Exhibition showcases Chinese pride in Hollywood

"Chinese Shadows: Images of the Chinese in Hollywood Cinema" chronicles and pays tributes to the different Chinese faces over different decades and is being held at the Overseas Chinese Museum in Xiamen. The exhibition is divided into 7 parts and shows the struggles faced by Chinese filmmakers and actors throughout the years, including the instances of racial discrimination that Chinese in Hollywood experienced in the early years. The exhibition also has on display 40 posters of Hollywood movies with Chinese actors or directors, such as Bruce Lee's films and Ang Lee's "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon."

One of the notable items in the exhibition is an authentic Oscar statuette, which once belonged to the famous screenplay writer Barry Morrow, who won the Academy Award in 1989 for writing the script for the critically acclaimed movie "Rain Man" (1988). Morrow gave this trophy to the inspiration for his story, Kim Peek, a real-life savant, who carried it with him to public appearances for the next 21 years. The item has since been referred to as the "Most Loved Oscar Statue" because it has been held by about 400,000 people around the world. The statuette was incorporated into this exhibition project through Lisa Yang, a veteran Chinese film producer in Hollywood and also a friend of Morrow.

Tina He, the founder and president of Cultural Foundations of Zhendai He USA, who worked with the Overseas Chinese Museum to put together the exhibition, said: "I hope that by presenting the struggles of the Chinese in Hollywood throughout history, we can show the spirit of their struggle and hard work overseas, and share more on how they have, in turn, given back to society."

The exhibition was first held at the Chinese American Museum in Los Angeles back in 2009, Tina He said, which impressed many visitors. Organizers of the exhibition had long hoped to bring the exhibition to mainland China. With its launch in Xiamen, this has finally become a reality.

The "Chinese Shadows" exhibition event was sponsored by the Office of the Leading Group on the Development of Xiamen City's Film and Television Industries and the United Front Work Department of the CPC Xiamen Municipal Committee.

The exhibition will last until Dec 18 and is free to the public, but the "Rain Man" Oscar statuette will be displayed for only four days. It is part of the 28th China Golden Rooster and Hundred Flowers Film Festival, which kicked off on Tuesday and which ends on Nov 23 with the handing out of the Golden Rooster Awards.

Founded in 1992, the China Golden Rooster and Hundred Flowers Film Festival has been held in 26 cities across the country. The Golden Rooster Awards and Hundred Flowers Award ceremonies have taken place on alternate years since 2005. It was reported that the Golden Rooster Awards would be presented in Xiamen every year. Xiamen, now home to a provincial film and television industry park, is striving to grow its film hub ambitions.