Flash Points: Are brilliant films made under Xi Jinping?

The fine line between art and propaganda in modern China. MARCH 24, 2024  |  [VIEW IN BROWSER](  |  [SUBSCRIBE](     Sponsored by the [Lionel Gelber Prize]( Deena So’Oteh illustration for Foreign Policy In 2013, Chinese director Feng Xiaogang [bemoaned]( Beijing’s censorship regime, calling it a “torment.” Since then, China’s censors have become stricter. As art-house filmmakers struggle to operate and Beijing has sought to popularize propaganda, the entertainment industry has become dominated by patriotic blockbusters and military dramas. This edition of Flash Points explores the fine line between art and propaganda in modern China—and what it means for Chinese artists to create at a time when, FP’s James Palmer [writes](, writers and directors tend to “opt for mediocrity for the sake of safety when they’re not making outright, if sometimes entertaining, propaganda.”—Chloe Hadavas   [1]( [How Did This Brilliant Chinese Rust Belt Noir Get Made Under Xi?]( “The Long Season” is the funniest, saddest show to come out of China. By James Palmer   [2]( [China’s Entertainment Future Is Guns, Trains, and Loving the Party]( As censorship tightens, tales of technology and the military are mandatory. By Lauren Teixeira   [3]( [The Art of Suffering]( Two new works of Chinese government propaganda meet with very different reactions from viewers. By Rebecca Davis   [4]( [China’s Newest Action TV Show Is a Propaganda Hit]( Private partnerships are upping the Communist Party’s entertainment game. By Alex Colville   [5]( [Patriotic Blockbusters Mean Big Box Office For Chinese Filmmakers]( Censors have deliberately created a market ripe for propaganda. By Amanda Morrison Sponsored [2024 Lionel Gelber Prize awarded to Timothy Garton Ash]( Homelands: A personal history of Europe by Timothy Garton Ash is [the winner]( of the 2024 Lionel Gelber Prize. The Prize was founded in 1989 and is presented by the Lionel Gelber Prize Board and the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy at the University of Toronto.   [Subscribe to Foreign Policy]( [The world, at your fingertips]( Keeping up with global moments has never been more essential. Save up to 50% when you join our community of readers today. [SUBSCRIBE NOW](   [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Instagram]( [LinkedIn]( You’re receiving this email at {EMAIL} because you signed up for FP's Flash Points newsletter. [MANAGE YOUR EMAIL PREFERENCES]( | [VIEW OUR PRIVACY POLICY]( | [UNSUBSCRIBE]( Interested in partnering with FP on events, podcasts, or research? [Explore FP Solutions](. [Foreign Policy]( is a division of Graham Holdings Company. All contents © 2024 Graham Digital Holding Company LLC. All rights reserved. Foreign Policy, 655 15th St NW, Suite 300, Washington, DC, 20005.