Chinese actress Xu Fan is interviewed before the opening ceremony of the 21st China Film Festival in Yangon on October 15. [Photo: Yadanar/ The Myanmar Times]
The 21st China Film Festival was held at Nay Pyi Daw Cinema in Yangon from October 15 to 20, with the opening ceremony attended by a Chinese actress who starred in the first movie to be shown at this year’s event.
The actress, Ms Xu Fan, was greeted with warm applause, and thanked audience members who had come to see her film Aftershock.
“I’m very thankful to you all for giving me the chance to attend this film festival, and although this is my first visit to Myanmar, I feel like I’m returning to my hometown,” she told the audience.
She then shared her experiences shooting Aftershock, which is based on the true story of victims of an earthquake that struck China in 1978. This movie, directed by Feng Xiaogang, was the highest-grossing domestically produced film in China in 2010.
“On the way to this film festival I saw a poster for Aftershock and it reminded me of how difficult it was to shoot the movie. It featured a family caught in an earthquake, and their attachments even after they had been separated,” she said.
“I played the role of a mother who had to choose between saving her son or her daughter, and chose her son,” Ms Xu Fan said. “I tried very hard in this movie, so by watching my efforts please accept me as your relative and neighbour instead of thinking of me as an actress.”
Also on October 15, officials from China’s Film Bureau under the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television met at Park Royal Hotel with representatives from Myanmar’s Ministry of Information and Myanmar Motion Picture Enterprise to sign an agreement for the free transmission of Chinese movies on MRTV.
Mr Tong Gang, the director general of the Film Bureau, said at the ceremony that although film is a relatively new art form, it has become an important means of facilitating cultural exchanges between countries.
“By watching our movies, Myanmar people can know our history, culture, artworks and quality of film production,” he said.
“We are now planning to produce a drama series with cooperation between China and Myanmar, and in the interests of forging a long-term friendship between the two countries we will also organise cultural exchanges and joint film festivals.”
U Aung Myo Myint, the managing director of Myanmar Motion Picture Enterprise, told The Myanmar Times that the idea to sign an agreement for the free transmission of Chinese movies on MRTV came from the China Film Bureau.
“On MRTV we are transmitting movies from South Korea, Hollywood and Bollywood, so now we’ll also show some Chinese movies on weekdays. In the past some local business owners paid to have Chinese movies shown but now they’ll be allowed for free,” U Aung Myo Myint said.
He said MRTV will choose some Chinese movies to show, based on the interests of local viewers.
“Also, to raise interest in tourism to Myanmar, Myanmar movies that feature culture and natural scenes should be shown in China,” he suggested.