83-Year-Old Dubbing Artist Defends Art Form at Shanghai Premiere of Classic Film
Qiao Zhen becomes emotional as he speaks about the 'reshaping of a soul' in dubbing, with the re-released Witness for the Prosecution earning 6.31 million yuan
Quick Look
At the December premiere of the Chinese-dubbed 1957 classic Witness for the Prosecution in Shanghai, 83-year-old dubbing veteran Qiao Zhen delivered an emotional defence of his art form, telling nostalgia-seeking fans that 'dubbing is the reshaping of a soul.' The film, released by Shanghai Dubbing Studio with Qiao voicing the presiding judge, grossed about 6.31 million yuan (US$925,000) by late January—a modest figure in China's booming film market.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
The re-release of Witness for the Prosecution marks another entry in Shanghai Dubbing Studio's catalog of classic foreign film dubs. The 1957 Billy Wilder film, adapted from Agatha Christie's stage play, represents a significant cultural artifact being reintroduced to Chinese audiences through the art of dubbing.
At the December premiere of the Chinese-dubbed 1957 Billy Wilder classic Witness for the Prosecution in a Shanghai cinema, dubbing artist Qiao Zhen voiced a more immediate mystery: “Do you still enjoy Chinese-dubbed films?” When audience members, mainly nostalgia-seeking fans, responded with applause and shouts of “Yes!”, the 83-year-old veteran became emotional, offering a moving defence of his art form. “Several years ago we felt this profession had fallen into a low point,” he told the audience. “So many people ignored dubbed films, unwilling to watch the translated or dubbed versions, and preferred the original. “But I believe that to truly appreciate the creative art of a foreign film, one should watch a genuine dubbed version. Dubbing is the reshaping of a soul.” The re-released Witness for the Prosecution, a courtroom drama adapted from Agatha Christie’s celebrated stage play, is the latest release from the Shanghai Dubbing Studio. It features several veteran Chinese voices, including Qiao as the presiding judge. By late January, the dubbed version had grossed about 6.31 million yuan (US$925,000) at the mainland box office – a figure driven largely by nostalgia-seeking fans, according to state news agency Xinhua. In China’s booming film market, where many mid-tier new releases easily clear tens of millions in their opening weeks, the total is modest.
Open Questions
- Will more classic foreign films be dubbed and re-released in China?
- How will the dubbing industry evolve with changing viewer preferences?
- What is the demographic breakdown of audiences attending dubbed classic films?
