As the Shanghai International Film Festival (SIFF) 2024 kicked off, a star-studded roundtable celebrated 60 years of Sino-French relations through the lens of cinema. Hosted by Lyne Lin, the forum brought together French film producer Natacha Devillers and Fudan University's Associate Professor Chen Jie to explore how storytelling bridges continents.
From Arthouse to Blockbusters
Devillers highlighted the rise of co-productions: 'French directors are fascinated by China’s urban narratives, while Chinese audiences crave our intimate character-driven dramas.' Chen Jie added that streaming platforms now enable 'hybrid storytelling – imagine a Parisian café scene scored with traditional erhu music!' 🎶
The New Cultural Playbook
The discussion revealed exciting trends:
🗺️ Co-development of animated films blending Chinese folklore with European visual styles
📱 TikTok-style short films becoming testing grounds for cross-border collaborations
🌐 Virtual production tech allowing real-time teamwork between Shanghai and Marseille studios
As the lights dimmed on SIFF’s opening night, one message glowed bright: the future of global cinema is being written through East-West creative partnerships. 🎥✨
