Middle Earth - China’s cultural industry podcast

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Recently, a Chinese film DEAR YOU (給阿嬤的情書 - 2026) broke the country box office. This historical / family / period drama was shot on a mere 14 million yuan budget ($2 million), and yet made over 1.8 billion yuan ($265 millions). But what’s interesting about that story is that it’s not so much about the money itself, or that the director was quite unknown ; it is that this story that spam from the end of 1940s to today is primary spoken in Teochew dialect. 

And those types of movies, alongside side any kind of cultural content for the matter, has a hard time finding its place in Chinese cultural consumption as there is a strong emphasis on using Putonghua. Yet, things are brewing.

Featuring
- LAM Can-zhao : Filmmaker
- Yaling JIANG : Consultant
- Sam Debell : Sea of Wood Records - Co-founder

To go further
- Middle Earth episode #102 Remote Creatives
- TWOC's series Fangyan Friday
- TWOC's article Speaking Up: Can Social Media Save China’s Dialects? by Chu Siyi
- TWOC's article Dongbei Survival Guide by Ginger Huang
- Yaling JIANG's recommendation : 
卖凉茶只狗 (A corgi who sells herbal tea)
 Giger Hu了 (Thighs are numb)

Middle Earth is made by China Compass Productions and hosted by Aladin Farré. If you have a China-themed cultural project, like shooting your next documentary, or are looking for a specific talent, please get in touch! 

Chinese speaker? Follow our Bilibili account 阿拉丁_说电影 or RedNote (阿拉丁说电影)

The World of Chinese Magazine
A magazine about Chinese society, culture, history, arts, language, and more.

Send us Fan Mail

18 months ago, we released our episode #99 examining how AI was being used in films, documentaries, and advertising. At the time, most of the more compelling AI-driven work was confined to short-form content. But Chinese content creator and storyteller are doing leapfrog on that area.

As AI tools advance rapidly, they are increasingly taking on more complex roles in filmmaking, including generating entire features and even documentaries. But as reliance on the technology grows, the industry is still grappling with unresolved ethical questions around consent and copyright.

Featuring
- CHEN Zhuo (Pax) : FizzDragon - Founder & CEO
- Tina JIA : Wing Sight - Founder & President
- FAN Lixin : Emmy Award Documentary & AI Filmmaker

To go further
- Middle Earth episode #99 How AI is disrupting China’s cultural industry
- TWOC's article Smart Earth: How AI Is Rewriting Rural China by Yang Tingting
- TWOC's article ChatGPT Gold Rush: How AI Business (and Crime) Is Taking Shape in China by Wang Jiawei
- Wing Sight's documentary series on iQIYI: Prominent Figures in Chinese History (华夏风云人物) (7x22')
- Wing Sight's official website | Wing Sight's Instagram | Wing Sight's Weibo 

Middle Earth is made by China Compass Productions and hosted by Aladin Farré. If you have a China-themed cultural project, like shooting your next documentary, or are looking for a specific talent, please get in touch! 

Chinese speaker? Follow our Bilibili account 阿拉丁_说电影 or RedNote (阿拉丁说电影)

The World of Chinese Magazine
A magazine about Chinese society, culture, history, arts, language, and more.

Poster credit:  Design by Wang Siqi; elements from Doubao AI

The World of Chinese Magazine
A magazine about Chinese society, culture, history, arts, language, and more.

Send us Fan Mail

China's building boom can now be declared over. Yet what awaits for the 940 million city dwellers living in Chinese cities?  

Featuring
- Éric LE KHANH : architect 
- LIU Jue (LJ) : managing editor at TWOC
- Jingqiu ZHANG: IARA - Co-founder & Architect

To go further
- Middle Earth episode #108 - The Memorabilia Economy: Why Some Can’t Stop Dreaming of the 90s
- Middle Earth episode #102 Remote Creatives
- TWOC's article Welcome to Liu York: Going with the Flow in China’s Chillest River City by Wang Lin (王琳)
- TWOC's article How Residential Renovation Became China’s New Urban Battleground by Tan Yunfei (谭云飞) & Liu Jue (刘珏)
- Éric LE KHANH 's work on the remains of Jin Zhongdu City (Jin dynasty - 12th century) at Tianjin University.
- Éric LE KHANH 's work on the Sino-French "Chengdu Eco-Quartier"
- Jinqiu ZHANG team's work in Chen Jiapu Village (陈家埔村).
- News report on CGTN about France-China Wuhan Eco-City.

Middle Earth is made by China Compass Productions and hosted by Aladin Farré. If you have a China-themed cultural project, like shooting your next documentary, or are looking for a specific talent, please get in touch! 

Chinese speaker? Follow our Bilibili account 阿拉丁_说电影 or RedNote (阿拉丁说电影)

The World of Chinese Magazine
A magazine about Chinese society, culture, history, arts, language, and more.

Poster credit : Wirestock on Freepik.com

The World of Chinese Magazine
A magazine about Chinese society, culture, history, arts, language, and more.

Send us Fan Mail

As the Cannes festival ends, we interviewed some key player regarding how the biggest film festival in the world impacts Chinese cinema.

Featuring
- Cao Liuying  : Parallax Films - Sales Agent
- Clément Magar : Fortissimo Films - General Manager
- Qu Zhizheng : Director & Cinematographer

To go further
- Middle Earth episode #44 Does China still make indie films?

Middle Earth is made by China Compass Productions and hosted by Aladin Farré. If you have a China-themed cultural project, like shooting your next documentary, or are looking for a specific talent, please get in touch! 

Chinese speaker? Follow our Bilibili account 阿拉丁_说电影 or RedNote (阿拉丁说电影)

The World of Chinese Magazine
A magazine about Chinese society, culture, history, arts, language, and more.

Send us Fan Mail

Nostalgia isn’t just a feeling—it’s also a powerful selling tool. Right as China's GDP growth slows and the future feels uncertain, consumers are increasingly drawn to products and stories that evoke the past. Whether it’s retro snacks or hit TV shows reviving bygone eras, some are tapping into a deep emotional connection.

Featuring
- Chu Dandan: TWOC - former editor-in-chief
- Yaling Jiang: Consultant
- Haoyue : Film Producer

To go further
- Middle Earth episode #54 What is the future of China’s animation industry?
- TWOC's article How to Talk About Box Office Performance Like a Pro by Aria Zhang
- TWOC's article  about Zong Qinghou ; The Beverage Company That Made China’s Richest Man by Tan Yunfei 
- Douyin Accounts about the 1980's : 阿牛小卖部 & 怀旧铺子

Middle Earth is made by China Compass Productions and hosted by Aladin Farré. If you have a China-themed cultural project, like shooting your next documentary, or are looking for a specific talent, please get in touch! 

Chinese speaker? Follow our Bilibili account 阿拉丁_说电影 or RedNote (阿拉丁说电影)

The World of Chinese Magazine
A magazine about Chinese society, culture, history, arts, language, and more.

Send us Fan Mail

In recent months, China’s box office has faced significant challenges, making a recent development all the more remarkable. Recently the animated film Ne Zha 2 has skyrocketed into the global box office top 10 in just one month. With currently over 1.9 billion in revenue, the film has achieved two groundbreaking milestones:
- It’s the first non-English film to break into this elite category.
- It’s now the highest-grossing animated film worldwide, surpassing Inside Out 2, the previous record holder.

Featuring
- Dalton Grant Jr: Mapletoons Animation - Animation Writer & Director
- Lena Li: IP Acquisitions Consultant
- Hayley Zhao: TWOC - Journalist & Editor

To go further
- Middle Earth episode #54 What is the future of China’s animation industry?
- TWOC's article How to Talk About Box Office Performance Like a Pro by Aria Zhang

Middle Earth is made by China Compass Productions and hosted by Aladin Farré. If you have a China-themed cultural project, like shooting your next documentary, or are looking for a specific talent, please get in touch! 

Chinese speaker? Follow our Bilibili account 阿拉丁_说电影 or RedNote (阿拉丁说电影)

The World of Chinese Magazine
A magazine about Chinese society, culture, history, arts, language, and more.

Send us Fan Mail

It has been a crazy week following the non-TikTok ban and witnessing real 'positive energy' on both sides of the Pacific. How did over 1 million Americans flock to RedNote/小红书? What hurdles lie ahead for us, and are there any potential business opportunities for international content creators?

Featuring
- Jim Fields: Relay Video - CEO
(小红书: Jim技术咨询)
- Lucy Lv: Culture news reporter
(IG-TT: nihaolucylv)
- Wang Zichen: Policy Expert
(www.pekingnology.com)

To go further
- Middle Earth episode #50 Xiaohongshu : Marrying content and e-commerce
- TWOC's article Seeing RED: The Rise China’s Hottest Trend-Setting App by Hatty Liu
- TWOC's article Parallel Worlds: How A Lifestyle App Shed Light on China’s Education Gap by Outside the Fifth Ring (五环外)
- Dr. Candise Lin who bridged RedNote And Tiktok in 2024: @drcandiselin 

Middle Earth is made by China Compass Productions and hosted by Aladin Farré. If you have a China-themed cultural project, like shooting your next documentary, or are looking for a specific talent, please get in touch! 

Chinese speaker? Follow our Bilibili account 阿拉丁_说电影 or RedNote (阿拉丁说电影)

The World of Chinese Magazine
A magazine about Chinese society, culture, history, arts, language, and more.

Send us Fan Mail

When the Middle Earth Podcast started years ago, it was hard to find any feminist mainstream cultural products. But recently, movies like HER STORY (好东西) and LIKE A ROLLING STONE (出走的决心), along with female stand-up comedians and influencers, have been making their way into the mainstream. How did these success stories come to be?

Featuring
- Xiaotong Jiang: Kudos Comedy - Founder
- Jiaxi Wang: Scriptwriter & Director
- Hayley Zhao: TWOC - Journalist & Editor

To go further
- Middle Earth episode #92 How writers, bookstore owners, and printers survive in China’s publishing industry
- Middle Earth episode #46 China's TV format industry
- TWOC's article Roasted and Burned by Tan Yunfei
- TWOC's article “Girls Should be Brave”: A Feminist’s Bumpy Journey in a Chinese Small Town by Yang Tingting
- TWOC's article The Rise of Female Perspectives in China’s Movie Industry by Liu Jue

Middle Earth is made by China Compass Productions and hosted by Aladin Farré. If you have a China-themed cultural project, like shooting your next documentary, or are looking for a specific talent, please get in touch! 

Chinese speaker? Follow our Bilibili account 阿拉丁_说电影

With thanks Li Muyuan for additional research, and Sean Calvo for music support.

The World of Chinese Magazine
A magazine about Chinese society, culture, history, arts, language, and more.

Send us Fan Mail

Hello everyone, the Middle Earth Podcast will continue as we enter 2025, but I call on all of you dear listeners as I’m great need of freelance work (or a full time position, let’s dream !).

In case you are in needs of a:
- corpo video creator
- podcast expert
- researcher
- film editor
- freelance producer
- or PR expert

Here is my company presentation (Link) and we can also connect  on Linkedin (Link), it would always be great to know more of you.

Wishing you all in advance happy new year, and I hope that everything YOU guys are fighting for will happen for you as well!

Send us Fan Mail

Episode gracefully passed over by Jiang Jiang (JJ) from the Inside the China Room  podcast show in order to have a second window of distribution ;)

Enjoy !

To go further
- Middle Earth episode #72 Film Distribution: How to Succeed at China’s Box Office
- Middle Earth episode #44 Does China still make indie films?

Original message

This week on Inside the China Room, Jiang Jiang (JJ) welcomes Annie Song (宋晓佳), a young Chinese film producer and art director of 林象文化 Jungle Vision, a Beijing-based start-up dedicated to curating independent film festivals in China.

In this episode, we explore how young independent Chinese filmmakers are seizing opportunities at film festivals and contributing to the rise of new genres in China, with a particular focus on the increasing popularity of socially themed films. We also delve into the evolving dynamics between the Chinese and American film industries, as well as the successes and challenges Chinese films face in reaching international audiences. Additionally, we discuss how innovative promotional strategies, such as short video platforms, are revolutionizing the way films connect with viewers.

Annie Song holds a BA in Film Studies from the University of California, Berkeley, and brings over eight years of experience to the film industry. She was recently honored with the Most Promising Filmmaker award at the 29th Busan International Film Festival, cementing her reputation as a rising star in the field.

Recommendation
Movies: 好东西 Her Story by director 邵艺辉 Shao Yihui, set to release on November 22, 2024

Other Chinese films Annie Song and Jiang Jiang discussed in this episode:
宇宙探索编辑部 Journey to the West (2023)
流浪地球 The Wandering Earth (2020)
逆行人生 Upstream (2024)
我不是药神 Dying to Survive (2018)
爱情神话 B for Busy (2021)
英雄 Hero (2002）
卧虎藏龙 Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)
影 Shadow (2019)
满江红 River Red (2023)