Written by: Aiman Javed
Posted on: February 08, 2018 | 
| 中文
Chinese Architecture documentary
On 2nd February, 2018, a Chinese Film Month arranged by China Cultural Centre, Pakistan kicked off in Pakistan National Council of the Arts (PNCA), Islamabad. The month is being organized to celebrate the Chinese New Year or Spring Festival, which falls on 16th February. For the entire month, one documentary and one film will be screened each Friday.
On the launch, Mr. You Yi, the Chinese cultural counselor, spoke about upcoming events being organized by the China Cultural Centre, while Mr. Jamal Shah, DG PNCA, highlighted the noteworthy CPEC Cultural Caravan which has been undertaken through collaboration between Chinese and Pakistani artists. A festival showcasing the works of the artists is also being arranged at the end of the month. Mr. Jamal Shah also shared that he is involved in a film being made through partnership with Chinese.
The first half of an English documentary on Chinese architecture was screened on the occasion. The narrator systematically introduced the audience to basic facets of Chinese architecture through stunning visuals. She spoke about the significance of the house, various symbols such as the lion, and important monuments such as the Forbidden Palace.
The hour long feature film chosen for the evening was ‘Breaking the Silence’ (2000), directed by Sun Zhou. The film was China’s nomination for the 73rd Academy Awards for the Best Foreign Language Film category. In this heart-wrenching drama, a single mother (Gong Li) struggles to raise her deaf son (Gao Xin). Recognizing the importance of a normal education, she goes to great lengths to teach him how to speak clearly. The film shed light on issues of class, gender and disability. Despite the language barrier, the audience remained fully immersed in the wonderful film, understanding it with the help of subtitles.
On 9th February, the second half of the documentary on Chinese architecture will be screened, along with feature film ‘Go Away, Mr. Tumor.’ The comedy film chronicles the life of a comic artist who discovers that she has cancer. On 16th and 23rd February, documentaries on ‘Chinese Knots’ and the ‘Yellow River Civilization’ will be screened, as well as feature films ‘Monster Hunt’ and ‘Brotherhood of Blades.’
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