When Anusha Venkatachalam Iyer swapped Mumbai’s hustle for Sichuan’s terraced fields in 2018, she didn’t just find a new home – she discovered a lens to bridge cultures. The independent Indian filmmaker, now a fixture in Mianyang’s countryside, shares her unexpected love affair with rural China in a new documentary-style video.
🍜 Noodles, New Friends & Camera Rolls
\"I came as a volunteer farmhand, but stayed as a storyteller,\" Anusha laughs, recalling her first encounters with Sichuan’s famously spicy cuisine and even warmer people. Her films capture everything from tea-harvesting grandmothers to innovative eco-farming projects, painting a vibrant picture of community resilience.
📽️ Why Rural China Captured Her Heart
What keeps Anusha rooted? \"The rhythm of life here – where tech meets tradition,\" she explains. Her latest work highlights how villages balance modernization with cultural preservation, from ancient qilou architecture to booming livestreamed agricultural sales.
🌱 More Than Just Scenery
Through her films, Anusha challenges stereotypes: \"China’s countryside isn’t ‘backward’ – it’s reinventing itself daily.\" Her upcoming project will explore youth-led sustainability initiatives, proving rural life’s global relevance.
