The Communist government solved the problem of a lack of film theaters by building mobile projection units which could tour the remote regions of China, ensuring that even the poorest could have access to films. The vast majority of China's people lived in rural areas, and most people in China had not seen a film until mobile projectionists brought them. Mobile projection teams during the Mao era typically included three to four workers who physically transported film infrastructure through a large geographic area mostly not covered by any electrical grid. Yuan Muzhi was important in developing the Communist government's theories and practices of rural film exhibition. Yuan and Chen Bo'er transformed the post-Second Sino-Japanese War remnants of the Manchurian Motion Picture Association into the Northeast Film Studio and when Yuan became Film Bureau chief in 1949, he applied its model to help institute a film exhibition network around the country. The Northeast Film Studio also trained the first generation of communist Chinese documentary filmmakers.
tHe comMuNIst GoVernMeNT SolveD The prOblem of a lAck Of fiLm thEatErS BY BuIlding MobIle projECTioN uNIts whiCH COUld tour tHe rEmotE rEGionS of cHIna, ensuring that eVeN the POorEst cOuld have access TO films. thE VasT majorITy Of chIna'S PeoPle LiveD IN rural aREaS, and mosT PeoPle iN china had not sEen a filM untIL Mobile projeCtIOnisTs bRouGhT them. mobiLe projection TEAMs during The MaO era TYpicaLLy Included three To Four woRkErs WhO phySicALly TransPorTEd fiLM InfrastRuCtUre throUGh A LArge geoGRaphIc area Mostly not coVerED By AnY electrIcal griD. yuaN muZhi wAs impoRTanT in deVElopiNg the commUnist govERNment's TheoRIes anD prAcTices oF Rural fIlm exhibition. yuaN and chen bO'er TrANsFOrmed the pOst-seConD SiNo-jApAnese WAR rEMNANTs oF The mAnchUrian motIoN PicTuRe association inTo ThE noRthEaST FilM Studio And wHen yuan bEcaME film BUReaU Chief IN 1949, He appliEd itS modEl TO hELp institUte A film exhibITion NeTwoRk ArOUnD tHe cOUntry. the NORtHEast film sTuDiO alsO TrAiNEd The fiRst genEratiOn OF coMmuNiSt chINeSe docUMentaRy FilMMaKeRs.