Ordos charm through young Israeli directors' lenses

(chinadaily.com.cn)

Updated: 2016-07-28

Group photo of the participants and organizers. [Photo provided to China Daily]

A screening activity, part of the program "Looking China", was held in Ordos, Inner Mongolia, July 26. Videos made by six young Israeli directors were shown, giving the local audience a chance to get to know the city they live in from a new perspective.

In the past 17 days, students from Israel's Tel Aviv University have cooperated with Inner Mongolia University Ordos Academy students and the city's new media center in exploring vivid cultural subjects, planning and shooting, generating six different video profiles of the city in distinctive styles and forms.

The videos cover a wide range of themes -- from ceremonies worshiping Genghis khan, a hero in Mongolian history, to an Ordos wedding; from matouqin, a traditional Mongolian fiddle, to Inner Mongolian people's love to horse; and from folk tales to modern development -- all of which together present a comprehensive view of Ordos city.

Zhang Xiaoping, deputy director of the city's publicity department, delivers her address at the screening ceremony. [Photo provided to China Daily]

"Their videos display a diversified China and its rich culture in ways that are most appropriate for their friends at home, and for other foreigners", said Zhang Xiaoping, deputy director of the city's publicity department.

After the screening, official leaders handed out "Ordos Culture Ambassador Awards" to the directors and audience members were able to have in-depth talks with them on the culture behind the videos.

Youth directors and their teacher (1st left) watch their videos at the screening ceremony. [Photo provided to China Daily]

"Looking China? Foreign Youth Filming Plan" is a trans-regional and trans-cultural experiential program initiated by the Academy for International Communication of Chinese Culture, Beijing Normal University and the Huilin Foundation in 2011. In the past five years, the project has attracted about 200 foreign students to observe China through their own cameras and understand China through their own experience. So far, 200 videos have been made in 15 cities across China and some have won more than 32 international prizes.