Film on injured female soccer star highlights goal of cooperation

Marked as the first coproduced film since China and Pakistan established diplomatic relations in 1951, Ba Tie Girl premiered in Beijing on Thursday, ahead of its domestic release on Monday.

The film follows Lu You, a former female soccer player, as she redirects her life path to work at a Chinese construction company after suffering a bone fracture that ends her sports career. Amid depression, she encounters a hospitable teenager in Pakistan, developing a sister-like bond through their shared passion for playing soccer.

The term ba tie in the movie's title, a Chinese internet phrase, refers to Chinese people's iron-brotherly relationship with Pakistanis. Several scenes in the film depict how locals in Pakistan are hospitable to Chinese visitors, with one such example showing a taxi driver offers a free ride to the protagonist upon learning that she is Chinese.

Mao Yu, deputy director general of China Film Administration, said that China and Pakistan signed an agreement on cooperative film production in June, injecting strong impetus into Sino-Pakistani film exchanges and cooperation. He expressed his hope for more pragmatic cooperation between the two countries in the film industry.

Shortly before the film's premiere, a seminar was held to enhance exchanges between Chinese and Pakistani filmmakers and industry insiders. The event was attended by Ambreen Jan, the federal secretary of Pakistan's Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, and Jamal Shah, former minister for Pakistan's National History and Cultural Heritage.