Focus on human interest, experts advise new-age documentary filmmakers

Experts at the Third Chinese Documentary Film Festival emphasized that documentary filmmakers should present authentic and deeply human reflections in order to connect with today's audiences.

The festival, held in Zhuhai, Guangdong province, from Oct 24 to 26, was co-hosted by China Central Newsreel and Documentary Film Studio (Group), the China Film Association and Zhuhai's publicity department. It featured events including opening and closing ceremonies, keynote forums, film screenings, new film releases and an awards ceremony.

As a part of the festival, a keynote forum on Oct 24 gathered experts and scholars to discuss ways to promote production of high-quality documentary films, from content and technology to market and screening.

In his speech, He Suliu, director of the China Documentary Research Center at the Communication University of China, provided a review of Chinese documentary's market performance and content supply.

In a review of the box-office performance until Oct 21, he noted that 27 documentary films were released in national cinemas this year. Despite modest box-office collections, many were low-budget films that portrayed ordinary people with warmth and emotional resonance.

"These 27 films cover a wide range of observations and reflections of various genres and fields. Some filmmakers focus on personal stories, like motherhood or small local communities. There are also those that take on grand historical themes," He says.

"We must not overlook the works about ordinary people with humble stories. The warmth and emotional impact they bring to society can be truly powerful."

The China Documentary Research Center launched a screening project in September, with 26 screenings in six Beijing cinemas. The sessions were enriched by director Q&As or expert discussions.

While some of the documentaries only garnered a box office of several million yuan, He says that the screenings produced gratifying results. "Cinemas like Capital Cinema reported occupancy rates of 70 to 80 percent, surpassing those of regular films. We discovered that in any region, age or social group, there are always documentary film lovers," he says.

According to He, to pave new paths for high-quality documentary production, filmmakers should highlight topics that resonate with audiences, connect historical themes with contemporary concerns, enhance market awareness and respond to public feedback, develop a distinct Chinese artistic style, and always stay true to authenticity.

Huang Qunfei, deputy general manager of Huaxia Film Distribution, says that in the new era, documentary films should continue to uphold authenticity, deal with current social issues and present content with profound social significance.

"Documentaries should capture the endeavors of those who contribute to China's development. These topics can evoke emotional resonance among audiences, so that more works with contemporary significance can be produced," Huang says.

In another forum centered on producing documentaries that connect with audiences, Yang Chenghu, vice-dean of School of Arts and Communication at Beijing Normal University, says that through his research on video-streaming platforms, he has observed a growing enthusiasm for documentaries among young people.

"Young people from different majors and fields, especially university students, have shown acceptance for documentaries on diverse subjects, such as cuisine, history, science and technology," Yang says.

"We've noticed that young people today are using documentaries as a way to understand life and observe the world. Unlike feature films, which pull the viewers into fictional narratives, documentaries allow them to experience real-life stories and the world without stepping out of their homes."

While many documentaries highlight historical figures and events, Yang says that connecting with the audience requires engaging with the present, by telling contemporary stories and reflecting universal concerns, especially those of today's young people.

Through the medium of Chinese-language documentaries, this year's festival aimed to inspire innovative and high-quality filmmaking, enhance their reach and impact, and contribute to the prosperity of documentary cinema.

The festival received 46 documentary film submissions, including science educational films and theater production recordings. At the awards ceremony on Oct 26, The Great Journey and The Sinking of the Lisbon Maru received the special recommendation awards.