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The era of Sino-British film co-production has arrived. Although the British film industry is a little behind Hollywood for over ten years, British filmmakers are beginning to realize not only the huge economic potential of cooperation with Chinese filmmakers, but also the opportunity to explore new forms. narration, creative exchanges and cultural diplomacy.
After 1949, China began to collaborate with other regions such as Hong Kong as early as the 1990s, both as a means of generating revenue and as part of a policy of promoting economic development. opening. for reform. To date, the most prolific and successful co-production relationship has been with Hong Kong, with Hollywood number two – out of a total of 89 licenses issued in 2016, 54 were granted for films produced with Hong Kong and ten went to movies made with American companies. Meanwhile, China has now signed treaties with more than ten countries with Britain a relative laggards.
In December 2013, British Prime Minister David Cameron traveled to China on a trade mission, accompanied by more than 100 British business leaders. The visit was a success as the delegation returned with several promising trade agreements, including the film co-production agreement, which was formalized in April 2014. According to the British Film Institute (BFI):
The Treaty … will allow eligible co-productions to access national benefits, including sources of funding and easier passage to the public. In the UK, this includes Film Tax Relief and the BFI Film Fund, which is the largest public film fund in the UK. In addition, eligible co-productions will not be subject to China's quota on foreign films, which allows only a limited number of non-national titles in Chinese cinemas each year.
the television co-production agreement which aims to strengthen the collaboration between the two countries in the field of media. The British media trade organization Pact has actively facilitated conferences and meetings to support regular negotiations between the UK and China. As a result, Pact predicts that British TV program exports to China will continue to grow strongly.
The Security Experience
Up to here, there has been only one Sino-British film released – the documentary, Earth: One Amazing Day. The film received a world premiere in Beijing on August 1, 2017, with a limited international release. It was a co-production between BBC Earth Films and Shanghai Media Group (SMG). Jackie Chan and Robert Redford respectively narrated the English and Mandarin versions.
As the first Anglo-Chinese co-produced film, a documentary on nature was certainly the safest bet to test the market. Due to the lack of rating system in China – and some censorship parameters that British filmmakers still have to master – this type of educational documentary seems to be the best way to develop the relationship between the creative industries of both countries .
Another recent agreement signed early May 2018 between the UK Department for International Trade and the Chinese company Tencent, China's second largest company and major provider of Internet-related services and products, suggests that this type of content is generating renewed momentum. d & # 39; appetite. In addition to increased collaboration in gaming, live production, fashion, AI and large creative industries, Tencent has signed a three-year partnership with the BBC to increase their current collaboration. The company was co-producer of the Planet Earth II (2016) and Blue Planet II (2017) documentary series of the BBC. We can therefore expect similar co-productions.
An obvious subject for a documentary coproduction could be a Hong Kong story, which – if presented from both the British and the Chinese point of view – could be an important element of cultural diplomacy. There have already been documentaries on Hong Kong made by British producers, but nothing that includes views from both sides. Another possibility mentioned is a documentary on the life of British expatriates in China. Interest in this is evident in the enthusiasm with which British expats share short films about their lives on a video channel called The C4 Show.
Special Couple
Although documentary currently appears to be the surest coproduction model, it is certainly not the only one. Despite the unpredictable system of cinematographic censorship in China, Northern Ireland has taken the initiative to explore the adventure of a feature film co-produced.
A special couple, who plays the role of Hong Kong actor Aarif Rahman, actress Bai Ke of Mainland China and British actor Rupert Graves, was shot dead in various places. North Ireland. The film is a romantic comedy in Mandarin and English about two childhood friends from China who are moving to live in London. Because we are facing visa difficulties, they are forced to pretend to be a couple.
The film is co-produced by British independent company Zephyr Films and two Chinese companies, Dimension Films and Shanghai Media Group. The cast of Graves is a strategic move, as he is well known to the Chinese public for his performance in Sherlock, which was very well received. Producer Chris Curling said:
Now that we have shown that the treaty can be used successfully, I hope that it will pave the way for more and more Chinese and British companies working together.
The usual Sino-Hollywood collaborations, which tend to be successful action films, demonstrate that the film co-production treaty between the United Kingdom and China also applies to small-scale productions. ladder. For example, even small British film companies can enjoy the benefits of the film co-production agreement between the United Kingdom and China, as well as financial and fiscal support from the BFI.
It's early – but the future looks exciting. There is no doubt that many British and Chinese production companies will watch the performance of these pioneering partnerships. Let 's hope that they will be the first among so many and that they will help to strengthen cooperation and understanding between the two countries.
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