Vol. 3 No. 3

Research Article

Inter-City Cinematic Networks in Cold War Global History: A Reinterpretation of Chinese-Language Film Circulation Between Hong Kong and Phnom Penh, 1950s–1970s

Published 2026-05-31

  • Yunping Li

Yunping Li
Central Academy of Drama image/svg+xml

Abstract

This article examines the circulation of Chinese-language films between Hong Kong and Phnom Penh from the 1950s to the 1970s, situating it within the dual analytical frameworks of Cold War global history and inter-city cinematic networks to reassess the cultural circulation mechanisms generated by these two cities through the interweaving of diaspora communities, markets, and ideological forces. First, the article demonstrates how Hong Kong films entered Phnom Penh’s Chinese communities through diasporic networks, exhibition circuits, and Cold War political contexts. Cantonese opera films and leftist productions were reinterpreted locally, becoming key media through which emotional bonds were sustained and political imaginations were projected. Second, the article foregrounds Phnom Penh’s agency, arguing that it was not merely a passive recipient of cultural imports but an active node that, through local production, cross-border collaboration, and market feedback, exerted reverse influence on Hong Kong and neighboring regional film industries. Based on this historical process, the article proposes an analytical model of cross-city image circulation, suggesting that cities constitute crucial units for understanding the circulation of Chinese-language films during the Cold War, and demonstrating how Hong Kong and Phnom Penh formed an interconnected system that transcends the conventional “center–periphery” paradigm. By moving beyond the nation-centered framework of film historiography, this study highlights the composite roles of urban actors, diasporic structures, and political forces in Cold War-era cinematic flows, offering new theoretical insights for the transnational history of Chinese-language cinema.

Keywords

Cold War global history, Cross-city image networks, Chinese-language film circulation, Diasporic networks

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