Bona Film Exec Dead After Apparent Suicide From U-Town Offices
advertisement
Huang Wei, vice president of Bona Film Group, passed away early on Wednesday morning at the age of 52 in an apparent suicide. Witnesses say that they saw an individual fall from the 18th floor of Chaoyangmen's U-Town Shopping Center, where Bona Film Group is headquartered, adjacent to the Crowne Plaza Hotel (pictured above), at around 1am. The company confirmed his death but gave no further details.
Following news of Huang's death, there has been much speculation online as to why he would commit suicide
Some netizens and film industry insiders speculated that his death was linked to the pressure from cinemas not being allowed to reopen on account of the coronavirus pandemic, but it is not immediately clear whether that is the case – in fact, Bona’s stock value has improved significantly since January, suggesting that the success of its investments would outweigh the need to reignite cinema-going in China. One source reportedly had reason to believe that the suicide was linked to personal matters, according to Caijing Magazine.A report released by the Chinese Film Distribution Association in late May estimated that a staggering 40 percent of all cinemas they interviewed said they would likely permanently close this year.Filmmakers and colleagues reacted to news of Huang's death on social media, with Still Life director Jia Zhangke simply posting "Film industry grief" on Weibo, seemingly echoing the hardship that the country's film industry is currently facing.
Huang’s funeral will be arranged by Yu Dong, founder and chairman of Bona Film Group.
Trending in Beijing: TCM Law Fake News, the Trash Bin Dudes, and Beijing's Mosquito Feud
Image: ihg.com, Caijing
advertisement
Beijingers Are Buzzing About