When China Meets IDFA

Globalisation inspires filmmakers…

Films such as Babel (2006), Traffic (2005), Darwin’s Nightmare (2004), and projects like Utopia in Four Movements (2010, currently at the IDFA), show that globalisation is not only an economic buzz-word, but has caught the attention of filmmakers all around the world as well. The aforementioned titles are the most successful in this field, but there are many more beneath the surface that seek to shed light on the stories hidden underneath the cover of economic growth. This in itself is not surprising. One could claim that these films are just a new, international variety of the old-fashioned films on the side-effects of capitalism.

The films The Chinese Are Coming to Town (Marc & Nick Francis, 2010) and When China Met Africa (Ronja Yu, 2010) are good examples of the trend, with the flair of Chinese quirkiness added to the mix. Rarely does one see two works so similar at one film festival. There could easily be a re-cut of both films into one; even cinematographically and editing-wise this would cause little conflict.

China inspires filmmakers…

Both of the documentaries start of with an official meeting in China. In the Francis’ film this involves the Chinese president Hu Jintao, and in Yu’s it is an entrepreneur who sets the wheels in motion. Whereas in Africa the investigation splits into three parts by following three different characters in Zambia (two Chinese businessmen and the Zambian trade minister who visits China), the Chinese in Sweden only come to one place - Kalmar, though multiple individuals are introduced in and around this small town.

The Chinese people in all of the stories are funny: overly eager, and very willing to adapt and learn about the other culture. This is especially well-portrayed in the speeches that the various Chinese entrepreneurs give in each movie. Mr. Liu, who took an armada of Chinese workers to Kalmar to work for him, proclaims in his first speech that Swedish people “are shy. So we cannot be as loud as we are at home. And no spitting on the ground, this is a bad Chinese habit! People here care about their hygiene”.

There are some actual cultural clashes in both films, and again they are very similar. In both it is most significant when workers complain behind the backs of their employers (but on camera). In Kalmar, the Chinese workers rant about the tight rules imposed by a Swedish Union overseer, mainly revolving around the proper shoes to wear. In Africa road workers are distressed about their hard, exploitative Chinese manager who feeds them cabbage and rice every single day.

Whereas The Chinese Are Coming to Town does not really have moments of real tension, there is some actual emotion in When China Met Africa. Mostly in the tale of the hard-edged farm-owner Liu Changming, who is ruthless with his workers both behind their backs and to their faces, which makes both the workers and the viewer uncomfortable, and realize that the Chinese are more than just funny, if maybe not in a positive way.

Overall, the impression that remains from both films is that the Chinese entrepreneurs will stop at nothing and will go anywhere for their own economic benefit. Furthermore, local populations and officials are quite naive in estimating how well the investment will work for them. This is by far best portrayed by the young mayor of Kalmar, who at first praises Mr. Liu for his vision and how it fits in with his town, only to state at the end of the film that “these kind of practices [paying bad wages for long hours] are not the Swedish way, and Mr. Liu should understand that very clearly”. By then Mr. Liu has long left the town, never to return again.

…But do they inspire us?

The inherent problem with any economic narrative is that it is not easy to relate to for the viewer. There is definitely something intriguing about the effects of the opening of economic borders, but it all depends on the filmmakers’ ability to make economics into a cinematic experience. Both films on the “Chinese case” at the IDFA seem to have understood this, but only partially succeed. The Chinese Are Coming to Town’s story is in itself very strong, because it is a totally failed attempt to bridge the gap between a Chinese entrepreneur and the Swedish authorities, but it fails to capture any captivating moments. When China Met Africa is more successful in doing the latter, but does not become more than a mosaic of people, without much driving narrative.

Both films lean heavily on the current interest in China and globalisation and do not transcend or add anything particularly new to this genre. But, well, the Chinese are still funny.

By Bas Voorwinde