Beyond cultural borders

All starring Bollywood actor Aamir Khan, the films deal with social messages of one kind or another that resonate with the Chinese audience.

Odell says the audience wants familiar but also fresh stories, and advises the new generation of filmmakers in China to be creative, stay true to themselves and then "talk about the global market".

Echoing a similar view, Hollywood director Reny Harlin says a successful coproduction "doesn't have to be about Chinese mythology or culture, but should be related to Chinese audiences and resonate with them".

He also suggests bilingual teams as a practical way to reduce misunderstandings in coproductions.

"If I were a young film student in Hollywood, I would study Mandarin right now," he says.

Animation is believed to be a genre that can easily cross cultural borders.

Rob Minkoff, famous for the 1994 Disney hit The Lion King, gives the instance of Coco, Pixar's highest-grossing film in China of all time, and says its key to success is storytelling. It isn't a movie made for the Mexican audience, but for all those who are curious about Mexican culture, he adds.

What's interesting about cinema is that it has a special power to bring culture from anywhere in the world and transport audiences to any culture that they want to know, Minkoff says.

In another movie event in the Chinese capital, director Matt Murphy said at the opening of the 9th New Zealand Film Festival in Beijing on Tuesday that the fundamental elements for a successful coproduction were good storytelling, relatable characters and being entertaining.