Chinese movies weave magic on screen
China DailyUpstream, the latest in a series of thought-provoking Chinese movies to hit the theaters, will leave you breathless. At the box office this summer, an entire crop of Chinese movies has managed to enthrall with their technical finesse, plot, direction and acting chops, quietly working their magic on viewers, and knocking for a place at the global high table on merit alone. Of course, video streaming platforms such as Netflix do list popular Chinese movies for the global audience, but I fear they may be missing out on a clutch of exciting new offerings. Life Hotel, another gem, is certain to leave one teary-eyed for its deeply moving sketch of a struggling palliative care facility eyed by land sharks, while A Place Called Silence will shatter your cozy assumptions of childhood and the perils children face daily. Suffice to say, as the Chinese movie ecosystem puts its stamp on world cinema, big events such as the annual Beijing International Film Festival may even surpass the popularity of Cannes, Venice or Berlin in the future.