Jilin, January 12 (Xinhua) -- The Second China (Jilin) Documentary Film Conference was recently held in Jilin City, Jilin Province. More than 200 documentary filmmakers, experts, and scholars from China, Russia, France, the United Kingdom, and other countries gathered to exchange ideas and spark creative discussions on the theme of "Documenting the World, Imaging Jilin."
How can regional stories transcend national borders? How can Chinese practices, cases, and stories be better understood by the world? These are the core questions explored in the "Golden Ginseng: Dialogue and Exchange" session of this conference.
A scene from the "Golden Ginseng: Dialogue and Exchange" session of the 2nd China (Jilin) Real Image Conference. Photo provided by the organizer.The consensus reached by the participants was that successful international communication is not about eliminating local characteristics, but about finding common ground in human emotions. Lu Bo, Senior Partner at IFA Media (Singapore), discussed the strategy of "borrowing a boat to cross the sea," suggesting embedding regional culture into internationally popular frameworks or using credible intermediary perspectives to downplay the propaganda aspect. Wang Yan, Director of Brand Content and Business at National Geographic, used three dimensions to illustrate the balance of international communication: an international perspective is the skeleton, local characteristics are the flesh and blood, and emotional resonance is the soul. Veteran documentary filmmaker Zhang Hailong summarized: "Good ecological documentaries must break down the boundaries of time and space, using a universal narrative language to connect China with the world."
In the face of technological advancements, where are the boundaries of authentic footage? This question permeated the entire conference. Attendees unanimously agreed that, in the face of ever-evolving high technology, documentary filmmakers must maintain a clear and cautious approach. Only by grounding their work in reality and allowing AI to focus on historical reconstruction and scientific visualization—scenes that cannot be filmed on location—can a balance be struck between technological empowerment and authentic recording in the actual production process. When using AI for scene reconstruction, strict labeling is essential to uphold the fundamental principle of "authenticity" in documentary filmmaking.
The report, "Highlights and Development Trends of Documentary Dissemination in 2025," was released at the event. (Photo provided by the organizer)According to the "Highlights and Development Trends of Documentary Dissemination in 2025" released at the China Video Big Data (CVB) conference, the broadcast and viewership of documentaries on national satellite TV channels continued to increase in 2025, with historical, cultural, natural, geographical, and social themes performing particularly well. Behind these figures lies the growing demand from audiences for high-quality documentary content.
In response to this demand, the conference established a special "Ecological and Natural Documentary Award" to recognize outstanding works focusing on topics such as biodiversity and ecological protection. The Jilin Provincial Radio and Television Bureau released 11 key themes at the conference, including "Witnessing the Mountains and Rivers," "Jilin's Legacy Remains Visible," and "Ice and Snow," aiming to depict Jilin's historical depth and ecological foundation through authentic footage. The conference received 121 proposals from home and abroad, with 17 works ultimately selected for presentation. "The Adventures of Little Duck" vividly presented the grand theme of species continuation and ultimately won the "Golden Ginseng - Best Proposal" award. (End)
