Travel around with Chinese movies

Editor's note: Decision Makers is a global platform for decision makers to share their insights on events shaping today's world. Analisa Low is the Ambassador of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago to the People's Republic of China. The article reflects the author's opinions and not necessarily the views of CGTN.

Like many of my friends in China and across the world, I was thrilled to view the blockbuster Ne Zha 2 recently and I must say I thoroughly enjoyed it! I was amazed by the high-quality animation and vivid imagery used to retell this classic Chinese epic in a truly compelling way for the new age. Indeed, the film serves as an important medium to transport audiences from reality to the mystical (as in Ne Zha), to places far removed from our own neighborhoods, and to hear stories from our shared human experience.

Some of the first images that I had of China as a child were from Hong Kong kung fu films that were extremely popular in Trinidad and Tobago in the 1980s and 1990s. Names such as Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan and Jet Li were known in every household, giving many their first look into a world across the seas and a culture, language and way of life that while present in Trinidad and Tobago (and in my own home as a member of the small but long-standing local Chinese community), remained a mystery to the majority. Later on, blockbusters such as Walt Disney's Mulan and the Oscar-winning Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon further enamored my generation with the stories of China, allowing us to catch up with what domestic audiences here had long enjoyed – a dynamic Chinese film industry telling authentic stories from their own perspective.

Since becoming Trinidad and Tobago's ambassador to China, I have had the great fortune to visit many of the places in this vast country that I had only seen previously in movies and television series. From rural villages, busy metropolises and historical landmarks of great importance, it has been a privilege to get to see China – not the version portrayed in foreign media, but the real China, made up of families and people from all backgrounds and walks of life, each making their own way in pursuit of happiness while building a modern Chinese civilization. In this respect, I believe that the best films – the stories they tell, and the feelings they give rise to – help us to appreciate that despite our differences, we – as members of the human family – have much more in common than what divides us.

I particularly enjoy movies that highlight the lives of ordinary men and women. Recently, a friend recommended that I see the film Hao Dongxi (Her Story), directed by the talented Shao Yihui. Set in modern Shanghai – a place that has always been special to me, as my first place of arrival when I assumed my duty in China and as the city currently linked to Trinidad and Tobago's capital city, Port of Spain for "sister city" cooperation – the movie sent a powerful but relatable message that so many women and girls across the world could appreciate. I recommend watching it (if you have not already).

As Trinidad and Tobago's Ambassador to China, I appreciate that film (along with other forms of media) can also play an important role in bringing about a greater cultural understanding of my country and the wider Caribbean region to our friends here in China. When the average person on the streets of China is asked about Trinidad and Tobago or the wider Caribbean, there is a natural tendency to think of the well-known Hollywood blockbuster Pirates of the Caribbean. Indeed, the Caribbean remains a mystery to many people in China. As such, my Embassy, along with colleagues from the Caucus of Caribbean Embassies in Beijing, has made concerted efforts to ramp up our cultural diplomacy initiatives.

Last year, I was pleased to host a screening of the Trinidad and Tobago film "Lavway – Our Story" in Beijing, as we kicked off activities to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between our two countries. Marrying our local film industry with the well-oiled machine that is Trinidad and Tobago's Carnival industry (estimated to earn upwards of 1 billion Chinese yuan, or about $138 million, annually), the experimental production brought the unbridled joy, mysticism and incomparable spectacle that is our Carnival to the screen – transporting viewers in Beijing to the streets of Port of Spain (Trinidad and Tobago's capital city and home to our world-renowned Carnival).

In today's world where there seems to be more division than consensus, and where we seem to judge first and ask questions later, film remains a powerful medium and channel for fostering more empathy, mutual understanding and bridging divides across regions despite differences in language and cultural affinities – leading to a greater appreciation of the complexities, richness, and diversity of the human experience. Coming from a place of common understanding, only then can we have a more impactful dialogue on the global aspirations that we collectively envision.

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