#26 China’s soft power in Africa

01/21/20 • 60 min

Middle Earth - China’s cultural industry podcast

How do the Chinese government and companies engage with the public in Africa? Nillah Nyakoa (journalist at China Radio International), Eric Olander (managing editor of The China Africa Project), and Maria Repnikova (assistant professor of global communications) join host Aladin Farré to explore the different ways China sells, and fails to sell, its story to an entire continent.
Middle Earth is made by China Compass Productions. If you have a China-themed cultural project like shooting your next documentary or look for a specific talent, please get in touch!

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Recommendations:
- The TV series Mao Doudou and Her Sweet Days (媳妇的美好时代 2009), which was dubbed in Swahili.
- Two Chinese vloggers, Zhao Huiling and Fyjo Molly, who travel throughout Africa.
- The short-video app Vskit, which is made by the Shenzhen-based mobile phone manufacturer Transsion.
With thanks to Brenden Gonsalves for graphic design & Sean Calvo for music support.

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#25 How to publish a book in China

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Professor Federico Castigliano is the author of Flâneur: The Art of Wandering the Streets of Paris, which was published in English and Chinese by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences in 2018. he talks about the process of writing and publishing a book in China and how it compares with the process in Europe and the U.S.
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 look for a specific talent, please get in touch!

Like the podcast? Take a few minutes to fill out this survey.

Recommended reading
- Brothers (兄弟 2005) by Yú Huá (余华).
With thanks to Brenden Gonsalves for graphic design & Sean Calvo for music support.

Next Episode

#27 Building Wanda Studios in Qingdao

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Dalian Wanda Group, led by billionaire Wáng Jiànlín 王建林, invested heavily in China's movie industry over the past decade. In 2014, at the cost of $8 billion, Wanda Studios Qingdao was founded. This move was aimed at establishing a dynamic supply chain that would be able to facilitate the creation of entire films, from production to distribution. After debt issues forced Wanda to sell its majority stake in the venture to Sunac, another Chinese property developer, the studios were rebranded as Oriental Movie Metropolis.

Gary Kho, the former chief technical officer and chief marketing officer of Wanda Studios Qingdao, worked for the studios throughout their construction. In this interview, he describes how the facilities were built, identifies some of the challenges that the film industry faces domestically, and expounds on his work in bridging divides between China’s film and TV industry and those abroad.

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 look for a specific talent, please get in touch!

Recommended watching
- Wandering Earth (流浪地球 2019), shot at Wanda Studios.
With thanks to Brenden Gonsalves for graphic design & Sean Calvo for music support.