“We support film reform, we support Guangdong Province as a pilot, and we support increased exchange and cooperation between the two places! But China Film’s function is to be responsible for nationwide film distribution. You running a pilot can’t just sidestep China Film!”
“A pilot is a testing ground for reform! I think we should free ourselves from all the old boxes and rules. If we stick to the old traditions, what’s the point of a pilot?”
“Reform still has to follow the law! China Film’s duties are assigned by law. If Hong Kong films are to try box-office revenue sharing in Guangdong, first you have to answer: who imports them? How are twenty Hong Kong films a year going to be brought in? Do you want Guangdong’s film company to import them on its own? That would be beyond your authority. It must be imported through China Film, and then distributed to your provincial film companies!”
“If that’s the case, the reform is empty talk — we go in circles right back to where we started!”
The atmosphere in the conference room was extremely tense.
The current situation: all sides roughly agreed that Guangdong would be the pilot for box-office revenue sharing, but how to split the benefits? China Film and the provincial film company were both unwilling to give ground.
The Hong Kong delegation and Chen Qi both watched from the side.