Motion Picture Review - the first movie magazine

     "Yingxi Zazhi" 《影戏杂志》 ("The Motion Picture Review") is generally recognized as the earliest Chinese film magazine.  Volume 1, number 1 [cover at left; click on for larger image] was published on April 1, 1921, and the second issue on January 25, 1922.  It ceased publication on May 25, 1922, after the last issue, v.1, number 3 came out.  Director Gu Kenfu 顾肯夫 ("Yan Ruisheng") was editor-in-chief, writer (and future director) Lu Jie 陆洁was in charge of the translation section, and Zhang Guangyu was the art editor.  The Chinese Motion Picture Research Association published the first two issues, and the Mingxing studio the third.  In his foreword to the first issue, Gu Kenfu wrote the new publication's objectives were to:  1) develop motion pictures as a literary and art form; 2) introduce readers to worthwhile films; 3) guard against the distribution of harmful films; and 4) strive to uphold the dignity of Chinese people in the cinema world.  Since most motion pictures shown in China at that time were U.S. imports, that was the focus of the magazine, with the much smaller number of Chinese productions secondary.  Although there were only three issues, the magazine left a significant legacy via Lu Jie's translations of Western (English) film terminology, and then coining unified Chinese terminology for use by Chinese filmmakers.  For example, he was the first Chinese writer to use the expression "daoyan" 导演as a translation for "direct" or "direction."  The two Chinese characters literally mean "to lead [or guide] performance," and this was the first instance of its usage in China in connection with cinema.