The China-Eritrea Film Week is one of the three film festivals that take place in Asmara every year. The event is organized by The Embassy of the People’s Republic of China and the Cultural Affairs Bureau of the PFDJ. Mr. Chen Chaoyang is Attachè at the Chinese Embassy in Eritrea and has kindly accepted to answer a few questions on the purpose of the China-Eritrea Film Week.

 

 

Q: When did this festival begin?

 

Chen Chaoyang: This year we prepared a total of 8 Chinese films at Cinema Asmara, for one week between October 14 and 20. We have had one festival annually since 2007. But before we also hosted a film week.

 

Q:  What would you say is the purpose of such cultural exchange?

 

C.C: I must say that Eritrea and China have had many years of very good cooperation in the cultural area. Over the last several years, we brought artists, dancers, sculptors, from China to give workshops for three to six months. Although it is a very different culture, people here like and appreciate the Chinese culture. Cultural exchanges are very important to understand each other and to develop friendship. This form of cooperation is a follow-up of the China-Africa Cooperation Forum which took place in 2006 at the Beijing Summit where Eritrean President, Issayas Afewerki, took part. There is a new standpoint in China-Africa relations which is to foster cultural exchanges so as to enhance the bilateral cooperation. We have been doing several things at the cultural level: every two years we bring a cultural troupe to perform during the expo festival. In fact, last year a performance by a team of Chinese artists was given at Expo and at Cinema Odeon.

 

As for the China-Eritrea Film Week, we think that watching Chinese movies is an easy way to understand the tradition, values and culture of China to people from other countries, because through the movies one can learn about history, economic development, political development, etc. If people could understand each other well then friendship would be possible.

 

Q: How do you select the movies?

 

C.C: Two conditions, first the Chinese films should have English subtitles. Secondly, the subjects are of interest to the Eritrean public. For example the One Man Olympic shows similarities to the Eritrean experience when Eritrea sent her first delegation in 2004 to the Olympic games in Greece. The movie also shows how Chinese people love their country, and the spirit of nationalism is something we share with the Eritrean people. The movie story took place in 1932 when Japan invaded our country in Manchuria. This is also something that we have in common: the experience of foreign invasions. These are elements that we consider when selecting the movies, it might remind the Eritrean people of their own experiences. So our two countries may be very different in many ways but we have similar values.

 

Q: Is it surprising to you that Chinese culture is easily understood by the Eritreans?

 

C.C: I have been here for two and half years and I was surprised to have similar feelings than at home. Eritrean people are very friendly and smile quite often. You have strong family values, most people live with their extended families, which is very close to Chinese culture.  The people here have great love for peace. It is a very peaceful country. You don’t have to worry that you will be robbed in the streets even late in the evening hours.

 

Q: Two Chinese films were dubbed in Tigrinya. How did you feel watching the dubbed movies?

 

C.C: It was very interesting. At the opening ceremony where the movie presented, The One Man Olympic, was in Tigrinya, there were many Chinese people in the audience. Some of them live in Asmara and work for various companies and are used to hearing people speak Tigrinya, but the Chinese movie in Tigrinya they found was very nice and interesting. They liked it. You know, a couple of years ago a Chinese lady from my Embassy here had learnt to speak Tigrinya. It was so impressive that she gave an interview for Eritrean television speaking in Tigrinya.

 

Q: Did you find the dubbing well done technically?

 

C.C: Yes, I very much appreciated the work done by the actors and all the work done by the Cultural Affairs Bureau. They really did a very good job. The translation, the dubbing, there was no problems. The whole crew did an amazing job. This is one of the main reasons why the movie was so successfully welcomed, those people who missed the film at the opening ceremony asked us to show it again. 

 

Q: Do you think other countries would find it of interest to do similar things?

 

C.C: Actually some diplomats from other countries came to ask us how we did it. They were very enthusiastic and maybe they will think about dubbing their movies also. In any case, we hope to have more audience and hope the movies can be seen on TV. The Tigrinya version we did is intended for the people of Eritrea to enjoy.

 

Q: How about movies like The Hero or The Opium War?

 

C.C: China has produced a lot of great movies, more like big Hollywood movies. Until now we have focused on movies that illustrate typical aspects of Chinese culture, but for the next festivals we may as well introduce some movies like the Hero.

 

Q: Do you think that it is more interesting for Eritrean people to watch a Chinese movie in Tigrinya than in subtitles?

 

C.C: Yes, definitely, it is better and easier to understand in your own language. For a movie you always prefer to listen and to look at the images rather than to read, simply because a movie is not a book.

 

Q: Is that what the Chinese Ambassador meant with the story he told to introduce the Chinese movie dubbed in Tigrinya?

 

C.C: Since this is our third year, we have learned that Eritrean people understand and like Chinese movies.  Actually, Mr. Li Liansheng, the new Chinese Ambassador to Eritrea has been here only since August. This festival is actually one of his works in the cultural area. He has paid great attention to all forms of cooperation and is very interested in further developing cooperation in the cultural domain.

 

In the story there was a man by the name Yu Boya (let us call him Yemane) who used to sing songs using a traditional instrument Guqin which no one in his home town could understand and pay attention to. He was always very sad that nobody cared to listen to his music. One day he went into a nearby pavilion and began to sing his song with the Guqin. The melodious music was so beautiful that it attracted a woodcutter who came and sat down to listen. The woodcutter said, “Wonderful! The melody is as magnificent and dignified as Mount Tai which reaches the sky!” Yemane was very happy that he finally got someone who understood and appreciated his songs. The two of them became good friends as it is called ‘Zhi Yin” and made an appointment to meet the next year. Next year Yemane went to meet his friend. He waited for so long but the woodcutter did not show up. Later Yemane found out that the woodcutter had passed away. Yemane was very sad by the death of his friend. He broke the string and threw away the Guqin and quitted playing forever.

 

I believe the Ambassador meant that there is no better way to share than when we understand each other.  Cultural exchanges should go in both directions.  In the future it would be interesting to send cultural troupes from Eritrea to China.

 

In conclusion, I would like to thank the Cultural Affairs Bureau for their great efforts and support in making the festival possible and in particular many friends, like Mr. Tewelde and Rahel, and also Demoz for the art work they did for the festival’s poster.

 

 

Thank you Mr. Chen Chaoyang