Yi Films Disseminate Research Status

The films about Yi, with splendid achievements in Chinese history of film, are the most important part of films of Chinese ethnic minorities, which with great functions in politics, culture, and economy, cannot be ignored the effects of impelling consociation of ethnics and the nation, heritage of national culture, and promoting the development of economy. But for now, films about Yi, which had half a century history with brilliant success, being engulfed in the tremendous waves of domestic and foreign blockbuster, even would be washed away in the history. Furthermore, theoretical studies of Yi films, with no systematical achievement by sporadic researchers, have been ignored by researchers yet.Based on the background above, objecting on all Yi films and throughout research on the transmitting situation, then analyzing main contents, achievements and social functions of them, this paper makes conclusions on the advantages or disadvantages of development of Yi films, hoping can provide some advice on developing of practice and theoretical research of Yi films. This research totally includes the following components:The first part of this paper is the recap of the development of Yi films. Since the emergence of Yi films, them had various traits in different historical background and political environment.Thus, with comprehensive considerations of theirs’ developing law and external environment, the course of the development of Yi films can be divided into three phases. First is the period of emergence with glory (1955～1964),in which Yi films had been emergent and achieved glorious accomplishments; Second is the period of exploration(1978-2000),in which Yi films stepped forward fumblingly; third is the period of innovation and diversification (since2000),in which Yi films stepped on the way of commercialization and diversity when confronting globalization.The second part is the content analysis of Yi films. Because of theirs’born attribute—pronounced political property, the main trend of the times was the one of staple of Yi films echoing the very times in various periods. Another is culture of Yi, which constitutes the foundation of Yi films,The third part is the research of spreading effect. Yi films were more popular in Yi than in Han, but both of them had inadequate expectative effects. Consequently, only Ashima and Huayao Girls were known for the masses, but all of them cannot enter the mainstream cinemas because of insufficient market. Many factors such as propaganda impact the communication of Yi films. Although the spread effects are scant, these functions of consociate ethnic, publicizing social core values, carrying on and protecting the culture of Yi, even promoting the development of economy in Yi settlement, cannot be ignorant.The forth part is the research of advantage, disadvantage and countermeasures of dissemination of Yi films. In the current environment, culture and policies are the two advantages of Yi films, contrasting with the disadvantages of shortage of films, lack of fineness, insufficiency of funds, inadequate propaganda, deflections between transmitting contents and audiences, etc. Based on these, three advices, such as considering cross-cultural audiences, building the channel of dissemination, establishing agencies of developing of Yi films, can be bring forward.All in all, the focus of this research is found out the factors of impaction of communication (In Yi nation and nation outside) of Yi films throughout analyzing theirs’attributes of contents, effects, audiences and channels. Then the disadvantages could be made up by the utilities of advantages. Therefore, the functions of policy, culture and economy can be exploited effectively.