On April 23, the "East Meets West: A Cinematic Rendezvous" Culture Salon was held at Langyuan Station in Beijing. Hosted by the Organizing Committee of the Beijing International Film Festival (BJIFF) and organized by CRI Online, the event marked the first forum of its kind at BJIFF with a focus on international communication. Centered on "Building Cultural Bridges Through East-West Cinematic Dialogues", the salon aimed to create a platform for exchanges among filmmakers, planners, and communicators from China and abroad. It also sought to establish BJIFF as a central hub for global exchanges on film culture, boosting the visibility and influence of Chinese cinema on the international stage.

A photo taken during the roundtable discussion

From the screening of the world's first film, "L'arrivée d'un train à La Ciotat" (The Arrival of a Train) in Paris, to the debut of China's first film, "Dingjun Mountain" in Beijing, and from the global dominance of Hollywood's narrative styles to the resurgence of contemporary Eastern aesthetics, the exchanges between Eastern and Western cinemas tells the story of mutual inspiration through films—an cross-cultural dialogue. At the salon, five distinguished guests, including Wang Caitao, participated in a roundtable discussion titled "Cinema Beyond Borders, Culture in Symbiosis: Roles of International Film Festivals in Cross-Cultural Communication". Together, they explored how the unique artistic language of films serves as a bridge for fostering mutual understanding and dialogue between the East and the West.

An attendee asks questions.

During the Q&A section, the audience, along with online viewers, shared their personal film-viewing experiences and posed questions to the guests. Questions included "How can Chinese cinema break cultural barriers and tell China's stories well?" The conversations between professionals and other attendees not only grounded the discussions in relatable terms but also shed light on the emotional trajectory of Eastern storytelling, making it more accessible, tangible, and deeply evocative.

International students are captivated by the engaging discussion.

International students are captivated by the engaging discussion.

Raza, a student from Bangladesh

Many international students studying in China were captivated by the engaging discussions during the salon. For them, films represent not only "grand mediums" for cross-cultural communication but also "small windows" for ordinary individuals to gain insights into foreign cultures. "When watching a movie, my heart rises and falls as the protagonist's story progresses," said Raza from Bangladesh. When asked which film made him want to discover China, he was quick to name "Under the Hawthorn Tree". "This romantic, heartfelt love story drew me into China's reserved and understated culture," he remarked.

Madina, a student from Indonesia

"Jackie Chan's films left a deep impression on me. Chinese kung fu is so cool!" For Madina from Indonesia, she got her first glimpse of China through the impressive martial arts of Chinese films. "I hope Chinese cinema will develop further and bring us even more wonderful Chinese stories," she said.

At this springtime visual rendezvous, cross-cultural dialogues are paving the way for the synergy of Eastern and Western narratives, enabling different civilizations to illuminate one another on the silver screen.

(Source: CRI Online)