By Wu Menglin, Correspondent of Sichuan Daily

On recent Beijing International Film Festival Usunhome Group, a cultural creative enterprise in Sichuan province, issued its plans on several original films including “Handymen in Tang Dynasty” (a temporary name),that is adapted from the Large-scale Tibetan Culture Epic Drama “Princess Wencheng” and jointly produced with Beijing Film Academy.

Why taking such a big step from cultural tourism towards film and television industry? Headquartered in Sichuan province, Usunhome Group serves as a cultural and creative enterprise which has impact nationwide and even in Southeast Asia at large. How do they spread the local culture on screen?   

On 19th April, a correspondent from Sichuan Daily interviewed Mr. Qiu Wei, Chairman of Usunhome Group. 

When it Comes to the Cross-field Business: the Indispensable Factor is Soul of Culture

At the news conference, Mr. Qiu Wei revealed that Usunhome would join hands with Youth Film Studio of Beijing Film Academy to produce “Handymen in Tang Dynasty”, al large-scale epic film in which actors all dressed in ancient costumes, with an investment totaled nearly 200 million yuan. 

Other two projects were issued during the news conference, which were the adventure film “Bamao Qiongzong” and the large-scale culture variety show adapted from the famous intellectual property “Tibetan Code”. The three projects were immediately brought to the attention of the public.

 

No matter in “Handymen in Tang Dynasty”, “Bamao Qiongzong” or “Tibetan Code”, you seem always to find a cultural complex::mystery, heritage and epic which all hold unique aesthetics. Yet adding some popular elements such as adventure, entertainment, and IP will inject vigor and style into them, thus making them well received by the market.      

 

Why rising to the big challenge of stepping into film and television industry from cultural tourism? “Actually no matter what industries you work in, cultural tourism or film and televisions, the essence is the same, that is the soul of culture” said Mr. Qiu Wei, who has been in culture industry for over ten years.

 

Jin Tiemu as the director, Mei Feng as the supervisor, Zhang Yisong as the producer, and Youth Film Studio as the co-production, “Handymen in Tang Dynasty” has gathered an elite production group with in-depth experience in Chinese traditional culture industry.   

As an advocator of new Academism in films，Youth Film Studio of Beijing Film Academy values works that promotes dominant values, expresses cultural contents, owns high artistic merit and brings about economic returns, of which the integrity is the final goal worth of unremitting endeavors. Mr. Qiu Wei revealed that the two parties quickly reached a consensus at the meeting because they share the same idea about what makes a film beautiful and meaningful.    

In Terms of the Layout: We Need Such Cultural Confidence

 

As a cultural creative enterprise headquartered in Sichuan province, Usunhome has been working on building the whole industry chain of cultural tourism projects. Besides the Large-scale Tibetan Culture Epic Drama "Princess Wencheng" and Cijuelin Ancient Village Protection and Development Project, A series of large-scale comprehensive cultural tourism projects are also in the process, such as Wuhou Shrine • Jinli “Heroes of the Three Kingdoms” Play and Three Kingdoms Cultural Experience Block Project and Xichang • Jianchang Ancient Town Historic District Protection and Improvement Project. Moreover, as a response to the “Belt and Road” Initiative, Usunhome has implemented a “going global” plan to spread Chinese culture, which locates two large-scale culture projects abroad, that are “Princess Bhrikuti” in Nepaland “Dream of Angkor” in Cambodia. 

 

“We will forge ahead instead of being satisfied with present achievements.”In recent years, Usunhome has constantly ventured in many fields including plays, cultural experience blocks, art gallery, competitive events, games and animation, and films.. 

 

“The reason why we cross over so many fields lies in our cultural confidence.” When asked about the future of Usunhome, Mr. Qiu Wei said: “We have built a whole industry chain of culture, tourism and creative industry, combined asset-light and asset-heavy business models as the operation strategy and accelerated the international expansion in the business layout. Usunhome gives close attention to global trends in films, televisions, music and the Internet, and we’ll stick to the road of “fusing different fields”.        

 

In the global revolution of cultural consumption upgrade, Mr. Qiu Wei deeply feels the promising vigor and vitality of culture industry within the changing times. “we will strive to create more vivid and diversified cultural products.” says him.