A scene from the film Song of the Phoenix.[Photo provided to China Daily]

Unlike his protege Zhang Yimou, Wu did not switch to so-called commercial films. Now, Fang has taken up the baton, believing that if "films with a soul" (in Fang's words) are made, people will turn up to watch them.

At least half of China's filmdom endorsed the film, ranging from pop idols like Lu Han and Fan Bingbing to royalty-like figures Ang Lee and Feng Xiaogang.

Zhang and Martin Scorsese each taped a short recommendation, which are shown before the film.

Had they all charged for their endorsements, the fees would have added to billions of yuan.

Even critics who noticed flaws in the film refrained from publicly pointing them out. Still, the public did not show up. That should give pause to anyone who pays big money for celebrity endorsements.

I joked with Fang that he had used the most effective trick in promoting a small film.

Other forms have been used before, such as open letters or a boisterous fracas with exhibitors, but none has had much effect.

Still others have proposed setting up art-house cinema chains, a platform that's going out of fashion even in developed countries.

Fang has an innovative idea: He wants regulators to place a cap on the screening rate of every film, Chinese or foreign, for instance, a maximum of 30 percent of screens for any film and a minimum of 3 percent.

"That would guarantee diversity," he says.