China's cinematic footprint

Some well-known co-productions with China include:

The Magic of the Kite (1958)

Directed by Roger Pigaut, starring Patrick de Bardine and Sylviane Rozenberg.

China's first international production. The story follows a French boy and his sister's dream that they journey to China. Beijing Film Studio's co-production department, which no longer exists today, cooperated with French production companies Garance and Cocinor.

The Last Emperor (1986)

Directed by Bernardo Bertolucci, starring John Lone, Joan Chen and Vivian Wu. Italian maestro Bertolucci's interpretation of the China's last emperor of the feudal times won nine Oscars, another 39 wins and 12 nominations in other film awards. Both Chen and Wu, the two mainland actresses in the film, left for the United States after the project, and made their names in Hollywood.

At the early days of the reform and opening up, China was eager to demonstrate its hospitality to international friends. The crew was allowed to shoot in any place of the Forbidden City, which is impossible nowadays.

Kill Bill Vol (2003)

Directed by Quentin Tarantino, starring Uma Thurman and David Carradine. About two thirds of the crew was Chinese in this highly successful co-production.

The Painted Veil (2006)

Directed by John Curran, starring Edward Norton and Naomi Watts.

Based on W. Somerset Maugham's novel with the same title, the film tells a story of a British medical doctor who punished his unfaithful wife by taking her to a small Chinese village, where he helped fight a cholera outbreak.

The cooperation between Chinese and international staff went through the censoring of the script, production and post-production, which to a large extent made a genuine and faithful image of China in the story.

The Secret of the Magic Gourd (2007)

Directed by John Chu and Frankie Chung, starring Chen Peisi (voice) and Zhu Qilong

The first Chinese-language release to be produced by animation giant Disney. While the film was made by Centro rather than Disney animators, the production process was collaborative. State-owned China Film Group handled the film's distribution in China, and Disney distributed it overseas. The film earned about $2 million at the domestic box office.

The Forbidden Kingdom (2008)

Directed by Rob Minkoff, starring Jackie Chan and Jet Li.

The first international co-production shot completely in China. The story is based on a number of old Chinese tales. The two leading characters are both Chinese. One of the investors is China's leading media group Huayi Brothers.

China Daily

(China Daily 04/29/2008 page18)