China Daily, Beijing, Oct 7 — As autumn takes hold in the Balkans, nighttime temperatures plunge and chilly winds sweep across the land. Yet inside the Cinematheque of North Macedonia in Skopje, the hall was packed and brimming with warmth. A grand feast of Chinese cinema has captured the enthusiasm of people in North Macedonia. The 12-day First Chinese Film Festival, spanning five cities, kicked off here on October 2. Jointly organized by the Chinese Embassy in North Macedonia and the China-EU Film Festival, the festival features eight outstanding contemporary Chinese films including The Sun Rises on Us All, 24 Flavors, When the Night Meets Light, The Coffin Painter, Like A Rolling Stone, Monster Hunt, Monster Hunt 2, Into the Mortal World, together with a collection of award-winning short films by young Chinese directors.
The opening ceremony drew a large turnout: Erdjan Demir, Minister for Roma Affairs; Erjona Ismaili, former Deputy Speaker of Parliament; diplomatic envoys accredited to North Macedonia; heads of international organizations; academicians of the Macedonian Academy of Sciences and Arts; film practitioners, media representatives, sinologists and Chinese culture enthusiasts. In her address, Ambassador Jiang Xiaoyan, China’s envoy to North Macedonia, recounted China’s achievements in developing its film industry toward the goal of building a strong film nation. She noted that people-to-people and cultural exchanges between China and North Macedonia have flourished in recent years, with vibrant interactions between film talents and arts education institutions of both sides. Atanas Georgiev, director of the Oscar-nominated documentary Honeyland, teaches at Shanghai University. The Skopje Academy of Dramatic Arts at Saint Cyril and Methodius University has signed cooperation agreements with Chinese arts education institutions. Fine Chinese films have repeatedly been screened and won awards at the International Cinematographers’ Film Festival “Manaki Brothers”. The North Macedonian film John Vardar vs the Galaxy claimed the Golden Silk Road Award at the 12th Silk Road International Film Festival. She expressed hope that North Macedonian audiences will get to know a true, comprehensive and multi-dimensional China through this festival’s rich and diverse selection of Chinese films.
Yuan Mengqian, Secretary-General of the China-EU Film Festival, said North Macedonian audiences’ enthusiasm for Chinese cinema exceeded expectations. Cinema transcends linguistic and cultural divides and creates the most direct emotional bonds between people. She hoped this festival would serve as a starting point to bring more Chinese films to North Macedonian viewers and foster sustained exchanges and cooperation between filmmakers and film institutions of the two countries.
Tickets for the opening film The Sun Rises on Us All, a Venice Film Festival contender, were in high demand; the screening hall was fully packed. While fully observing safety requirements, staff quickly arranged extra temporary seats, yet still failed to accommodate all viewers. Many enthusiastic fans stood through the entire screening. After the screening, the audience remained immersed in the story, engaging in lively discussions and sharing their impressions, reluctant to leave.
One North Macedonian audience member who drove nearly three hours all the way from Ohrid could barely contain the excitement: “We finally get to watch Chinese films in cinemas here in North Macedonia, eight of them screened together this time. North Macedonian people have a deep fascination for profound Chinese culture. We sincerely hope more Chinese films will enter our cinemas in the future.”
Another viewer with tearful eyes commented: “I worried I would not understand Chinese films, yet the emotional resonance feels so real. I thank the organizers for preparing Macedonian subtitles; it shows your respect and thoughtfulness. Though North Macedonia and China are thousands of miles apart, the magic of the silver screen brings us closer and helps us understand each other.”
Since the opening, North Macedonian audiences’ passion for the screenings has kept growing. Ivanovska, UN Women Representative in North Macedonia, all members of youth organization Pagoda and many film fans attended every screening without fail. The Bitola Cultural Center switched to a larger screening hall especially for the event, and the mayor and his wife came to watch the film. Multiple North Macedonian directors and producers held active discussions with their Chinese counterparts on leveraging the festival to boost mutual learning in cinema. Tian Yan, director of When the Night Meets Light, interacted with the audience after the screening, sharing behind-the-scenes stories and calling for greater attention to youth mental health, a global issue, sparking profound reflection and lively discussion. Venerable sinologist Peter von Hardenberg recommended films for the festival and served as interpreter for the exchange sessions. After the screening of Like A Rolling Stone, the audience burst into warm applause. Many were moved to tears and said the movie reminded them of their mothers. They look forward to more powerful, soul-stirring Chinese films of this kind.
Special screenings including the Chinese-style animation Into the Mortal World were arranged for young people in North Macedonia, bringing them the oriental aesthetics and unique charm of Chinese cinema.
As Chinese films continue to be screened across North Macedonia, more Chinese stories will leave indelible memories of this autumn.