October 20, 2025, 09:29 | Source: People’s Daily – International Edition
Brussels, October 19 — The 7th EU–China Film Festival officially opened on the evening of October 17 in Brussels, the capital of Belgium. Filmmakers, cultural institution representatives, scholars, and audiences from China and across Europe gathered at Cinéma Aventure to launch a cinematic dialogue that transcends language and cultural boundaries.
The festival is organized by the EU–China Film Festival Committee and co-presented by the Communication University of China, the China International Communications Group (Europe–Africa Communication Center), and the Nouvelles d’Europe Cultural Media Group. Under the theme “Seeing Each Other Through Images,” the festival aims to use cinema as a bridge for cultural exchange and mutual understanding between China and Europe.
Photo courtesy of the organizers
“The EU–China Film Festival is not only a platform for showcasing cinema, but also a form of cultural exchange initiated through images,” said Elsa Yuan Mengqian, Secretary-General of the festival, in her opening remarks. “Through film, we are able to see one another — to recognize differences as well as shared experiences, to observe the details of everyday life and the common ground of human emotion.”
French director Gilles Thompson noted that the power of cinema lies in its ability to offer new perspectives on one another. “Images are not simply a way of telling stories; they are a language for understanding the world.”
Laura Houlgatte, CEO of the International Union of Cinemas (UNIC), emphasized that collaboration between Chinese and European filmmakers brings fresh energy to Europe’s film landscape. “Festivals like this allow audiences to encounter diverse creative voices and gain a deeper understanding of China through cinema.”
The opening film of the festival was Georgia, directed by Chinese filmmaker Chakme (Qiao Mei), which premiered that evening. Told through a subtle and poetic visual language, the film follows the coming-of-age story of a girl of Chinese-Belgian heritage. By weaving together themes of family, culture, and identity, the film received warm applause from the audience.
Photo courtesy of the organizers
On the afternoon of October 18, the festival’s Meet China International Communication Program was held at the Chinese Cultural Center in Brussels. The event featured an awards ceremony and a thematic dialogue, during which the EU–China Light & Image Awards, the EU–China Visual Communication Awards, and the EU–China Cultural Exchange Contribution Awards were presented. Institutions and professionals from youth filmmaking, education, and international media were recognized, reflecting the broad participation and deepening cooperation within EU–China cultural exchange.
Selected works were also screened, including A Belgian Geologist in China, China Momentum in Europe, Lighting Up Ali: An Engineer’s Diary, and Encounters with China: Xixi Wetland. Through attentive and realistic storytelling, these films presented diverse perspectives on contemporary China and its human dimension.
Guests including French director Gilles Thompson, German visual artist Thomas Kuczera, and Wu Jianying, representative of People’s Daily, took part in discussions around the festival theme. Kuczera remarked that visual storytelling allows audiences to move beyond linguistic barriers: “In the world of images, there are no borders — only emotion.” Wu noted that sincere and nuanced perspectives help European audiences better understand a dynamic and multi-dimensional China.
That evening, The Little Ring, directed by Chakme, had its world premiere in Brussels. Chakme and Thompson engaged in a conversation on cinematic creation and cultural expression, discussing the relationship between reality and imagination and the emotional connection between films and their audiences. The exchange was met with strong engagement from the audience.
Since its founding in 2015, the EU–China Film Festival has become an important platform for cultural exchange between China and Europe. Through cinema — a shared global language — filmmakers from both sides continue to deepen cooperation, expand mutual understanding, and grow through dialogue. The 7th edition of the festival once again highlights the creativity, openness, and cultural diversity of EU–China film exchange, offering audiences a vivid space to encounter and appreciate one another through cinema.