Arts     

City seeks some 'Avatar' magic

Updated: 2011-09-08 By

• James Cameron

  A city in central China is hoping to approach Oscar-winning director James Cameron with an offer to direct a 500 million yuan (US$77 million) folk musical production about late Chinese leader Mao Zedong.

  The government of Xiangtan City in Hunan Province, Mao's hometown, says the outdoor performance will be held in the Shaoshan Mountain scenic area, and tell the story of how Mao led people to revolution and established the People's Republic of China.

  Cameron, who directed Hollywood blockbuster "Avatar" and "Titanic" and spearheaded 3D technology in movie-making, is on a list, along with a number of A-list Chinese directors, of people that the city hopes will contribute ideas for the show, Xiong Xingbao, director of the Xiangtan Administration of Radio, Film and Television, said yesterday.

  However, Xiong said they were still trying to get in touch with the director.

  Last month, Xiong had asked for Cameron's contact information in a post on microblogging site weibo.com.

  The move has been dismissed by some people as a publicity stunt orchestrated by the Xiangtan government to seek media attention.

  But Xiong said they are "very serious."

  The performance will depict the history of nearly three decades from 1921, when the Communist Party of China was founded, to 1949, when the New China was established.

  Three companies have jointly invested 500 million yuan in the project, which is the first stage of a bid to build a new town with cultural and historic sites and destinations in Shaoshan, Xiong said.

  Shaoshan City, once just a small town, receives around 2 million visitors every year because it is the hometown of the late Chinese leader.

  People are curious about where Mao was brought up, what kind of landscapes he saw and how he developed his political theories.

  Major tourist attractions in Shaoshan include Mao's former residence, where he spent his childhood and teenage years before leaving to further his studies in Changsha, the provincial capital.

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