Hi, I am considering showing some old films (digitized) in my possession. They are the home made films by two of the most colorful pilots of CNAC.
Allie Allison was a pilot in CNAC since 1929. His homemade films show amazing clips of the earliest days of Aviation in China. For example, you can see the Seaplanes landing in the first airport in Shanghai (on the water). Figures like Bernard Shaw, Lindberg or Doolittle disembarking from our planes, and more…
Also, I wanted to show part of the home movies by Royal Leonard. His flying career is one of the most colorful ones in China. He was personal pilot to the Chiangs. He was also a personal friend of Chennault. His movies include never seen before clips of the earliest days of the Flying Tigers. His films also include scenes from Yunnan's daily live. Of course there are scenes with his pet panda bear and more…
Those clips are copyrighted by the families that own them. They are not for sale or copies are not allowed. There will be zero tolerance to anyone trying to copy any of the images as they play. The families have entrusted me with a copy as Goodwill Ambassador for the CNAC Association in China to spread the history of CNAC. I want to share the images with both enthusiasts of film and aviation.
At the moment I am considering playing them in the Kunming Municipal Museum where we still have our exhibition. There is a room with a large TV screen where 20 people can seat. My idea is to play the films at 2 pm next Saturday 21st of March. I am open to suggestions.
Nancy Allison's "Yankee on the Yangtze" goes for 30 minutes.
Royal Leonard's is quite long but I will edit to 30 minutes.
I may also show 5 minutes of my dad's films.
Again, I am open to suggestions.
Two issues:
First, the screening room sounds a bit small. You can comfortably fit about 50 at the Yuansheng Theatre in the Loft, and I'm sure they'd be happy to have you. I can help set that up.
Second, the 21st is opening day for the Yunfest Documentary Film Festival, which is where I suspect many of your potential viewers will be. Perhaps you could push it back a week?
I hope I can skip work to go see these films..
Thanks Xiefei.
I did not realize Yunfest was on at the same time. Of course I should not do it at the same time. They deserve the utmost respect. I will try to push back, but I am not sure of the museum keeping our exhibit open then.
I was hoping to do in museum because it ties with what is in our exhibition.
I could always do a small showing this weekend for aviation enthusiasts and tied to the CNAC exhibition. Then a at a later date do it again in the theater you suggest. Can they play dvds?
Mike, I want as many people as possible to see it. I can always do small showings. I just want to make sure no one films or photographs the screen (that was another reason to do in museum).
Diego,
That sounds like a plan. Showing at the museum will be a way to share with the people who helped make that happen.
Contact me when you have a chance (x i e f e i l a g a (at) g m a i l (dot) c o m), and we'll set up a screening at Yuansheng Theater. They can play DVD's, and have two projectors, one in the theater and one in the courtyard, when the weather is nice.
In terms of protecting the film, we'll just have to keep our eyes out for cameras.
OK, I will show the films Saturday 28 at 2pm, at the Kunming Municipal Museum. It is also the last day of the exhibition so it will be a farewell event.
Dear Diego,
This sounds super interesting!
If I can arrange everything for nice screening in a nice gallery, would you like to show the films again? Or would it be possible to meet up with you and you could tell me a bit more about the films?
best regards, Luna
