Scene of villagers watching a movie in Gulou Village.

Shi Anlin and Shi Minmi are a couple from Datun, Gaowu Village, Gongdong Township, Rongshui Miao Autonomous County. For over 20 years, the couple has worked together to bring films to Miao and Dong villages in 11 villages of Gongdong Township and 8 villages of Danian Township, delivering spiritual and cultural nourishment and joy to the masses.

On the evening of June 25th, the area in front of the ancient tower in Gulou Village, Danian Township, Rongshui Miao Autonomous County, was a lively scene. The 61-year-old Shi Anlin was standing on a stool to hang the screen, while his wife Shi Minmi crouched on the ground adjusting the film projector. Villagers brought small stools from their homes to the front of the ancient tower, waiting for the movie screening, their eyes filled with anticipation. That night, the Gulou Village "Two Committees" and the village-based work team organized villagers to watch a public welfare film for free.

"I have loved watching movies since childhood and made becoming a projectionist my ideal." Shi Anlin recalled that through hard work, he became a projectionist in 1988. Because of film projection, he fell in love with and married Shi Minmi, a Miao girl.

 In 2002, the local cultural department formed a rural public welfare film projection team. Shi Anlin joined it and was responsible for projection tasks in Gongdong Township and Danian Township. The couple felt it was inconvenient for one person to go out alone at night, and tasks like hanging and taking down the screen required assistance, so they decided to go together to show movies. Since then, this Miao couple film projection team was born.

The area they are responsible for is located in the southeastern part of the Miaoling Mountain Range of the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau. Villages are scattered among high mountains. In the past, due to the lack of roads, the couple often had to carry heavy equipment and walk up the mountains, rain or shine. Now, the "Village-to-Village Access Road" project enables them to drive directly to the villages in their minivan. Nevertheless, they still have to guard against dangers along the way such as road collapses, mudslides, and fallen trees caused by wind and rain. But Shi Anlin and his wife never gave up. For over 20 years, they have relied on each other, overcome difficulties one after another, and traveled between 19 administrative villages and 89 natural villages in 2 townships, covering a distance of over 200,000 kilometers, screening more than 5,000 films, spreading joy and knowledge to Miao and Dong villages. Their income from film projection was not high before, and they usually had to farm at home to make a living. As the state places increasing emphasis on cultural undertakings, their income has gradually increased in recent years. Now, the couple's monthly income from film screening is approximately 4,000 to 5,000 yuan.

"Tonight, we are showing the Dong language version of 'Half a Quilt' because some elderly villagers don't understand Mandarin. Choosing the Dong language version ensures everyone can understand it." Before Shi Anlin finished speaking, 57-year-old Shi Baosheng had already moved his small stool and sat down, saying: "Fifty years ago, I crouched here watching 'Heroic Sons and Daughters', now I bring my granddaughter to watch."

When the scene appeared in the film where three female of the Chinese Workers’ and Peasants’ Red Army soldiers cut half of their quilt, a villager pointed at the screen and said: "It's just like the Chinese Workers’ and Peasants’ Red Army stories my grandmother told. The Chinese Workers’ and Peasants’ Red Army truly treated ordinary people as family."

Shi Anlin took the opportunity to pick up the microphone and said: "After the movie, the Village 'Two Committees' want to discuss industry development matters with everyone." Such "post-screening discussions" have become routine. According to statistics, since June, Shi Anlin and his wife have screened 32 films. After each screening, they set aside 20 minutes for village cadres to publicize policies related to rural revitalization and other aspects.

 "It was somewhat difficult to convene villagers for meetings before. Now, by using the movie-watching opportunity, things get done," said Shi Yingwen, Secretary of the Gulou Village Party General Branch.

"In the past, when there were no roads, after finishing the movie late at night, we had to walk hours on mountain paths home using a flashlight." Shi Anlin stroked the scratches on the projector and said that seeing the children chasing the screen makes it all worth it. Local people all hope they can come often in the future because the films shown are dubbed in the Miao language, which local children and elderly can understand.

With the support of the Rongshui Miao Autonomous County Committee Propaganda Department, Shi Anlin and Shi Minmi persist in screening revolutionary films dubbed in Dong and Miao languages. "Now we use a digital projector, but I still love hearing the 'click-clack' sound of the film reel turning." Shi Minmi said with a smile while wiping the equipment.

"Now, remote villages and hamlets are mostly populated by left-behind children and the elderly. Their cultural life is relatively impoverished, and they have a deep-seated attachment to films." "So as long as the masses need it, we will continue screening, delivering good and educational films to every household," Shi Anlin said.