Animated film about Mao Zedong in works to raise youth awareness

It's not your parents' Mao Zedong, and that's the point. In an attempt to appeal to a generation versed in Disney lore and Japanese anime, one of the Communist Party's key propaganda arms is making an animated film about the teenage years of the Great Helmsman.

Presenting Mao Zedong in cartoon form is a departure for the party, but one the film's backers say is necessary to keep the revolution and its ideals current.

Media analysts agree that while the effort shows a propaganda unit can adapt to the times, the project might also be about self-preservation.

When Mao Zedong Was Young is being made by the movie and TV production subsidiary of the propaganda flagship Qiushi Journal and two filmmaking companies based in Hunan. The movie poster shows Mao as a teenager, sporting a braid, a typical hairdo during the Qing dynasty (1644-1911), with large shining eyes and a confident smile.

Lu Huasheng, art director at Qiushi's film and TV centre, told the Sunday Morning Post the endeavour was an attempt to reach out to young people who knew little about revolutionary heroes.

"Children like to watch cartoons. The old and stereotypical style [of presenting leaders] can't engage them any more.