaocollectedaposteroftheChinesecomicmovieErziKaiDian(Erzilaunchedabusiness),markingthestartingpointofCao’scollection.Sincethenhehasoftenvisitedcinemasaroundthecountryandcollectedvariouspostersofoldfilms.
Bytheendofthe1980s,Cao’seconomicconditionsimproved.HespentRMB50onafilmcopyofBattleontheBlackMountainwhichwasmadein1958.ThenheboughtafilmprojectorforRMB1,000throughaninstallmentplan.HelearnedhowtoplayamovieontheprojectorandwatchedtheBattleontheBlackMountainagain.Hehadwatcheditoncebeforewhenhewaslittle,buthedidn’tfullyunderstandthemoviethen.Someofhisfriendsaskedhimtohelpfindoldfilms,andwouldbuycopiesthemselves.Afterwatchingthem,theywerewillingtogivethoseoldfilmcopiestoCaoinsupportofhiscollection.ThatsignificantlyencouragedCao,whohassincedevotedhimselftolookingfor,andcollecting,oldfilmrelateditems.
CaousedtoworkinNanjingandShanghai,wherehealmost“turnedthelocalantiquemarketupsidedown”lookingforeverypossible“treasure.”Infact,hisKrupp-madeprojectorwasfoundbyaragpickercalledXuinShanghai.
CaogottoknowXuatanantiquemarketonFuyouRoadinShanghai,andtheysoonbecamefriends.CaooftenadvancedsumsofmoneytoXusothatwhenhefoundanygooditems,hecouldsellthemdirectlytoCao.However,CaoleftShanghaiandforgothehadprepaidXuRMB400.In2007,Cao,theninChengduCity,SichuanProvince,receivedacallfromXu.“Itisgoodtofindyouagain.Isavedanoldprojectorforyou,”saidXu.Afterseeingthephoto,Caodecideditwasaveryoldfilmprojector.HeaskedXutofreightthemachinetoChengdu.HewasthrilledatseeingtheengravedChinesecharacters“The22ndyearofGuangxu’sReignoftheQingDynasty”(1896).LaterCaotookthisoldprojectortoaTVprogramonChinaCentralTelevision(CCTV),whereexpertsareinvitedtoevaluatecollectedtreasures.Cao’sprojectoramazedalltheexperts,totheextentthattheyweren’tabletoevaluatethisoldestprojectoreverfoundinChina.
Caobelievesthatfilmisaculturalproductthatembodiesthewisdomofgenerations.Filmsreflectpeople’sthoughtsandspiritandserveasawayforthemtoexplainandexpresstheirfeelingsabouttruth,goodnessandbeauty,aswellasmendacity,evilandvileness.Tomakeafilmprojectorrequiresknowledgeinareassuchasoptics,chemistry,mechanics,dynamicsandelectricity.Caoadmittedthathispassionforfilmhasneverfadedandwilllastforever.
ALifelongDream
In2009,CaocametoAnrenwithhiscollection.ThereasonhechoseAnrenwastodowiththeclimate.“Preservingfilmstripsrequirestemperaturesrangingfrom12to25degreescentigradeandhumidityofabove65percent.TheclimateinAnrenisperfect,”explainedCao.
UponhearingaboutCao,managersofaculturaldevelopmentcompanyinAnrendecidedtohelphimrealizehisdreamofsharinghiscollectionwithotherfilmlovers.TheysupportedtheestablishmentofthemoviemuseumatLiuYuanxuan’sMansioninthetown.Onthedaythemuseumwasformallyestablishedin2011,Caofeltgratifiedintheknowledgehehadbuiltaparadiseforoldmovieloverslikehim.
Infact,Caohasgivenupmuchinpursuinghisdream.Heresignedfromhisjobasamanagerinastate-ownedenterprise,andhiswifelefthimbecausehespenttoomuchmoneyandenergyonhiscollection.Caohasalsoaccumulatedahugeamountofdebt.However,nodifficultystandsinhisway.“AsIappreciateeverypieceofmycollection,theyseemlikechildren,andIfeelIcan’tlivewithoutthem,”Caosaid.
ThankstoCao’scollection,otherfilmloversnowhavetheopportunitytorealizetheirlifelongdreams.Forexample,anoldwomaninShandongProvinceparticipatedintheproductionofadocumentaryaboutNewYearwoodblockprintsinthe1970s,buthadneverseenit.Shewantedtowatchitverymuch,butitwasnoteasytofindsuchanolddocumentary.HerfamilymembersmadecontactwithCaoin2009andhefoundhehadboughtacopyofitinGuang’anCity,SichuanProvincein2005.Caoimmediatelytransferredacopyontoadiscandsentittotheoldlady.Notlongafter,Caoreceivedacallfromherfamily.Theytoldhimhowhappyshehadbeentowatchit.Thewomanpassedawayaweeklater.
Inthemuseumarevariousstationarymovieprojectors.TheoldestisaSonghuajiang5501type35mmstationaryfilmprojector.ItwasmodeledonaprojectorboughtfromtheU.S.S.R.andproducedbytheHarbinFilmMachineryPlantintheearly1950s.CaoboughttheprojectorfromaretiredprojectionistinShaanxiProvince.
Onedayaspecialvisitorcametothemuseum.TheoldmanaskedforachairandjustsatbesidetheSonghuajiang5501projectorforhalfanhour,beforeburstingintotears.Heturnedouttobeanengineerwhohadparticipatedinthedevelopmentandproductionofthismovieprojector.Itwastotallybeyondhisexpectationsthathewouldeverseethemachineagaininhisoldage,sotriggeringsomanymemoriesabouthiscareer.HethankedCaoandsaidhehadnothinglefttowishforafterseeingtheprojectoragain.
Caoisnowinhislate50s.Hehasbeenthinkingofhowtopreserveandpassonhiscollectiontofuturegenerations.“Ihavespentmostofmylifecollectingover200,000oldfilm-relateditems.Ican’taffordtoloseanyofthem,”saidCao.Hesaidhehasthesimplestwishasacollector:todonatethemuseumtosocietywhenhegetstoooldtomanageitsothatallpeoplecanshareinhistreasures.ThefilmprojectorproducedbytheGermancompanyFriedrichKruppAGcollectedbyCaoistheoldestprojectorextantinChina.Filmsreflectpeople’sthoughtsandspiritandserveasawayforthemtoexplainandexpresstheirfeelingsabouttruth,goodnessandbeauty.