'Looking China' brings American youth closer to Chinese culture

When Christine Jiaqi An, a Chinese American filmmaker who graduated from Boston University, looks back on her trip to China in 2024, what comes to mind is not only the documentary she helped create, but the quiet moments of connection — sharing meals around village tables, learning traditional songs and sitting shoulder to shoulder with new friends along a mountain road in Guizhou province. There, she filmed Timeless Voices, a short documentary featuring members of an indigenous community whose oral traditions have been passed down for generations.

"So much of the experience was about rediscovery," An said at a special showcase titled 15 Years of American Youth Looking China during China-US Film and TV Night on Nov 7 in Los Angeles.

"As a Chinese American, it was disorienting at first, but in a meaningful way. I was reconnecting with my roots. That was priceless to me. And I'm very grateful for the friendships and trust that formed along the way," she said.

An is one of 106 American youth filmmakers who have participated in the Looking China — Foreign Youth Film Program over the past 15 years. The program invites young filmmakers from around the world, many visiting China for the first time, to create short documentaries rooted in local communities.

Since its launch in 2011, Looking China has grown from a pilot project into one of the most sustained international youth cultural exchange efforts between China and the world. Participants have come from leading US universities. Their filmmaking journeys have taken them to 14 provincial-level regions across China, encountering rural villages, heritage artisans, emerging creative industries and youth cultures in transformation.

Among them was Mateo Nikolav, a UCLA film student and director of Sixty Seconds, which follows a young aspiring actor working in a short-drama production studio in Zhejiang province. The film documents not only the fast-paced filming environment, but also the actor's quiet determination as he navigates opportunities and challenges in China's rapidly developing creative industry.

"I saw how much passion and persistence young creators in China put into their work," Nikolav said. "The experience taught me about storytelling, but also about friendship. I always think back to those moments, and I hope I can return one day to see my friends again."

Another US youth film director, Sammi Su from the University of Southern California, directed Shaxian Snacks, which explores how the identity of an entire city has become intertwined with the nationwide popularity of its signature snack culture.

Su said she had always hoped to study and work in China.

"So it was truly a delightful experience," she said. "Before this, I had only seen Fujian in photos or short videos online, usually the busy streets and fast-paced city life. Being able to actually be there, meet people and experience the place in its own rhythm was something completely different and very meaningful to me."

Over the past 15 years, more than 1,400 young filmmakers from 102 countries have taken part, producing 1,150 short documentary films in 27 regions across China. These works have received over 200 international awards, been broadcast more than 5,200 times, and reached an estimated 600 million viewers worldwide through screenings and media platforms on five continents.

Looking China has become a vivid vehicle for sharing Chinese stories globally, said Huang Huilin, founder of the program and dean of the Academy for International Communication of Chinese Culture at Beijing Normal University.

"It allows international audiences to feel the warmth of China," Huang said, "while enabling Chinese culture to be seen through diverse and youthful perspectives."

The program's impact and global resonance were highlighted during the China-US Film and TV Night, themed Recording Friendship Through Light and Shadow: Sharing Stories of Friendly Exchanges between China and the United States. The event also featured a screening of Bridge to a Shared Future, a documentary reflecting the long history of people-to-people exchange between the two countries. The film traces this tradition back to the 1930s, when international figures such as Edgar Snow and Helen Foster Snow journeyed to China during the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1931-45), documenting and sharing China's stories with the world.

Speaking at the event, Chinese Consul General Guo Shaochun emphasized the continued importance of cultural storytelling in fostering mutual understanding. He recalled how more than eight decades ago, American journalist Edgar Snow traveled to northern Shaanxi province and wrote Red Star Over China, offering the world a vivid, firsthand portrait of China during a pivotal historical moment. Guo noted that today, young filmmakers on both sides are continuing that spirit of exchange, using film to deepen understanding, build trust and illuminate the shared experiences of ordinary people.

"Today, a new generation is continuing the journey of understanding," Guo said. "Through film and new media, young people are presenting the world with a real, dynamic and multidimensional China."

Hollywood producer Andre Morgan, known for his long-term involvement in US-China film collaboration, also noted the role of documentary storytelling in building cultural bridges. While acknowledging complexities in current geopolitical relations, he pointed to the consistency of human connection.

"When young people in China and the US meet, work together and share stories, they often find they have far more in common than they expected," Morgan said. "Those shared experiences can help overcome misunderstandings and create space for dialogue."