French Film Panorama at Peking University draws big crowds

To celebrate 60 years of diplomatic relations between China and France, Peking University and the French Embassy in China have teamed up to present a film festival offering a captivating selection of French cinematic gems from across the decades.

The "French Film Panorama" showcased outstanding contemporary French films that have won the Palme d'Or, the top prize at the Cannes Film Festival, and hosted a series of in-depth conversations with filmmakers. Thousands of students gathered at the event to embark on this unique cinematic journey through space and time.

From the revolutionary classics of the French New Wave to the diverse explorations of a new generation of filmmakers, "Anatomy of a Fall," winner of the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay, served as the opening film of the event. As one of the most important French films of recent times, it has attracted huge audiences and sparked much debate.

Wang Xuantang, a freshman at Peking University, said: "This is my second time here. Last time I saw 'Anatomy of a Fall. 'This time it's another famous movie by a famous director. I was interested to discover how French cinema reached such heights."

"I'm very happy to be attending this festival. It really is showcasing the best of French cinema. I think it's wonderful to have cultural exchanges between two countries," said Héloïse Garry, a French student at Peking University.

The movie appreciation segment was the most anticipated section of the festival. Professor Dai Jinhua, a senior film professor with millions of fans, was welcomed by a packed house of 2,000 audience members. She shared her insights on filmmaking, the role of cinema, and her own perspectives on film appreciation.

The professor at the Department of Chinese Language and Literature of Peking University said: "This is what I get the most from a movie – I think through movies from different countries, we gain a sense of entering another culture, walking into another group of people, up close, or from the inside and outside. So, I really think that in a broad sense, movies speak in Esperanto. It is a tower of Babel. It is a very important medium that helps break down barriers and enables us to understand each other better."

In 1958, the Beijing Film Studio and the French Garence Film Company jointly produced the children's film "Kite," which marked the first movie co-production between China and a foreign country.

"There are many types of film. Some are visually stunning, full of spectacle and entertainment. Some might be relatively slow and a bit boring – but not if you calm down and watch it slowly, immersing yourself in the characters in the movie. I hope everyone can accept this diversity in movies, enter their different worlds in different ways. The more one classifies movies, like art movies, etc., the more there will be disagreements. But, in fact, that's okay, so long as everyone gets something out of a movie," Dai said.

With film lovers of different ages and backgrounds gathered in the hall, the range of in-depth exchanges helped inject new vitality into the city and the wider film industry as a whole.