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Each of the highest-grossing blockbusters from 2016 to this year has been a homegrown work, including Stephen Chow's The Mermaid (2016). |
He predicts Chinese filmmakers will create more realistic stories as a result of the nation's battle against COVID-19.
"With the collective memory of the nation's effort to rescue life and reduce death, Chinese audiences will probably want more positive stories," Lu says.
Rao Shuguang, president of the China Film Critics Association, says Chinese cinema has diversified genres, visual effects and storytelling that have raised it to a new bar, thanks to the growing sophistication of viewers.
A stellar cast and heavy special effects no longer secure films' commercial success. Instead, a heartfelt story that resonates with the audience is more likely to succeed in the local market, he adds.
Examples include Dying to Survive, a 2018 runaway hit examining patients' struggles with high medicine costs, and the 2019 coming-of-age blockbuster Better Days, a thought-provoking touch on campus bullying.
More successful examples include Wolf Warrior II, China's all-time highest-grossing film, which sparked patriotic fever, and Ne Zha, the second highest-grosser that retells a household myth from a modern parenting perspective.
While superheroes and visual effects-studded blockbusters from Hollywood continue to be the most appealing imported content, exemplified by the overwhelming popularity of Avengers 3 and 4, non-Western imports have also seen growth in local markets, with the Indian hit Dangal and Lebanese film Capernaum as two of the most successful examples.
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The 15th Chinese Film Festival in Bangkok and the 2020 China-Thailand Film Exchange Week opens at the China Cultural Center in Bangkok on Oct 25, 2020. [Photo provided to Chinaculture.org] |
On Oct 25, the opening ceremony of the 15th Chinese Film Festival in Bangkok and the 2020 China-Thailand Film Exchange Week was held at the China Cultural Center in Bangkok. The event was hosted by the China Cultural Center in Bangkok and received strong support from the Chinese Embassy in Thailand and the Thai Ministry of Culture.
The COVID-19 pandemic doesn't impede the enthusiasm for cultural exchange between China and Thailand. This film festival uses live broadcast to present the opening ceremony and host the "China-Thailand Film Exchange and Cooperation Online Seminar". During the film festival, audiences can use the online platform of the China Cultural Center in Bangkok to watch films online, which greatly increases the global reach of the festival.
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Gu Hongxing, director of the China Cultural Center in Bangkok and China Tourism Office in Bangkok, speaks at the opening ceremony. [Photo provided to Chinaculture.org] |
Gu Hongxing, director of Bangkok's China Cultural Center and China Tourism Office, said film can not only introduce one's national culture, but also reflect unique social landscapes. Film has become an important part of cultural exchange between countries and enhance mutual understanding among people around the world.
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Yang Xin, Chargé d'affaires of the Chinese Embassy in Thailand, speaks at the opening ceremony. [Photo provided to Chinaculture.org] |
Yang Xin, Chargé d'affaires of the Chinese Embassy in Thailand, said since the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Thailand 45 years ago, the mutual trust between the two countries has continued to deepen, economic and trade cooperation has expanded, cultural exchanges have become closer, and all-around cooperation has achieved fruitful results. Both China and Thailand have a vast film market. As a traditional project of cultural exchanges between China and Thailand, the Bangkok Chinese Film Festival has laid a solid foundation for film cooperation between the two countries for 15 years and will add new drive to the promotion of cultural exchanges and cooperation between China and Thailand.
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Itthiphol Kunplome, Thailand's minister of culture, speaks at the opening ceremony. [Photo provided to Chinaculture.org] |
Thailand's Minister of Culture Itthiphol Kunplome said in his speech the governments and people of Thailand and China have been in constant exchange. Cooperation in various fields has developed steadily, and the film festival is another important event to further promote cultural exchanges between the two countries. The people of the two countries can promote their understanding of the cultures of both sides through films, and promote friendly relations and cooperation in other perspectives.
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