Xue Xiaogang (L) prepares to screen a movie to audience in Gaojiayan Village, Sanjiao Township of Liulin County, north China's Shanxi Province, Aug. 10, 2021.
In 1975, Sanjiao Township established a movie projection team. Liu Bufei and Liu Dengzhao, both cinephiles since childhood, joined the team and became rural projectionists. In 2007, the team became a troika as second-generation projectionist Xue Xiaogang joined in, who had been seeing open-air movies in the village while growing up. Over the years, the projection team, for innumerable times has driven along the country roads and traversed mountainous region, set up the curtain and stereo, debugged the generator and the projector, and prepared to screen movies to audience in remote villages. Open-air cinema audience gradually declined as television and the internet became mainstream, yet the projection team didn't give up even amid the low tide. "Many villagers are used to waiting at the entrance of the village for the movies," said Liu Bufei. "They like the movies we screen for them, so as long as there are moviegoers, we would keep the open-air cinema open."
Villagers see an open-air movie by the Yellow River in Sanjiao Township of Liulin County, north China's Shanxi Province, July 14, 2021.
Children wait to see an open-air movie in Gaojiayan Village, Sanjiao Township of Liulin County, north China's Shanxi Province, Aug. 10, 2021.
Villagers see an open-air movie in Gaojiayan Village, Sanjiao Township of Liulin County, north China's Shanxi Province, Aug. 10, 2021.
Rural projectionists set up a curtain to screen a movie to audience in Gaojiayan Village, Sanjiao Township of Liulin County, north China's Shanxi Province, Aug. 10, 2021.
Rural projectionists set up movie screening devices by the Yellow River in Sanjiao Township of Liulin County, north China's Shanxi Province, July 14, 2021.
Xue Xiaogang (L) adjusts movie screening devices by the Yellow River in Sanjiao Township of Liulin County, north China's Shanxi Province, July 14, 2021.
Aerial photo taken on Aug. 10, 2021 shows rural projectionists driving the mobile movie screening car to Gaojiayan Village, Sanjiao Township of Liulin County, north China's Shanxi Province.
Aerial photo taken on Aug. 10, 2021 shows rural projectionists driving the mobile movie screening car to Gaojiayan Village, Sanjiao Township of Liulin County, north China's Shanxi Province.
