"The Voice Behind the Curtain" Grandma Has Been Broadcasting for 60 Years – Nantou Cinema Creates Miracles with Old Stories

Reported by You T-Ru / Interview and Reporting

In the lobby of Nantou Grand Theater, which has been in operation for over 80 years, a voice comes through the loudspeaker: "Today’s featured films—Hall A has Harry Potter, Harry Potter; Hall B has The Hangover, The Hangover. Don’t miss this great opportunity!" The voice behind the loudspeaker has a thick Taiwanese accent. Cai Jiefeng, the third-generation successor of Nantou Grand Theater, smiles and explains, "That’s my grandma’s voice."


▲ Nantou Grand Theater, which has been open for 80 years, is the only remaining old cinema in Nantou County. On the left is Cai Jiefeng, the third-generation successor, and on the right is his father. (Photo / FromDream Building Market. Made by Douyemu Woodcraft)  

Nantou Grand Theater, which has been open for 80 years, is the only remaining old cinema in Nantou County. Many students from Taichung, Changhua, and Nantou are surely familiar with it. Previously, due to population outflow and a decline in audiences, the theater was once on the verge of closing. However, Cai Jiefeng, the third-generation successor, leveraged youthful marketing creativity by combining "grandma’s voice" with the theater’s historic charm to rebrand it, allowing the cinema to continue operating.

"According to her, grandma has been doing the broadcasts for over 60 years." For six decades, regardless of wind or rain, or what movies were showing, grandma would pick up the microphone and record that day’s "featured films." Her powerful and distinctly Mandarin-Taiwanese-accented voice would be broadcast via loudspeakers mounted on cars driving through the streets. Many people even recorded this uniquely local sound and shared it online, making it a nostalgic comfort for Nantou natives living away from home.


▲ A young photo of Grandma Cai, the voice behind the broadcasts, who has been recording cinema announcements for over sixty years. (Photo / From Nantou Grand Theater’s Facebook)  

The 80-year-old Nantou Grand Theater was founded by Cai Jiefeng’s grandfather. Speaking of his grandfather and father, Cai Jiefeng’s tone is filled with endless gratitude. "When my grandpa passed away, my dad was only 25, but he decided to take over the theater alone." Cai’s father, who often gets choked up when talking about his grandfather, wasn’t actually optimistic about taking over Nantou Grand Theater at first—neighbors didn’t believe in him—but thanks to his never-give-up attitude, the theater managed to survive.


▲ What Nantou Theater looked like in the past. (Photo / From Nantou Grand Theater’s Facebook)  

The operation of old cinemas gradually declined after decades of historical change, and for nearly 10 years, the Cai family had been running at a continuous loss. They even considered shutting down the theater. "One day more than two years ago, I overheard my dad and grandma discussing that they really wanted to close the theater this time—the date was even set." Cai Jiefeng said that at the time, he just felt the theater still had more potential. After discussing it with his father, he resolved to take over the theater and officially became the third-generation successor.

Cai Jiefeng, who originally worked in marketing in Taipei, used his expertise to rebrand the old theater. His first step was to tell "the story behind the theater." "Besides grandma’s 60-year-old broadcast voice, which feels nostalgic, the theater’s interior preserves the format of ‘live performances alongside screenings,’ so the old stage is still there." With Nantou Grand Theater itself as the highlight, Cai Jiefeng invested in renovating the theater and used old stories as the main theme to give visitors a retro feeling, as if stepping back in time—his goal was to restore the theater’s former glory.


▲ During Lunar New Year and holidays, the theater sees huge crowds, earning it the nickname the "economic miracle" of the area. (Photo / From Nantou Grand Theater’s Facebook)  

"When I first started managing the theater, there weren’t many young people. But after a while, the results were pretty good, and more and more people started coming back." Cai Jiefeng laughs, "When I decided to come back, many friends opposed it, but afterward, I realized Nantou lacked a lot of things. If the theater had closed, this place would have been even more deserted." In addition to the theater itself, Cai Jiefeng also runs some cafés next to the theater that tell the story of the cinema. Every cup of coffee reflects the presence of grandma and grandpa from the theater.

"I used to think coming back to Nantou was a last resort, but now I feel that as long as you put in the effort, you’ll get something back. Like many young people, I once struggled to find my direction, but after returning home, I found that as long as you put your heart into it, you can find your own path anywhere." After two years of hard work, Nantou Grand Theater has regained its customer base. During Lunar New Year and holidays, the theater sees large crowds, earning it the title of a local "economic miracle."

▲ Back then, grandpa stood right here, controlling the steering wheel with steady hands, while grandma sat calmly in the back, telling everyone in her unchanging voice for decades: "Nantou~ Nantou Grand Theater~ Today’s featured films—Hall A proudly presents, don’t miss this great opportunity!" (Photo / From Nantou Grand Theater’s Facebook)

Speaking about his thoughts on the theater and its future, Cai Jiefeng’s tone is full of confidence: "Before grandpa passed away, he once called dad to his bedside alone and asked him to promise to take good care of the theater. Dad has always kept that promise to the theater and to grandpa in his heart, and now I feel I’ve lived up to it." The Nantou Grand Theater, "taken care of" by Cai Jiefeng and his father, has now lasted 80 years and still broadcasts grandma’s iconic voice through the loudspeaker: "Today’s featured films at the theater—don’t miss this great opportunity!" It feels as though time hasn’t passed, and the dedication and human warmth unique to old theaters remain forever preserved.


▲ Nantou Grand Theater’s Facebook writes: Nantou Theater’s 72-year-old veteran projectionist "Old Xian A" is retiring along with the theater’s last film projector. (Photo / From Nantou Grand Theater’s Facebook)