Global EditionASIA 中文雙語Fran?ais
World
Home / World / Asia-Pacific

Chinese film director offers an open canvas to better understanding

By Xin Xin and Alexis Hooi in Sydney | chinadaily.com.cn | Updated: 2025-06-09 14:45
Share
Share - WeChat

Asked about how audiences from across the world may view her work, Chinese film director Jiang Xiaoxuan says it is "an open canvas, where you can connect from any perspective or point on the map".

Her debut feature, To Kill A Mongolian Horse, is screening at the Sydney Film Festival this month.

The film, inspired by true events, follows a horseback performer living on the grasslands of North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region. Festival organizers describe it as a "visually stunning elegy to those trapped in a confusing modern world".

This year's festival will present about 200 films from 70 countries and regions, including international and Australian premieres.

At the 81st Venice International Film Festival last year, Jiang's exploration of "masculinity and culture in crisis" won her an Authors Under 40 Award for best directing and screenwriting.

Speaking to China Daily in Beijing, Jiang said she does not have any particular expectations about how Australian audiences might respond to the film's exploration of tradition, modernity and human relationships.

"I believe filmmakers are there to pose questions to the audience, not to provide the answers. We shouldn't try too hard to anticipate what viewers want or assume we know what a particular film might teach them," said Jiang, who studied film at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts.

"I only have a limited understanding of Australia's culture, society and how young Australians think today. How audiences will feel after watching the film — whether they'll resonate deeply or perceive it as entirely foreign, reflecting another country, another people, another language — is something quite difficult for me to predict," said Jiang, who was in Australia's Queensland state late last year when her movie was nominated for best film and director at the 17th Asia Pacific Screen Awards.

"This movie has been screened in places with similar expansive grasslands and pastoral settings. Some experiences resonate across cultures, but others are harder to anticipate. It's difficult to guess precisely how audiences will respond — whether they'll see parallels in family relationships or similarities in the way tourism affects local communities," she said.

"Audiences nowadays are very smart; they don't necessarily watch films just to learn something new. My goal is to offer them glimpses into different ways of life, prompting insightful conversations and thoughts."

Jiang said her own takeaway from the movie is clearer.

"For me personally, the experience was incredibly enriching. Filming in my hometown made it deeply intimate," she said.

"The lead role was played by a friend of mine, not a professional actor. I didn't strictly re-create real-life events; rather, I built and reflected on them. This process allowed me to take a step back to evaluate our realities through fiction."

Furthermore, Jiang acknowledged that her film may contribute to greater understanding of China by offering Australian audiences a taste of the country's geographical and cultural diversity, potentially challenging existing stereotypes.

"I think clearer distinctions will foster better understanding. While I don't know precisely how this plays out in Australia, my experience studying abroad in the US has shown me that within larger Western contexts, 'Asian' often just means East Asian," Jiang said.

"If we fail to differentiate, people and cultures become vague and featureless. Highlighting these distinctions can effectively break down stereotypes and open more possibilities for genuine understanding," she said, adding that common misconceptions about Inner Mongolia include everyone being ethnic Mongolian, physically robust and riding horses to school.

Her next work, however different, looks set to continue breaking down those barriers.

"My upcoming film will likely be related in some way to this film, but even if I shoot in the same location or with the same actors, the story and perspectives will be entirely different," Jiang said.

Contact the writers at xinxin@chinadaily.com.cn

Most Viewed in 24 Hours
Top
BACK TO THE TOP
English
Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site.
License for publishing multimedia online 0108263

Registration Number: 130349
FOLLOW US
主站蜘蛛池模板: www久久com| 国语自产精品视频在线第| 无遮挡边吃摸边吃奶边做| 欧美1区2区3区| 日日夜夜操操操| 在车子颠簸中进了老师的身体 | 久久久精品免费视频| 激情射精爆插热吻无码视频| 国产三级在线视频播放线| 1000部啪啪未满十八勿入| 嫩草影院一二三| 久久久久琪琪去精品色无码| 欧美在线视频免费看| 免费播放特黄特色毛片| 蜜桃精品免费久久久久影院| 国产精品亚洲精品日韩已方| jizz日本在线观看| 无码国模国产在线观看| 乱之荡艳岳目录| 欧美疯狂做受xxxxx高潮| 公啊灬啊灬啊灬快灬深用| 陪读妇乱子伦小说| 国产福利你懂的| 91香蕉视频下载导航| 婷婷色香五月综合激激情| 久久99精品免费视频| 最近免费中文字幕大全高清大全1| 亚洲砖码砖专无区2023| 精品久久久99大香线蕉| 国产乱子精品免费视观看片| 天天躁夜夜躁狂狂躁综合| 国内精品伊人久久久久妇| 一级做a爰片性色毛片视频图片| 欧美日本中文字幕| 做受视频60秒试看| 美女裸体a级毛片| 国产八十老太另类| 欧美老少配xxxxx| 国产精品白嫩在线观看| 99视频精品全部在线| 巨大黑人极品videos中国|