Program to boost cultural exchanges between China and France

In celebration of the 60th anniversary of China-France diplomatic ties, a project aimed at fostering cultural exchanges between the two nations was inaugurated at the French Culture Center in Beijing on April 23.

Co-organized by the National Radio and Television Administration and the embassy of France in China, the initiative has curated over 20 outstanding French programs and Sino-French co-productions. These selections will be broadcast across multiple TV channels in regions including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangdong, and Sichuan provinces, as well as on major streaming platforms like iQiyi and Tencent Video, spanning from this month until June.

The diverse lineup encompasses various genres, featuring the TV miniseries Voltaire in Love, documentaries such as Saving Notre-Dame, Wild France, and When the Louvre Museum Meets the Forbidden City, as well as the film The Chorus.

Zhou Jihong, director-general of the international cooperation department of the administration, emphasized the long-standing cultural exchanges between China and France, highlighting their fruitful cooperation in fields such as talent exchange and co-productions. She expressed hope that artists from both countries would delve deeper into stories reflecting the friendship of the Chinese and French people, while also enhancing collaboration in advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence, 4K high definition, and virtual reality.

French director Thomas Lilti, present at the event, reminisced about his initial visit to China when his movie Hippocrates: Diary of a French Doctor was screened during a film exhibition event in Shenzhen in 2015.

Currently attending the ongoing 14th Beijing International Film Festival for his comedy A Real Job, which has been shortlisted for the festival's top honor, the Tiantan Award, Lilti expressed his enthusiasm for future collaborations with Chinese filmmakers.

Liu Xia, director of When the Louvre Museum Meets the Forbidden City, recounted her team's extensive journey, traveling over 400,000 kilometers to interview over 60 scholars and dedicating three years to produce the documentary.