Book Video: Once Upon a Time in Shanghai

When the Capitol Hill Book Fair was moved virtual this spring, I put together this 5 minute video to present my latest book ‘Once Upon a Time in Shanghai: Behind the Scenes of the Chinese Movie Industry’ (Daylight Books, 2019). I wanted to share what I find so fascinating about the mainland China film industry, as well as the process and thought that went into making the photographs.

Understanding the oversized movie production infrastructure in China seems even more relevant now, as the COVID-19 pandemic has shut down movie production and theaters across the US. PEN America released a report last month titled ‘Made in Hollywood, Censored by Beijing‘ about how Hollywood’s effort to appeal to the Chinese market is influencing film content. Disney’s new live-action version of ‘Mulan’ has also faced accusations of pandering to Chinese officials, as well as a boycott over actress Liu Yifei’s statements in support of the crackdown on pro-democracy activists in Hong Kong.

Watch the video above or on my YouTube channel.