A movie based on the life of paramount leader Deng Xiaoping opened in mainland cinemas yesterday, marking the anniversary of the death of the visionary credited with directing China's economic coming of age.
Resisting the tempting and over-hyped cinematic offerings from Hollywood and Hong Kong, mainland audiences flooded the 600 movie-houses across the country which rolled out the state-funded Deng Xiaoping.
'Some companies just booked the full house for their clients and staff,' said Xie Weijia, vice-manager of Nanfang Cinemas Group, the movie's distributor.
He said the firm was negotiating with Hong Kong cinemas to release the movie in the city.
A spokesman for a cinema in Guangzhou said it had sold about 80 per cent of the tickets for matinee shows and he expected more people to watch the evening shows.
Shooting of the 120-minute movie started nine years ago when Deng was still alive, said Xinhua. He died in 1997.