The Chinese Film Industry's Cross-Cultural Communication Strategy in the Context of the "One Belt, One Road" Initiative
Zuo Ke1, 2*, Mohd Erman Maharam1, Wan Aida Wan Yahaya1
1 Faculty of Film, Theatre and Animation, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Shah Alam, Malaysia
2 School of Software, Nanchang University, Nanchang City, China
*Corresponding Author: [email protected] Accepted: 15 December 2021 | Published: 31 December 2021
DOI:https://doi.org/10.55057/ajact.2021.3.4.3
________________________________________________________________________________________
Abstract: China's comprehensive national strength has been steadily increasing in recent years.
The "One Belt One Road" initiative has garnered widespread support from the majority of the world's countries and has evolved into a critical platform for global common development, promoting coordination and cooperation among the international community, global interconnection and communication, and the realisation of continuous development. Chinese film is the mode of transmission of China's cultural image. It is a critical opportunity for the development of Chinese film to promote Chinese culture via the "One Belt, One Road" initiative.
This article discusses the cross-cultural communication strategy for Chinese films under the "One Belt, One Road" initiative, with the goal of ensuring the sustainable development of Chinese films abroad through the "One Belt, One Road" initiative.
Keywords: "One Belt One Road", Chinese Film, Cross-Cultural, Communication Strategy ___________________________________________________________________________
1. Introduction
At present, international cooperation under the "One Belt One Road" initiative has expanded from the countries along the route to the majority of the world's countries, with the scope of the initiative expanding from business, economy, and trade to culture. Chinese film development is similar to the "One Belt One Road" initiative in that both value the ambition of "going out. “In fact, Chinese film exchange is a form of cross-cultural communication. As a vital carrier of Chinese culture, film offers unique opportunities for fostering interpersonal relationships and deepening cultural exchanges (Yin & Kang, 2019). Since 2017, the "International Film Exchange under One Belt One Road" has been held annually, highlighting the rich cultural heritage and human history of various countries while respecting regional cultural differences (Yin & Kang, 2019). Yet, there is still much room to expand the global influence of Chinese films. For instance, confrontations and collaborations between diverse cultures in cross-cultural communication could aid in the exploration of Chinese film's development and a better understanding of the artistic value of Chinese film. Below, we summarized and discussed several strategies that could be used to promote cross-cultural communication strategy for Chinese films under the "One Belt, One Road" initiative.
2. Shaping the image of China
With the "One Belt, One Road" initiative in place, guiding the international community, accurately telling Chinese stories, and spreading a sound and positive image of China (Zhan, 2019) has become a historical task for all propagandists. To increase the appeal and influence of
China's Chinese image in the international arena, it is necessary to tell the Chinese tale well, to spread the Chinese voice, and to explain what socialism with Chinese characteristics. The global box office rankings for the year 2020 have been released. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic's impact, the total global box office revenue this year is 11.5 billion US dollars, down 72% from last year. The Chinese film "the Eight Hundred" came in first place, grossing approximately 461.34 million US dollars. This data demonstrates that interest in Chinese films from abroad is constantly growing. This film, for example, set in the Battle of Songhu during World War II, tells the story of a reinforced battalion of the Chinese National Revolutionary Army known as the
"eight hundred warriors" guarding the four-line warehouse on the Suzhou River and blocking the Japanese army. According to statistics, in the 2020 world movie box office, the total box office in North America was 2.3 billion US dollars, a decrease of 80% compared with last year, while the total box office in China, although also down 70% from last year, still reached the top with 2.7 billion US dollars. China should be portrayed in a holistic and three-dimensional manner, with historical connotations, changes in reality, and a blend of material and spiritual facets. The world's population should be educated thoroughly about China and then develop a new perspective on this ancient but new developing country. One strategy for promoting Chinese culture is to base it on recent issues or on Chinese history and traditional culture. Likewise, we can shoot films about Chinese martial arts, religions, costumes, architecture, and literature, among other subjects. Using traditional culture as a starting point, we could introduce the changes in traditional Chinese costumes, culture, architecture, and a variety of other aspects over time, as well as the changes in the image of China as it develops. Additionally, we can demonstrate China's current social conditions, urban development, national development, social values, national culture, social systems, and other current conditions in order to demonstrate China's global influence (Qiu, 2021).
3. Focusing on the production of shape-shifting films
Films are highly effective mode of cultural communication. In comparison to other forms of art, films are more rapidly accepted by the public due to their high quality, large capacity, and rapid pace. Additionally, because films are integrated with the propaganda needs of the modern market, films have developed into a widely accepted mode of cultural communication. The virtual sound and images in the film create a virtual space for the audience. The storyline is integrated with cultural elements. While appreciating the film, the creator leads the audience to recognise and accept cultural elements in the film that are outside their imagination and thinking, which makes the film significantly substitutive. What Chinese films require are authentic regional emotions.
The core of films should unearth national connotations and introduce the world to Chinese spiritual culture. The more profound the film’s national connotation, the more global it is (Zhang
& Zhang, 2011).
4. Strengthening international cooperation and increasing international recognition
With the gradual improvement of domestic film quality, and Hollywood fascination with the dilemma of "infinite sequels", domestic films have reclaimed their home-court advantage. After
" Nezha: Birth of the Demon Child " surpassed " Avengers: Endgame " at the box office, domestic films reclaimed the top three places in China film history. Chinese films’ international box office performance has improved year by year, and films such as (Wolf Warrior 2) have gained the attention of international film circles. However, when compared horizontally, we still have a lof of room for improvement. For example, while "Wolf Warriors 2" debuted in the top 100 globally, its North American box office totalled just 2.72 million US dollars, accounting for only 0.3% of the total box office. In 2016, Stephen Chow’s comedy "the Mermaid" set a domestic box office record, but grossed only 3.23 million US dollars in North America, while Xu Zheng and Ruan
Weixin “Lost in Hong Kong” grossed only 1.3 million US dollars. Following the immensely popular youth drama “So Young”, “the Left Ear”, “Fleet of Time”, another youth drama, “Never Gone” was released. "Never Gone" grossed $337 million domestically in 2017.However, the box office in South Korea was cold, with only five people watching and a box office take of 79 yuan.
Chinese films have underperformed at major international film festivals such Cannes, Berlin, Venice, and Busan in recent years. Chinese film has thus far been unable to win the Academy Award for the Oscar Best Foreign Language Film. After 18 years, “Better Days” directed by Zeng Guoxiang, was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture. For many Chinese filmmakers, achieving international recognition for their work is a very anxious and challenging goal.
Chinese films have collaborated closely with Asian countries in recent years as a result of the
"One Belt, One Road" initiative. Participation in international film festivals is a means of promoting Chinese films internationally. The film touring exhibitions are organized in countries along the “Silk Road”, academic exchanges and seminars are conducted based on Chinese film development history and Chinese culture. There are exhibitions of high-quality films with themes such as contemporary Chinese life, oriental female charm, Chinese Kungfu, and Chinese ethnic customs during these seminars. In the 2020 Shanghai International Film Festival “One Belt One Road” Film Week, seventeen films were screened. The protagonist's footsteps span five continents, from Egypt's Nile to America’s great wilderness, from Central Asia’s magnificent mountains and rivers to Eastern Europe’s lush forests, from cities and factories to wars, adventures, memory, and identity. Culture and emotions are intertwined and collided. Diverse characters encounter and befriend each other in the film. These films were not created specifically for "One Belt One Road," but by showcasing folklore, religion, social customs, and a humanistic environment, they have helped promote exchanges between China and other countries through their artistic appeal. The film’s artistic and cultural exchanges will undoubtedly contribute to the development of the "One Belt One Road" foreign communication discourse system.
China, as a developing country, possesses enormous potential and room for growth.
Dissemination film culture through the "One Belt One Road" initiative should prioritize local distribution. The term "local dissemination" refers to the connotation of internationalisation within the film team, such as hiring Korean film companies to create features, hiring American film experts to guide projects, and hiring European musicians to create customised interlude pad music, etc (Ding & Cai, 2021). In the past, "going out" meant exporting Chinese films. It has significant limitations. Simply screening the film overseas does not effectively promote the local publicity for Chinese films or the communication and influence of Chinese films in the local area (Lu, 2019). Apart from ensuring the artistic quality of the film, the concept of local dissemination and multiple operating paths should also be transformed.
Additionally, a new situation in Chinese film development is the vigorous development of co- productions by Chinese filmmakers as part of the "One Belt One Road" initiative. This is a critical need for the local film industry and a strong attraction for foreign investors (Lu, 2019). Since Chinese and foreign co-productions are not subject to quota restrictions, with share accounts at 43% of domestically produced films, and are eligible to receive financial support and tax relief from both governments, an increasing number of countries are actively pursuing co-production agreements with China. Co-production enables Chinese films to enter the international market more easily. Historically, the primary market for Chinese films was mainly in North America. In recent years, Chinese actors have frequently appeared in North American films, and Chinese- invested films have also emerged one after another. The "One Belt One Road" initiative, particularly the development of related film exchanges, has established a link between film
exchanges in various countries along the "One Belt One Road. “The construction of this bridge has resulted in cross-cultural and encounters between countries, which will inevitably encourage and stimulate Chinese films, thereby promoting their development directly or indirectly (Zhan, 2019).
5. Spreading across circles
On the Internet, people pay attention to a variety of different types of information based on their personal preferences and interests, and they gravitate toward the circle that fits them best.
Meanwhile, certain circles will solidify people's concept of the circle through their characteristics, gradually forming their trends and cultures through circle stabilization and clarification. The post- 1990s and post-1900s have also become the primary demographic for movie fans today, particularly among young people. The circle culture has exacerbated the situation of film concentration. As a result, determining a film's target audience is the primary task of film distribution. Then, through their networks, various modes and channels of dissemination are established. This will encourage the establishment of a more reasonable position for the disseminate of Chinese films in the global context. However, the rigidity of film communication methods will be exacerbated by the solidified circle communication of Chinese films. The emergence of cultural circles has, to some extent, deconstructed the traditional temporal and spatial relations. Only through timely and appropriate “breaking the circle”, can the cross-cultural communication of Chinese films be realized, and only through the flow of circles can diversely film development be achieved. Otherwise, Chinese films risks devolving into parochialism. From a marketing standpoint, " Long Day's Journey into Night " has grossed nearly 279 million dollars worldwide to date. Furthermore, " Kaili Blues", Bi Gan's most recent film, grossed just over $6 million at the box office. The film's promotion places the "last night" as a doomsday scenario at the end of 2018, which seems a little more fateful.
As a result, many young people choose to celebrate the New Year by embarking on a lengthy journey into the night. Perhaps many of these young men, as well as the director and propagandists, are unaware of the film, or perhaps the film will become the audience's dream, from which they will not awaken until the film's conclusion.
Whatever it is, the distinct sense of ritual remains. The film has carved out a niche for itself in commercial marketing. Known to a diverse range of people via TikTok and gaining a following through publicity and distribution as an affectionate film, the film has lent a certain enlightenment to the art film genre by promoting the concept of "breaking the circle." When live commerce via internet celebrity anchors became widespread, the advantages of the traditional marketing model faded away. It is critical for the propaganda path to promote Chinese films as a virtual product in order to reach a wider audience through this new marketing model.
Recently, the phenomenon of "breaking the circle" of niche culture has expanded beyond the realm of film. To a certain extent, reality shows, hip-hop music, talk shows, and other niche cultures have attempted to break through the original circle. Therefore, while effective publicity of Chinese films attracts core audiences, additional reasonable means should be used to increase audience coverage and facilitate cross-circle communication.
The field of film and television communication research is not straightforward, as Chinese films have long struggled with market transformation. The development of Chinese films in the complex new context and increasingly expanded structural space reflects the limitations and difficulties inherent in the era of cultural communication. When one examines the history of Chinese film dissemination, one notices that not only has the international reputation of Chinese
film been established, but also the confidence of Chinese films in shaping the national image (Qiu, 2021). Chinese films are no longer an impractical fantasy, but a positive desire to show China's national image through a fusion of Chinese and Western perspectives, attracting global attention. The awakening of Chinese cinema's "globalisation" is extremely challenging (Dai &
Qiu, 2004). The “One Belt One Road” initiative provides an excellent opportunity and space for the international dissemination of Chinese films and builds a platform for Chinese films to “go global”. We can work more effectively under the "One Belt One Road" initiative to advance the film industry's development and inject new vitality into the long-term sustainability of Chinese film. Additionally, China's continued promotion of the "One Belt, One Road" initiative enables the country to build a global network of friends. China’s international image will improve as a result of the cross-cultural dissemination of Chinese films (Fu & Liu, 2016). Meanwhile, we should reshape the image of China and enrich the connotation of the “One Belt One Road”
initiative. Foreign films should be brought to China, while Chinese films should be exported. We should promote the cultural exchanges in Central Asia, thereby contributing to the “One Belt One Road” initiative’s economic development strategy.
6. Conclusion
In short, the dissemination of Chinese films via the "One Belt One Road" initiative advances the industrialization of Chinese film and strengthens Chinese culture's international influence.
However, due to the political, economic, and cultural differences between China and the rest of the world, it is challenging for Chinese films to gain international recognition. In this regard, we must begin with the production of Chinese films and learn from the successful distribution methods used by Hollywood, Japanese, and Korean films in order to achieve a sustainable development of Chinese films overseas with the assistance of the "One Belt One Road” initiative.
References
Dai, Y., & Qiu, B. (2004). A Strategic Analysis of Chinese Cinematic Cultural Communication in the Context of Globalization. Modern Communication, 49–53.
Ding, L., & Cai, Y. (2021). Research On the Cultural Connotation of Overseas Communication of Chinese Films. Movie Literature, 13, 44–46.
Fu, X., & Liu, Y. (2016). Conflict And Integration of Domestic Films Under Cross-cultural Communication. Movie Literature, 13, 28–30.
Huang, H., Huang, S., & Huang, Y. (2021). Study On the Influence of Chinese Cultural Cognition on The Expectation and Behaviour of Watching Chinese Films -- Survey Report on The Communication of Chinese Films in Southeast Asia in 2020. Modern Communication, 21–27.
Lu, S. (2019). Research On the Communication Path and Influence of Chinese Films in Thailand. Movie Literature, 17, 25–30.
Qiu, W. (2021). China Daily’s “One Belt, One Road”: Discourse Study of The Construction of China’s National Image. Radio & TV Journal, 171–172.
Yin, J., & Kang, J. (2019). Film Festivals, International Communication and Cosmopolitanity:
Reflections on Chinese Film Communication Strategies in A Cross-cultural Context.
“Film Evaluation,” 7.
Zeng, X. (2018). One Belt, One Road, China’s Image Building and Communication. Journalism Lover, 9, 24–27.
Zhan, D. (2019). Concept, Identity and Structure: Constructivist Mechanism and Path of Contemporary Chinese Films in Shaping National Image. Contemporary Cinema, 2.
Zhang, Z., & Zhang, T. (2011). Cross-cultural Communication of Chinese Films from An International Perspective. Journalism Lover, 12, 30–31.
