The Red Era: Living in Seclusion in a Siheyuan as a Boss

Chapter 799 The Shaw Brothers of Southeast Asia!!

Lin Zhiyuan gently stroked the glass of the display case, his gaze lingering on the children's innocent smiling faces in the yellowed photograph.

Wu Dafang suddenly remembered that his father had said that his grandfather met his grandmother through an open-air screening of "The Butterfly Lovers" in Penang in the 1960s.

“Back then, a movie ticket would cost the equivalent of three days’ worth of meals,” Wu Dafang said in a low voice. “But my grandfather said that seeing the story of our hometown on the big screen was worth it no matter how expensive it was.”

Lin Zhiyuan nodded and pointed to the film reels displayed on the other side of the exhibition hall: "Look at these well-preserved reels of 'Come Drink with Me,' which were screened in Kuala Lumpur for three consecutive months back then."

My father always said that it was the spirit of loyalty and righteousness in these martial arts films that kept Chinese people living abroad from ever forgetting their roots.

The exhibition hall lights suddenly dimmed, and the projector began playing a montage of classic Shaw Brothers films.

When the scene of Wang Yu wielding his sword appeared in "The One-Armed Swordsman," several elderly viewers with white hair spontaneously recalled the past.

Lin Zhiyuan noticed that a young couple in the back row, although they couldn't understand the Cantonese dialogue, were still deeply attracted by the exciting martial arts scenes.

“Asia Pacific Films is still restoring hundreds of old movies every year,” Wu Dafang said, pointing to the 2K restored version of “The Kingdom and the Beauty” that was playing. “These digital copies will be distributed to Chinese schools in Southeast Asian countries for screening.”

Laughter came from outside the screening room. It turned out that a group of Malay students dressed in traditional sarongs were imitating martial arts moves from old movies.

Lin Zhiyuan suddenly realized that these memories of light and shadow that transcend time and space have long surpassed mere entertainment and become a cultural bridge connecting different generations and different ethnic groups.

Just like the old-fashioned projector in the center of the exhibition hall, although it is no longer in use, the cultural light it projects still flows across the land of Southeast Asia.

It must be said that Hong Kong films once had a huge influence on Southeast Asia.

Lin Zhiyuan also knows that recently, the Kuala Lumpur leg of the "Hong Kong Film Tour," organized by the Asia Pacific Film Awards Academy and sponsored by ATV Group and the Asia Pacific Film Development Foundation, was officially held, attracting a large number of Southeast Asian film distributors to the event.

Mr. Tang, a well-known film distributor in Malaysia, is a good friend of Wu Dafang.

Wu Dafang and Mr. Deng talked about Hong Kong films. Since the Hong Kong film industry entered its golden age in the 80s, almost every Hong Kong film has been popular in Malaysia. In particular, the recent release of "Infernal Affairs" has sparked a movie-watching craze, making local distributors and cinemas very wealthy.

Today, the Asia Pacific Film Group continues to expand and develop upon the foundation of Shaw Brothers films, directly competing with Hollywood in the Southeast Asian film and television culture sector.

Hong Kong films were once considered outstanding regional films. Hong Kong films, once hailed as the "Hollywood of the East," far exceeded the entertainment productivity and cultural expression of a single city. They possessed market competitiveness and global influence through cross-border and cross-regional collaborative creation and widespread dissemination.

In fact, the reason why Hong Kong films have a regional and global influence beyond their local borders is mainly due to their objective geographical characteristics and their subjective strategies for survival and development within a geographical context.

Looking at Hong Kong from a geopolitical perspective, the inherent commercial nature of Hong Kong films, their cross-border nature in market exploration, and their cultural diversity are all closely related to their unique geographical conditions.

Located on the southeastern coast, Hong Kong has a vast sea area and is a key location for coastal defense and an important port. It has played an important role in the history of foreign trade and immigration in the East China Sea. The maritime civilization has led to the prominent commercial awareness of Hong Kong films.

Hong Kong has a land area of ​​over 1100 square kilometers and a population that reached over 2.5 million in the 1950s and over 7 million in the millennium. This has resulted in a fatal flaw for Hong Kong cinema: "too small a place, too few moviegoers" and a limited local market.

For over a century, market expansion has always been the top priority for the survival of Hong Kong films. To this end, Hong Kong film companies, led by the Asia Pacific Film Group, have adopted diversified strategies for overseas development, expanding southward into Southeast Asia, including Singapore and Malaysia, eastward into Japan and South Korea, westward into European and American markets, and northward into mainland China, using Hong Kong as a base to expand globally.

Southeast Asia is a key strategic region for Asia Pacific Film & Television Group as it expands from its home market to the global market.

Asia Pacific Film Group was able to quickly become the dominant film and television group in Asia from the mid-to-late 1980s, all thanks to the pioneering work of Hong Kong filmmakers.

In the late 50s, in order to further stabilize the film supply needed in Southeast Asia and have more initiative in distribution, the three major Singaporean and Malaysian cinema chains established production companies directly in Hong Kong.

The Shaw Brothers sent Shao Yifu to Hong Kong to divest the Shaw Brothers' film production business and establish the Shaw Brothers.
Cathay reorganized its Hong Kong distribution company, International, into Cathay Organisation.
"Guangyi" supported director Qin Jian in establishing Guangyi Production Company and investing in Hong Kong films.

The Shaw Brothers also adopted the Hollywood studio system, creating the largest Shaw Clearwater Bay Studio in Asia in Hong Kong. They introduced outstanding filmmakers and technology from Japan and South Korea, vigorously promoted the star system, and drove trends such as Huangmei opera films, new-style martial arts films, and youth musicals, becoming a leading force in the Hong Kong film industry.

As Lin Zhiyuan gazed at the bustling crowd in the exhibition hall, he suddenly noticed an elderly man with a cane in the corner staring intently at the poster for "The Big Boss".

The old man's wrinkled hands trembled slightly, and tears welled up in his cloudy eyes.

“That’s Uncle Chen,” Wu Dafang explained softly. “He used to be an old man at Shaw Brothers, and later he opened a small cinema in Lijiapo that showed Hong Kong movies.”

Later, due to the controversy, the cinema closed, but he secretly preserved dozens of old film reels from that time.

At this point, the projection switched to a classic scene from "A Better Tomorrow".

When Chow Yun-fat, playing Mark Gor, appeared on the screen, audiences of all ages in the exhibition hall exclaimed with knowing admiration.

Lin Zhiyuan discovered that even young audience members who knew nothing about Cantonese could accurately imitate the classic line, "I'm not trying to prove anything, I just want to tell others that I will definitely get back what I've lost."

“Look, this is the charm of Hong Kong films.” Wu Dafang pointed to the restored version of “Ashes of Time” that was playing. “Even after thirty years, these works can still touch people’s hearts.”

Asia Pacific Film & Television now invests tens of millions of dollars annually in high-definition restoration, aiming to allow a new generation of viewers to experience the magic of cinematic art from the past.

These films carry not only stories, but also the collective memories of a generation.

The influence of Shaw Brothers films on generations is beyond the comprehension of the new generation.

When talking about Hong Kong films, one cannot avoid mentioning Shaw Brothers, and when talking about Shaw Brothers, one must mention Shaw Yi-yi.

Shao Yifu is highly regarded in China. Over the years, he has donated more than HK$1 billion to charity and welfare causes and has helped build thousands of education and medical projects.

Wu Dafang told Lin Zhiyuan that the Shaw family's great influence in the Southeast Asian film and television culture field was not entirely due to Shao Yifu alone.

To talk about the rise of the Shaw family, we must start with Mr. Shaw Yu-hsuan, the father of Shaw Yi-fu.

The Shao family has been running a dye workshop called "Jintaichang" in the Zhujiaqiao area of ​​Jiangsu and Zhejiang for generations. It is quite famous in the area because of its complete range of dye colors and low prices.

When he was young, Shao Yuxuan was taken by his father to Shanghai to "broaden his horizons." After seeing the bustling metropolis and the Bund, Shao Yuxuan secretly vowed to open a dye shop in a big city like Shanghai.

At the age of thirty, Shao Yuxuan finally found an opportunity and founded the "Jintaichang" dye shop in Shanghai.

It was naturally difficult at the beginning, as apart from the eldest son who was already an adult, the rest of the family lived in their hometown.

A few years later, Shao Yuxuan, with his skillful management, developed "Jintaichang" into a well-known dye shop in Shanghai, and he himself became a patriotic businessman with some fame in Shanghai.

When people mention him, they all give him a thumbs up: "Brother Yuxuan is a very honest person who puts integrity first."

Shao Yuxuan had a total of 5 sons and 3 daughters. Shao Yifu was the sixth child in the family, which is why people called him "Sixth Uncle" after he became a tycoon.

Shao Yifu studied at his hometown town, Haizhongxing School, in his early years, and even shipping magnate Bao Yugang was his junior.

His good fortune was short-lived; his father, Shao Yuxuan, passed away.

The eldest brother, Shao Yijie, was originally just a practicing lawyer. Although he had worked in the business with his father for a while, he suddenly felt a heavy burden on his shoulders when he took over the family business.

Later, Shao Yijie partnered with someone to purchase goods, but was cheated by his partner who absconded with the payment. Jintaichang, already on a downward spiral, suffered a broken cash flow and had nowhere to turn for help.

The newly appointed head of the family, Shao Yijie, is eager to find a new path for the family, but he has limited funds and is not experienced in business. He is caught in a dilemma and does not know what to do.

By chance, Shao Yijie remembered the "small stage" his father had bought when he was sick. His father had mentioned to him that the film industry had great potential.

Unfortunately, he didn't live long; his father passed away not long after the theater was purchased.

Shao Yijie tapped on the table. "The film industry in Shanghai is just beginning to flourish. Now that we have a venue, why not set up a film company?"
Without hesitation, he and his friends pooled their money to run the business, renamed the "Small Stage" to "Laughing Stage," and founded the "Peace Society" theater troupe.

However, not long after the troupe was established, the friends who had invested withdrew their funds and started their own businesses, leaving Shao Yijie in an awkward position.

It's definitely not suitable for outsiders, but fortunately, the Shaw family has many brothers.

In 1924, Shao Yijie founded the "Tianyi Film Company" at Yokohama Bridge in Zhabei, Shanghai.

Shao Yijie served as general manager and part-time director. His second brother, Shao Yidi, was the accountant. His third brother, Shao Yimei, managed the distribution. His sixth brother, Shao Yifu, was in charge of distribution in other regions because he had attended the YMCA Secondary School, an English school run by Americans, and spoke fluent English.

At that time, there were already quite a few film companies in Shanghai, and Tianyi was neither the most financially powerful nor had any powerful backers.

However, it unexpectedly rose to prominence by producing films based on Chinese folk tales, classical novels, and mythological fantasy. In Shanghai, where "fashion" and "exoticism" were highly valued, it was a "mudslide" that actually appealed to the tastes of the lower and middle classes.

The first star that Tianyi Film Studio heavily promoted was the famous movie queen Hu Die. Later, the two sides fell out, and Shao Yijie promoted the star Chen Yumei instead.

To prevent Chen Yumei from being poached by other film companies, the eldest son of the Shao family simply married her as his second wife.

Back then, the dye industry was tough, and so was the film industry.

While others are shooting fashion, you insist on going for a retro style; being a maverick isn't easy.

One year, six long-established film companies in Shanghai joined forces to form "Liuhe Film Industry" and launched a campaign against "Tianyi" under the pretext of "breaking old ideas".

Liuhe Pictures has put forward many "rules", the most vicious of which is: if a distributor or theater buys a film from Liuhe, it cannot buy a film from Tianyi.

This resulted in Tianyi Film Studio producing many films but having no distribution channels, leaving them to gather dust in warehouses.

This single move drove the Shao family to the brink of despair.

After much deliberation, Shao Yijie came up with another solution: going to Southeast Asia.

Starting from the late Ming Dynasty, due to the maritime ban policy, a trend arose among people in coastal areas to go to Southeast Asia to make a living.

Towards the end of the Qing Dynasty, due to war and foreign powers, some people had no choice but to leave their homes and go to Southeast Asia to make a living.

Shao Zuiweng grasped this point: so many Chinese in Southeast Asia left home at a young age and now have gray hair; they must also want to watch movies from their hometown!
Shao Lao Da sent his third brother, Shao Yi Ke, to Southeast Asia to investigate the market.

Young Shao Yike was full of energy. He packed a few clothes, some money, and a few movies that were selling well in Shanghai, and boarded a passenger ship bound for Southeast Asia.

When Shao Yike first arrived at Lijiapo, he felt the situation was not optimistic.

Back then, most of those who went to Southeast Asia were fishermen from the coastal areas of Guangdong and Fujian provinces. When they arrived in a foreign land, they mostly banded together for mutual support. Shao Yike, who spoke with a strong Jiangzhe accent, was immediately recognized as an "outsider" and was turned away by wealthy Chinese businessmen.

In addition, the presence of Liuhe Film Industry already makes it extremely difficult to develop the business here.

But Shao Yike did not back down. He left the city center and went to the countryside, where he found that the vast rural areas were still undeveloped virgin land. If he started from the countryside, there was a huge market waiting to be explored.

He sent a telegram to Shao Laoda, specifically requesting his youngest brother, Shao Yifu, as his helper.

Shao Yifu was 19 years old at the time, a high school graduate, and was considering his next schooling.

However, he always puts his family first. He is young and adventurous, and his English is the best among the Shao brothers.

After a heart-to-heart talk with his eldest brother, Shao Yijie, he packed a bag, took a sum of money, and met up with his third brother, Shao Yike, in Lijiapo.

After discussing it, the two brothers decided to use a mobile screening method to break into the market.

Mobile film screenings sound sophisticated, but they're really just about putting the projection equipment and master tapes on a large van, and then the two brothers drive around to the suburbs and countryside to show movies to the locals.

The South Pacific is hot and humid, with scorching sun one moment and torrential rain the next.

Although the family fortunes have declined in recent years, the Shaw brothers have never suffered such hardship.

However, the future is still uncertain, and they can only rely on each other. They must get through this no matter what.

The two traveled around the countryside while negotiating collaborations with local film distribution companies.

The distribution company leased theaters and handled promotions, and Shaw Brothers produced films, quickly making a name for itself in Southeast Asia.

In today's terms, the Shaw Brothers seized the "lower-tier market" early on, and with a two-pronged approach, they finally opened up the film market in Singapore.

Subsequently, the two brothers extended their reach to Malaysia, using the same tactics to capture another segment of the Malaysian market.

After making money, they began acquiring theaters and amusement parks, establishing Shaw Brothers' own theater chain.

At the same time, it also connected with several wealthy overseas Chinese businessmen from Jiangsu and Zhejiang, becoming a new force in the local area.

With limited funds, the Shaw Brothers mainly acquired tickets through leasing, and would consider purchasing them when the opportunity arose and the funds were available. With their intelligence and hard work, the Shaw Brothers quickly established themselves in the Malay region.

In the 1930s, brothers Shao Yike and Shao Yifu established the "Shaw Brothers Company" in Lijiapo, opening up a new world for "Tianyi Film Company".

Meanwhile, Shao Yijie, far away in Shanghai, did not give up his film career despite being blacklisted. He was determined to follow the historical trend and develop sound films.

At that time, silent films were the mainstream in China, but Hollywood's sound films were developing rapidly. Shao Yijie sent a telegram to Shao Yifu, asking him to go to Europe and America to collect advanced filming equipment, especially to purchase a batch of equipment for filming sound films.

Thus, Shaw boarded the passenger ship bound for the United States.

The first half of the journey went smoothly, but unexpectedly, when the ship reached the west coast of America, it accidentally hit a reef and sank, and Shao Yifu fell into the cold sea.

Perhaps it was his destiny to survive, but as Shao Yifu struggled in the sea, he managed to grab a sampan, used all his strength to climb onto it, and let the sampan carry him up and down.

As the sun rose in the east and set in the west, cold and hungry, Shao Yifu didn't know how much longer he could hold on, or whether he would survive to return to his hometown.

(End of this chapter)