Medical workers of a hospital in Northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province Photo: VCG
A film focusing on Chinese medical workers fighting the COVID-19 epidemic is about to be shot and when its production team talked with a renowned Chinese respiratory disease expert, he said he hoped the movie will resonate with overseas audiences.
Zhong Nanshan, a top respiratory disease expert who has played a leading role in the battle against the coronavirus in China, held a meeting with the production team of the film including Chinese director Liu Weiqiang and the chairman of Bona Film Group in Guangzhou, South China’s Guangdong Province on Friday, the Guangzhou Daily reported on Monday.
The report said that at the meeting, Zhong put forward some expectations for the film. “There are still some misunderstandings about China among foreign people,” Zhong said. He hopes the movie can touch overseas audiences and strike a chord.
“I believe there will be a process of understanding. In addition to being released in China, it is better that this film can also be broadcast in foreign countries. It should be shown in a way that can be understood by both domestic and foreign audiences and touch the audience with real humanistic spirit,” he added.
Shi Wenxue, a teacher at the Beijing Film Academy and a cultural critic, told the Global Times on Tuesday that to meet this expectation, the film should restore the significant role of Chinese medical workers in the global epidemic.
“For example, Chinese doctors shared information about the coronavirus and went abroad to provide medical assistance. This is not only the responsibility of China, but also rooted in the nature of doctors,” he said.
Another expert on movies also provided suggestions for the film. “It also needs to focus on ordinary people’s stories,” Shi Chuan, deputy chairman of the Shanghai Film Association, told the Global Times.
“The stories of ordinary people instead of heroes can more easily strike a chord with audiences. The film should not avoid controversial problems and conflicts, but it needs to reflect real life in this pandemic,” he said.
Zhong hopes the film can encourage people who are still affected by the coronavirus.
When he recently communicated with some friends in the foreign medical field, he often felt their pressure.
The global pandemic has not been effectively alleviated, which has a great impact on the mind as well as the body. “Now we need a way to improve morale, or carry out psychological counseling,” Zhong said.
The deputy chairman of the Shanghai Film Association suggested that the production team should focus on ensuring quality.