Lecture, conference on Pak-China film collaboration

Islamabad : Pakistan National Council of Arts in collaboration with Embassy of People's Republic of China, China Cultural Centre (Islamabad), China Film Archive.(China Film Art Research Centre),Ministry Of Information & Broadcasting and China Film Group Corporation, apart from holding a four-day film festival at PNCA, held a day-long film conference and a lecture on Pakistan-China film collaboration and cooperation on Friday.

Jamal Shah (Director General,PNCA),Zhang Hequing (Cultural Counsellor Embassy of China),Professor Zhou Xin(Beijing Normal University),Zhou Xin, (Network of International Cultural Link Entity were hit subjects,China),Wang Xinglin (China Film Group) and Satish Anand (Film Producer, Distributor, Importer, Exporter) were the major speakers and participants .

Professor Zhou Xin re-created the over hundred year’s history of cinema in China with his talk, photographs and film clips. It first all began in 1905 with tradition of family ethics which came both with tragedy, comedy and romance. More came with martial arts, rich vs. poor conflicts and fantastic expectations.

The thirties and forties was the Golden Age for films. Real trials of people became subject. Neo- realism was now on screen. This kind of style with low-budget filming on streets and house came much later to Europe in late-forties with Bicycle Thief in Italy. After late-forties, the screen shifted to love and emotions, poetry, darkness of life. Intellectual women arrived on screen with their trials and tribulations.

As the time passed,the country opened up with social and economic development. While martial arts kept going,China opened up to the outside world.This came with participation in international film festivals(Venice, Cannes, Berlin), exchange of delegations and joint-productions. Yellow Earth and Red Sorghum became international hits. Ruthless reality was filmed like never before onscreen life. More came with smash hits like Hero, Mr.Six and Ice Lake.

Film Dying to Survive took a leap by showing a man being sent behind bars .He saved thousands of lives with illegal medicine. On his way to prison, he is applauded by thousands of his patents. This showed how strict rules and regulations can affect life.

Today, Chinese cinema is in its best form and it stands number One in world cinema with 900 films a year and over 60,000 screens. It is collaborating with several countries in co-productions. There is no major film festival in the world where Chinese films are not winning awards and acclaim.

Professor Zhou Xin lecture was followed by Film Conference where matters relating to collaboration between China and Pakistan were discussed and debated. Several Pakistani films including Baaghi, Mera Naam Hai Mohabbat, Teefa in Trouble, Parvaz Hai Janoon and more have been shown in China. That is not enough. Collaboration is needed in holding regular film festivals,film conference ,workshops and seminars. Exchange of members from film industry and use of filming locations both here and there is prerequisite.

Jamal Shah, Director General PNCA said that Pakistan has the potential and diversity as a filmmaking country. Cost of filming is low and Chinese film production companies can use that as a benefit because budget here would be even lower than in China. Strong subjects and good locations could become highlights of the film and win, win both for Pakistan and China.

-- aijazzgul@gmail.com