Yang checks film at the film exhibition hall in Lushui county of Nujiang prefecture, Yunnan province, on October 23, 2022. （Photo：Xinhua）

Yang Mingjin who is from Lushui county of Nujiang, in Southwest China's Yunnan province, has worked as a volunteer projectionist for more than 20 years.

Yang said his obsession with motion pictures dates back to childhood. He started voluntary screenings in the late 1990s, shortly after he graduated from a vocational school for auto repair, bearing all the costs himself.

Over the past two decades, the dedicated projectionist has toured numerous villages and screened thousands of movies out in the open. He said this has given him a great sense of fulfillment. Today, the local region has been lifted out of extreme poverty and local people have more options for entertainment, but Yang believes the open-air cinema will always play a special role especially for the children and elderly people left behind.