Ne Zha & Nobody: Charting a New Course โขfor chinese Cinema
China’s film industry is actively pursuing diversification โand international collaboration,โ with recent successes like Nobody signalingโค a shift towards globally appealingโ narratives. This push โis underscored byโฃ initiatives โขlike the China Film Pavilion atโ Tokyo International Film Festival,designed to “deepen internationalโ film transactions,foster Sino-foreign cinematic collaboration andโ enhance mutual cultural gratitude within the global film industry.”
This evolving landscape will be explored at theโ upcoming “Launch event of the Blue Book of China Film 2025 and the Blue Book of China TVโค Series 2025,”โฃ co-hosted by the China Film Critics Association (CFCC) and Zhejiang University. Professors Xuguang Chen of Peking University and โคZhizhong Fan of Zhejiang University will presentโข findings โคon the “latest achievementsโ of China’s film and television industry.”
nobody, inspiredโฃ by the classic Chinese novel Journey to theโข West, has becomeโค a focal point โin discussions about this new direction.โ The โคfilm’s success, โhighlighted โขin Chinese media over โthe past year, is attributed to its blend of conventional aesthetics with modern cinematic techniques. According to Chen, the film’s creators deliberately integrated “modern cinematic โconcepts of space, โฃlightingโข and color” into โa style “rooted in traditional Chineseโ aesthetics.”
Industry โขleaders recognizeโค the โคneed to โconnect with a contemporary audience accustomed to a wide range of content. โขChen believes Nobody’s resonance โstems from its universalโ themes. โค”At its core, โour โคaim was to tell anโค engaging story – one whose metaphors and themes deeplyโ resonate with modern audiences,” he stated, emphasizingโข the film’s focus onโ “underdogs overcoming adversity” and its ability toโค allow viewers โto “recognize themselves or someone โthey know” withinโฃ the narrative.
Chen stressesโ that technical innovation in Nobody serves the story, not the other way around. “Everything we do in terms of formโฆis always in service ofโ storytelling, โcharacter building andโ emotional expression.” This approach reflects a “gesture of respect toward bothโ the art of cinema and our audience.”
Looking forward, Chinese filmmakers are increasingly focused on creating stories with global appeal. While Nobody โ draws inspiration from Journey to theโ West, Chen emphasizes its broader appeal: “Although the story is rooted โin the Chinese literary classicโฆit is, above all, โฃa story โabout ordinary peopleโฆa story of self-awareness and stayingโข true to one’sโ inner โself.” He concludes thatโ the film’s “humor andโค joy” make it accessibleโ to audiences “regardless of age or background.”โข
The CFCCโข believes broadening international exchange and cooperation is key to integrating Chinese films โขinto the global โcinematic landscape, and films โขlike Nobody are leading the way in demonstrating this potential.
