First Chinese Film Week kicks off in Athens, cooperation anticipated

The first Chinese Film Week kicked off in Athens, which aimed to introduce wider Greek audiences to modern China and bring the two peoples closer.

During the event hosted at the Greek Film Archive foundation over the next three days moviegoers will have the opportunity to discover China through the screenings of a total of eight films covering a broad range of genres.

The movies chosen for the event were released during the last three years and are screened with Greek subtitles.

"The Chinese Film Week is taking place at a period of dynamic development of our bilateral ties with China which we wish to strengthen at the Culture sector as well which is the most significant for us," Greek Culture Deputy Minister Angela Gerekou said, inaugurating the festival.

"I believe the success of the Chinese Film Week will bring the two countries closer. With common will and effort we will deepen the overall strategic partnership between the two nations," added Tong Gang, Deputy Minister of the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television of the People's Republic of China which co-organized the event.

Addressing the ceremony Chinese Ambassador to Greece Zou Xiaoli stressed that cinema holds a key role in understanding each other among peoples across the world.

"The Chinese Embassy to Greece will take every possible initiative to help Greek audiences gain greater access to Chinese films," he said shortly before the screening of the first film of the festival, "the Beijing Love Story".

Part of the romantic comedy was filmed in Santorini with the support of Greek National Tourism Organization and over the past few months helped increase the flow of Chinese tourists to the Aegean Sea island. Greek Tourism Ministry Olga Kefalogiannis was among dignitaries on Monday evening.

Film director Chen Sicheng, leading actress Tong Liya and producer Zhao Fang also attended the opening ceremony.

"As a child I liked to read Greek mythology. Greece is a beautiful country with a rich history like China which I would love to discover," Chen said addressing the event. He revealed that most likely his second movie will most likely also have a connection to Greece.

The festival will also feature "The Grandmaster" by Wong Kar-Wai, "the Partners" by Peter Chang, "the Chinese Zodiac" by Jackie Chan, as well as "the Police Diary" by Ning Ying, "Say Yes" by Leste Chen, "the Flying Swords of Dragon Gate" by Tsui Ha and "the Full Circle" by Zhang Yang.

Next year China will host a similar first Greek Film Festival, Luan Guozhi, Vice Director of the Film Bureau of the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television of the People's Republic of China told a press briefing earlier on Monday.

The eleven-member delegation of officials and artists to Athens headed by Tong Gang held a series of meetings with their Greek counterparts before the opening ceremony of the Chinese Film Week and explored the prospects of bilateral cooperation in the film sector.

The two sides discussed an agreement to expand collaboration in this field through joint film productions and exchanging programs between the two state broadcasters, as well as cooperation of the Greek and Chinese Film Archives, and the Film Festivals of Thessaloniki, Beijing and Shanghai.

The success of the Greek film "Mikra Agglia" by Pantelis Voulgaris at the international festival of Shanghai this June also paved the way for strengthening bilateral cooperation in the film sector.

The film received the Golden Goblet for best film, direction and best actress and will be the first Greek film to be distributed in China.

Maria Komninos, General Secretary of the Board of Directors of the Greek Film Archive, noted that the timing is excellent, since Chinese cinema has great dynamic and Greek cinema an upturn course in recent years.

The Greek Film Archive Foundation is a non-profit cultural organization whose purpose over the past six decades is the research, collection, conservation and promotion of the Greek and international film heritage.