Young fans of Chinese films watch a Bruce Lee movie in a cinema room (COURTESY PHOTO)

Chinese cinema is winning the hearts of the young people of the small town of Gbiti, located 600 km from Yaoundé, capital of Cameroon, on the border of Cameroon and the Central African Republic. Passionate about the seventh art, these young people have a clear affection for kungfu movies from China. And Chinese cinema continues to remain popular in eastern Cameroon, despite the lack of modern cineplexes.

Theater predicament

Kungfu popularity reached its peak in Cameroon from the 1970s till the late 1990s, when films highlighted the attractions of this martial art, which was keenly promoted by the legendary actor and great champion of this sporting discipline, Bruce Lee, whose prowess on screen has captivated the minds and hearts of movie buffs in Africa, especially Cameroon.

Unfortunately, the cinema has lost its splendor at present, due to the closure of cinema halls, which went bankrupt one after another following the economic problems that hit the country during the 1980s and 1990s. The economic downturn has indeed led to the decline in the purchasing power of the population and changed their reflexes toward cinema, leading to the growth of home cinemas and film clubs. The moviegoers now prefer to watch movies at home in order to save money. From this point, the cinema companies changed their business strategies by reducing the number of daily and weekly shows, before proceeding to systematically shut down the theaters altogether.

Posters and the screening schedule for kungfu films of a cinema room in Cameroon (COURTESY PHOTO)

The revival

Although not having experienced the great time of the dark rooms in Cameroon or seen the big figures of kungfu movies, the young people of Gbiti invented a way to screen films in rooms. Technology facilitates access to a lot of old movies, which allows these young people, most between 12 and 16 years old, to discover the exploits of Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan or Jet Li. In order to get the films they want, these kids placed orders for films in major cities of Cameroon such as Douala, Yaoundé or Bertoua.

To ensure the broadcast of their favorite films, these young people must obtain the necessary equipment for any movie theater worthy of the name: a large plasma screen, installed at a certain height, speakers and an amplifier. At the same time, posters are neatly placed not far from the hall entrance, to display the scheduled movies and their broadcast times.

To see a movie, one only needs to pay the equivalent of a penny - a price within the reach of these youngsters who, for the most part, rely on the wallet of their parents who are mainly engaged in small businesses.

Gbiti youth love kungfu movies, which showcase a wide range of fighting techniques and sequences that are very popular with teenagers. In this community, despite the blockbusters of today, Bruce Lee's films continue to find favor.

Abdou Seydou, a young manager of one of the city's cinema rooms, barely 16 years old, claims that the films that provide him with a good income are the kungfu films, and especially those featuring Bruce Lee. "However, I have often had trouble getting Bruce Lee movies. To make sure people come back to your room, you must have all the movies featuring that actor. Without having them, I am regularly forced to screen the same film several times. Fortunately, the viewers are always coming," he told ChinAfrica. Abdou screens four to five movies a day during the holidays and at least one kungfu movie is scheduled each day.

Ahmed Moussa, a 13-year-old teenager, is a fan of Chinese films. "I did not know the era of the great actors of Chinese films like Bruce Lee, but my father allowed me to discover this actor, especially in titles like Return of the Dragon, The Big Boss or Enter the Dragon," The boy said, "When I was a kid, I would sit next to him to watch them. It's Bruce Lee's talent that really made me love Chinese movies and kungfu."

The young Ishmael, aged 15, is also a fan of Chinese films. According to him, kungfu films include action from beginning to end. "I appreciate films that are animated and this is the case with Bruce Lee films," he said.

Among moviegoers attending Gbiti's film clubs are also young people from the Central African Republic who regularly cross the border, just a stone's throw away, and return in the evening before 5:30 pm.

Strengthened ties

Captivating and spectacular in quality, Kungfu films have greatly contributed to the influence of the People's Republic of China in Cameroon since the 1970s, during which time the two nations established their diplomatic and friendly relations that are flourishing at present.

The spread of the Chinese films helped shape a positive image of China among the Cameroonian people, and contributed to the strengthening of relations and understanding between the Chinese people and Cameroonians.

(Reporting from Cameroon)

(Comments to niyanshuo@chinafrica.cn)