MCLC: cartoon princess

[Denton, Kirk]

MCLC LIST
From: kirk (denton.2 at osu.edu)
Subject: cartoon princess
***********************************************************

Source: Washington Post (8/25/14):
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/chinese-producers-hope-cartoon-can-help
-ease-ethnic-tensions-in-restive-xinjiang/2014/08/25/63f1753e-2c5d-11e4-9b9
8-848790384093_story.html

Chinese animators hope cartoon princess can help ease ethnic tensions in
Xinjiang
By William Wan and Xu Yangjingjing

BEIJING — At a time when the restive region of Xinjiang has witnessed
executions of alleged separatists, knife attacks on train passengers,
And clashes between the Chinese government and forces it has identified as
Muslim extremists, a film company believes that it has the answer: a
cartoon princess.

With the encouragement of the authorities, a Chinese animation company is
turning to a Disney-like character for help in bringing ethnic Uighurs and
Han Chinese together.

“Princess Fragrant” <http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XNzM0ODY5ODY4.html> is a
104-episode show based on the historic figure Ipal Khan.

In a phone interview, its creators said they think the story of a princess
from the Uighur Muslim minority who married a Chinese emperor in the 18th
century could ease the ill will on both sides — or at least begin that
process with the next generation.

For years, some Uighurs and other Muslim minorities in Xinjiang have
agitated against China’s authoritarian government. Their anger is a
reaction, Uighur groups say, to oppressive official policies, religious
restrictions and widespread discrimination.

Meanwhile, the government has presented its increasingly severe crackdowns
as counterterrorism measures against rising extremism.
Since August 2013, the animation company Shenzhen Qianheng Cultural
Communications has spent more than $3 million producing the 3-D princess
cartoon, which will air next year in Mandarin and Uighur.

The company, based far from Xinjiang in the southern city of Shenzhen, is
taking part in a government program that pairs 13 inland Chinese cities
with cities in far-western Xinjiang in an effort to spur development.

Deng Jiangwei, director of the cartoon, said the animators chose to focus
on Princess Fragrant — rendered with classic Disney-pixie cuteness and
wide-eyed innocence — because of her historic contributions to ethnic
unity and stability. She remains highly regarded in both Uighur and Han
Chinese societies.

“Ethnic epic of splendor,” touts one poster.

In the cartoon, Princess Fragrant and her friends set out on an adventure
to find her father, who was abducted by “evil forces” from the West. The
villain was after a family heirloom, which turns out to be spiritual
rather than monetary.

The company approached the Kashgar government last year with the idea. A
supposed tomb of Princess Fragrant is one of the major tourist attractions
in the city of Kashgar, even though historians doubt she is buried there.

Government officials eagerly welcomed the idea and promised funding, but
the company has not yet received state financial support, Deng said. The
company set up offices in Kashgar, and one-third of the employees there
are Uighurs.
But tackling such a divisive relationship proved difficult, even in the
imaginary world of cartoons.

Most members of the design team in Shenzhen are Han Chinese, although for
the cartoon they traveled in Xinjiang in an attempt to better understand
its culture and history, and local experts were included to correct errors
in their work, Deng said.

Deng said they had to avoid making too many references to Islam in the
cartoon, even though Princess Fragrant was a Uighur.

“We cannot promote religion in our work, but we do refer to some aspects
of the Islamic culture, such as etiquette, things that are easily
acceptable to most people,” Deng said.

He described their challenge as finding a balance between authentic
Islamic culture and an entertaining story.
Despite their overt political aim, the producers said, they tried not to
get too preachy in the message.
“It’s about family and growing up,” Deng said.

The princess is not the first cartoon character called upon to promote
ethnic unity. Last year, Xinjiang children were treated to the TV series
“Legend of Loulan <http://m.tv.sohu.com/us/207439992/64698454.shtml>,”
about an ancient kingdom swallowed by shifting sands. It featured
characters of different ethnicities banding together to beat a sand
monster and save the kingdom.

Huang Zhiyong, who directed the Loulan series, said: “Kids are
impressionable, and they like to imitate. Things they see on TV can
greatly influence their values.”

The show aired last year in Mandarin only — a notable fact in the face of
Uighur accusations that the government is trying to replace their
traditions and language with Chinese ones. Huang said it is now in the
process of being dubbed in Uighur.

William Wan is The Post’s China correspondent based in Beijing. He served
previously as a religion reporter and diplomatic correspondent.