BRICS film co-production previewed in Shanxi

Half the Sky, the second co-production film from the BRICS countries, was previewed in Taiyuan, in Shanxi province, on April 21.

The co-productions tell the stories of women from different cultural backgrounds in five shorts – seen through eyes of female filmmakers from China, Russia, India, Brazil, and South Africa – exploring the subject of contemporary female sentiments and wider society.

Representing China, Liu Yulin's short film Dumplings depicts the estranged relationship of a mother and her daughter, using traditional Chinese food as a dramatic device, reflecting the conflict caused by the collision between tradition and modern thinking in women's work and lives.

The Brazilian film Back, directed by Daniela Thomas, tells the story of a woman living  in a big city who decides to go back to hometown to find her mother and reconcile with her. 

The Indian short Taken for Granted, created by Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari, shows the difference of status between men and women in traditional Indian families and the great contribution women make to families. 

The Measure of a Woman from South Africa, by Sara Blecher, focuses on a female athlete fighting against gender discrimination. 

The Russian story Catfishing, filmed by Alexey Elizaveta Stishova, tells the story of a woman who lives in a rural village who falls in love with a man via live streaming on the internet. 

"All the films in the co-production, which were around the theme of women, took a big step forwards in international cooperation in the field of culture," said Russian producer Yelena Yatsura. 

"Through the social phenomena shown in the film, people can understand the situations in these countries and promote cooperation in more fields," she added. 

Initiated at the 8th BRICS summit in India in 2016, the BRICS film cooperation plan saw its first co-production film Where Has the Time Gone hit the screen in 2017 and win several prizes at international film festivals. 

The second production is expected to come to the theater screens on May 10.