Kung fu fighting
- Source: Global Times
- [10:18 June 10 2011]
- Comments
Zhao Bandi models his panda wear. Photo: Wang Zi/GT
By Wang Shutong
Children's Day has just passed, and to celebrate, hordes of parents took their kids to watch the new DreamWorks animation, Kung Fu Panda 2. As Po, the titular tubby panda filled the screen, the oohs and aahs and exclamations of "how cute" were audible. But Beijing-based artist Zhao Bandi is not won over by the cuddly panda; rather he thinks Po is representative of all that is evil and indecent that American movies bring to China.
"This film has embezzled China's symbol, and has used admiration of Chinese culture as an excuse, but it's just to collect money and brainwash," he says. The timing of the release means that the US wants to capture the hearts of the most innocent and the youngest generation in China so he, together with Sun Qingdong, a professor at Peking University started a campaign calling on parents to boycott the movie on June 1. "If you examine the panda in the film, you'll see his eyes are blue, not black, which I believe is done on purpose by Hollywood," Zhao adds.
Pandamonium
Zhao shot to fame in 2008 when the first Kung Fu Panda was released. Swearing he'd never watch it, Zhao wrote to cinema chains, imploring them not to show the movie. This time, Zhao took out a whole page ad in the Beijing News on May 16, stating "Don't see Kungfu Panda 2." In the ad, Zhao wears a panda hat, looking stern and pointing his finger, while grabbing a cuddly panda round the neck.
It's the first thing you see as you approach Zhao's studio in 798 Art District. A massive copy of his ad covers the outside wall beside the door. Inside, pictures of pandas drawn by children adorn the white walls. Zhao sits on his sofa on the right side of the studio, together with his panda, or to be precise, his panda-head hat.
Zhao claims his criticism led to the first films' release being delayed in Sichuan Province. "They said Kung Fu Panda is Hollywood's first love letter to China, now it's their second; I highly doubt its authenticity," Zhao says. "The director said: 'I think Mr Zhao should go to the cinema and watch it and then tell us what we did wrong,' which I think is just an excuse to make me watch it. This is a trick they always use, when you go and the money falls into their pockets, then your praise and criticism don't matter." Despite the 300-million yuan ($46 million) box office take in nine days across China, Zhao said takings have not met expectations. According to his own statistics, the source of which he won't reveal, the takings are 50 percent less per cinema than initial projections. "The number is fake according to our statistics. When the run is finished, we'll release our statistics. And I highly doubt there'll be a third movie."
China's netizens have criticized him for exaggeration and being narrow minded. Zhao sniffs and says, "I only boycott American films because I think China should absorb different cultures instead of just taking one country's culture. In America, they use money collected by films worldwide to enlarge its hegemony which I don't like at all. As for those celebrities like Hong Huang [Chinese publisher and blogger] who think I'm crazy; I think she's funny because she doesn't know which country she belongs to."
