Cinematic exchange, cooperation boost friendship between China and France

The city of Shanghai has witnessed wide cinematic exchanges and cooperation between China and France over the decades. Shanghai has become a significant venue of close Sino-French cultural bonds via the cinematic bridge of friendship.

In December 2023, Luc Besson, one of the most well-known French filmmakers to Chinese movie buffs, brought his latest offering "Dogman" to the SFC Dolby Auditorium of the Shanghai Film Art Center ahead of the film's China release on December 15.

This touching film is a true tale of redemption, focusing on a young man who discovers salvation and the meaning of his own life through the love of his dogs. Its screening in Shanghai, just like the movie's showcase at the Pingyao International Film Festival in October in Shanxi Province, was a major success, moving a large audience to tears.

After chatting with some celebrated Chinese directors including Jia Zhangke and Ning Hao, Besson said he realized there were many similarities and much resonance between French and Chinese filmmakers, and what impressed him even more was that the Chinese audience was so young.

"Emotions in movies are common, no matter what kind of audience you are, you can feel something from it and be deeply moved by the performance of the characters," Besson said during his Shanghai trip.

France, the cradle of cinema from the days of the Lumière Brothers, has a long and proud history of film. The increased cinematic exchanges by China and French have enabled local movie fans to watch French movies more frequently and have opportunities to talk with their idols at film festivals and theme exhibitions.

Meanwhile, outstanding Chinese film and TV productions in diverse genres, and innovative variety formats have also been introduced to French audiences to deepen the exchange of cultural narratives.

The first Sino-French co-produced film dates back to the late 1950s. "The Magic of the Kite," a fantasy children's color film, is a story of the friendship built between a 12-year-old French boy Pierrot, his younger sister, and Chinese boy Song Xiaoqing through a kite that flies across the ocean from China. The kite, painted with an image of the Monkey King, magically takes Pierrot and his sister to China on an exciting adventure.

When the film featuring many iconic landmarks of both France and China was premiered in France in 1958, it attracted around 860,000 French viewers. About six decades later, a documentary titled "Kite: Kite," was released both in China and France to look back on the unknown stories behind the shooting of "The Magic of the Kite."

Since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the countries in 1964, China and France have achieved close cooperation in many fields. This significant milestone of diplomacy also opened up a new chapter of wide cinematic exchanges and collaborations between the countries.

Both Chinese and French audiences were amazed at the cinematography and artistry of such co-productions as "The Little Chinese Seamstress" and "John Rabe."

However, it was not until 2010, when China and France signed a strategic agreement in Beijing on film co-production, that the cooperation truly blossomed. Governments of both countries, according to the initiative, announced the provision of legal support for cooperation in the film sector.

An array of high-quality co-produced movies were made, including Philippe Muyl's family comedy "The Nightingale," Jean-Jacques Annaud's Chinese novel-based drama film "Wolf Totem," and sixth-generation Chinese director Wang Xiaoshuai's "11 Flowers."

"The Nightingale," shot in China and produced in France, is a story about an old man's journey with his 8-year-old granddaughter in mountainous southwestern China.

In 2014, "The Nightingale" was screened in France for five months, receiving acclaim from French audiences. It has also been shown at over 20 international film festivals, with the copyright sold to more than 10 countries and regions worldwide.

"Wolf Totem," adapted from Chinese writer Jiang Rong's novel of the same name, was another successful example of film cooperation. The film, set against the backdrop of the Inner Mongolian Prairie, explores the harmony between humanity, wildlife, and nature from an international perspective of storytelling.

Sino-French documentary co-productions are also thriving with a few acclaimed works, including "Golden Monkeys: Braving the Impossible," "Beyond the Far Side: The Dawn of the Space Revolution," "The Magical Fungi World," "Peking Man: The Last Secrets of Humankind," and "Panda Lunar."

These documentaries touch on a range of Chinese topics and themes including human history, aerospace, and nature, and highlight the fruits of cultural exchanges and mutual learning between different cultures. Some have already been broadcast on major television stations in China, France, Germany, Italy, and Japan.

In September 2008, the Shanghai Vancouver Film School, a cooperation between the Shanghai University and Vancouver Film School, named French actress Juliette Binoche Honorary Professor. Professor Liu Haibo, a film and TV expert at Shanghai University recalled his exchange experience with the actress.

"Binoche gave us a wonderful French speech and had cheerful talks and interaction with our students," Liu said. "She is a charming and amiable film artist. During her trip, Binoche also had a conversation with Chinese filmmaker Jia Zhangke."

Liu mentioned a variety of cultural exchange programs between France and China, saying French film delegations are frequent visitors to the Shanghai International Film Festival and colleges in the city. The French consulate in Shanghai also organizes film activities and invites Chinese film professionals to exchange their ideas.

In his eyes, both French and Chinese filmmakers are creative, imaginative and have a sense of self-awareness that as two cultural powers, China and France hope to jointly play an important role in cultural diversity. They share their stories, rich cultural traditions, and show a mutual respect for distinct cinematic narratives.

"We look forward to a lot more outstanding film co-productions by filmmakers of China and France," Professor Liu added. "It will help to bring diversified cultural expression and new possibilities to the world cinema."

Ten years ago, Professor Wang Fang, a film scholar from the Shanghai Normal University, was awarded the Order of Arts and Letters by the French government for her contributions and achievements in French film research and cultural dissemination.

Over the years, the SH-7 ART film program at the Shanghai Normal University, a joint effort of the university and the French consulate in Shanghai, has offered many lectures, academic workshops, and film exhibitions for students, industry professionals, and movie buffs in the city.

Wang Fang recalled that in 2012, when the program invited Agnès Varda, a pioneer of the French New Wave, to Shanghai to attend her retrospective exhibition, she spent an hour excitedly talking about her unforgettable trip to China in 1957 and her friendship with the Chinese people. It was also a surprise to them that Varda carefully kept the table card with her name in her "treasure box" as a memento of her attendance at the SH-7 ART film event.

In addition to the long-term planning for SH-7 ART, Wang Fang is also dedicated to promoting Chinese movies in France and other European countries. This includes an in-depth cooperation with the Festival du Cinéma Chinois de Paris, the earliest established Chinese film festival in Europe.

On December 28, 2015, the premiere of Chinese director Teng Junjie's 3D Peking Opera film "Farewell My Concubine" at the festival in Paris was a huge success, receiving long and lasting applause from the French audience.

The Lumière Brothers hosted the world's first public film screening in Paris on December 28, 1895. On the same day 120 years later, movies connected Chinese and French audiences once again.

"In terms of culture, the inheritance and inclusiveness traditions of China and France are very similar," Wang Fang said. "The two countries are not only rich in the accumulation and inheritance of national culture, but also have an attitude of tolerance, absorption, and exchange of foreign cultures. This allows the cultural industries of the two countries to understand and appreciate each other, and constantly create imaginative cooperations."

In Wang Fang's opinion, China and France have maintained their most active and multidimensional cultural exchanges in the past decade. In China, art museums continue to introduce heavyweight French art exhibitions, and the French film exhibition at the Shanghai International Film Festival has always been among the most highly anticipated programs with many recent and classic masterpieces.

"In France, there is an active group of versatile Chinese artists with a broad perspective and deep understanding of artistic expression," Wang Fang said. "At almost all mainstream and art cinemas in France, you can find Chinese movies being released."

The Festival d'Avignon, the largest international festival of contemporary theater in the world, welcomes and presents excellent Chinese stage productions every year. In addition, the translation and publication of a large number of Chinese and French books has also become a bridge of knowledge and mutual understanding.

"These are long-term witnesses of the active and multicultural cooperation between the two countries," Wang Fang added. "In the future, with the support of cultural cooperation policies and the continuous efforts of relevant institutions as 'cultural ferrymen,' China and France will enjoy a broader perspective for their wide and deep cooperation."

In addition to introducing French film masters and the latest French movies to Chinese audiences through exhibitions and lectures, Wang Fang said she would continue to develop the International Film Master Workshop project.

It has already invited famous French film artists to mentor young Chinese filmmakers. In the future, they hope to take more Chinese filmmakers and students to France to attend professional workshops and engage in exchanges with the French film industry.