Hojatollah Ayoubi (fifth left, second row), head of Iran's Cinematic Organization, with Shi Yongxin (sixth left, second row), the abbot of Shaolin Temple, and monks and others during a trip to the temple in Henan province. [Photos/China Daily]

Iranians are fans of kung fu and Chinese are fascinated by the 'mysterious' country; now, a film coproduction gives both sides more opportunities to bond

Recent decades have seen more movies made outside China featuring kung fu, and now the martial art will connect China and Iran on the big screen.

Way to Shaolin is the first joint film production for the two countries.  

When Chinese producer Shen Jian visited Iran last year, he was surprised by the locals' enthusiasm for Chinese martial arts.

Many young Iranians spoke of Jet Li, the Chinese kung fu star, and his 1982 film The Shaolin Temple, which captivated a generation of Chinese and ushered in a golden era for the martial arts genre on the mainland.

"But it was kind of sad that most Iranians have very few opportunities to see Chinese martial arts movies on the big screen," says Shen. "We believe they (martial arts films) have a big market in Iran."

Iran has film censorship rules that guide domestic titles and foreign movies. So, most Iranian movie enthusiasts see Jet Li and his martial arts movies using video discs. Despite its lack of access to global films, Iranian cinema has made its mark in the world at least since the 1990s.

Films such as A Separation, which won the best foreign language Oscar in 2012 and Children of Heaven, the first Iranian movie nominated for an Oscar, in 1998, have ensured that Iranian filmmakers have received critical acclaim at top film festivals around the world.

Iran's local market and its influence in the region have motivated Shen to tap this somewhat virgin field for Chinese filmmakers.

Shen had the idea for a movie during his Middle East tour and now hopes to take advantage of the opportunity.

In recent years, Iran has been seeking more international cooperation in the movie industry to boost its cultural presence in the global market.

In July, Hojatollah Ayoubi, head of Iran's Cinematic Organization, the country's main movie regulator, made his first trip to China.