TV Screening: iQIYI's Exclusive 4K Restoration of Liu Qiaoer and A Mongolian Tale Premieres on BRTV 4K UHD Channel
From April 18 to April 26, the 15th Beijing International Film Festival (BJIFF) 's television screenings will bring a lineup of cinematic classics to audiences. The 4K restored versions of Liu Qiaoer and A Mongolian Tale, exclusively digitally remastered by the iQIYI-Xiamen University Joint Laboratory of Film Restorations, will be broadcast on BRTV's 4K UHD Channel at 22:00 on April 19 and April 25, respectively. Originally released between the 1950s and 1990s, these two classic films have been meticulously restored using iQIYI's ZoomAI technology. The restoration not only elevates the resolution to 4K but also significantly enhances image texture, color vibrancy, and overall visual quality, offering audiences a refreshed and captivating viewing experience.
Posters of Liu Qiaoer and A Mongolian Tale
The original Liu Qiaoer, a 35mm black-and-white feature film, was produced in 1956 by Changchun Film Studio. Set in the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia Border Region, the story revolves around a marriage lawsuit and portrays a woman's struggle for autonomy in choosing her own partner in the old days. A Mongolian Tale, directed by Xie Fei, was released in 1995. The film earned Xie the Best Director at the 19th Montreal World Film Festival, as well as the Best Director at the 6th Shanghai Film Critics Association Awards. Through iQIYI's state-of-the-art ZoomAI technology, these two cinematic classics have been restored with remarkable precision. The restoration resolves issues such as faded color, blurring, and excessive visual noise, significantly enhancing facial clarity and image detail. In the restored version of A Mongolian Tale, fine details—like the texture of fur on an actor's hat or droplets of water on a face - are now vividly visible. Color fidelity has also been dramatically improved, bringing the visuals closer to what the human eye perceives in real life, and achieving the goal of "restoring the old to its original essence."
Before-and-after restoration comparisons: Liu Qiaoer and A Mongolian Tale
According to Yu Ke, Vice President of iQIYI, the company has developed the "Crucible Platform", a dedicated solution for upgrading and enhancing the visual quality of titles from its historical film library. Powered by advanced AI algorithms, the platform integrates a comprehensive suite of restoration technologies - including super-resolution, frame interpolation, color enhancement, SDR-to-HDR conversion, audio enhancement, and subtitle restoration. Through this state-of-the-art restoration process, classic films are rejuvenated with features such as denoising, scratch and blemish removal, and black border elimination. Many are upgraded to Frame Fusion MAX 4K UHD quality.
To date, iQIYI has restored nearly a thousand films across its platform. In addition to A Mongolian Tale and Liu Qiaoer, viewers can now enjoy HD remastered versions of iconic titles such as Battle on Shangganling Mountain, Woman Sesame Oil Maker, Xiaobing Zhangga, The East Is Red, Li Shuangshuang, and Tunnel Warfare. Simply open the iQIYI app, navigate to the "Movie Channel – Exclusive Restoration" section, and explore a diverse array of classic films brought vividly back to life - offering a timeless cinematic journey that bridges generations.
As one of the earliest long-form video platforms in the industry to adopt AI-powered restoration, iQIYI began exploring the use of AI algorithms to restore classic films as early as 2017. Over the years, it has launched several key initiatives, including the "Classic TV Dramas Digital Restoration Project" and the "Global Classic Film Restoration Program." In partnership with Xiamen University, iQIYI established the iQIYI-Xiamen University Joint Laboratory of Film Restorations, continuing to harness the power of cutting-edge technology to protect and preserve cinematic heritage. These efforts underscore iQIYI's ongoing commitment to revitalizing classic content and passing it on to future generations.
