By Wang Ke
China.org.cn staff reporter

Beijing Movie fans flocked yesterday to the Gala Evening of the First European Union Film Festival in China.

The Delegation of the European Commission and the French Embassy are jointly sponsoring the event, which began on December 1 and runs until December 20.

The first movie La Vie en Rose began at 7:30 pm on Saturday, but hundreds of excited film lovers had arrived at the Ullens Center for Contemporary Art (UCCA) in Beijing’s famous 798 Art District as early as 6 pm.

Movie fans waiting to watch La Vie en Rose. [China.org.cn]

Clothes designer Huang Yajuan was delighted being at the opening ceremony. She told China.org.cn: "I’m very happy to be here. I love European movies – they are always so romantic and passionate!"

But she complained that there were few opportunities to see European art-house movies in China.

"Cinemas mainly show movies about money, violence and sex. It’s a dreary diet," she said.

Mr. Peter Shaw, a marketing manager from the United States, also loves European films, especially French ones.

"European movies are very different from US Movies. I really like them and I'm really happy to have an opportunity to watch them here in China," he said.

Fashion designer Jacqueline praised the festival for providing an opportunity for people from all over the world who live in Beijing to get together.

She said: "It's a chance for people to make friends who have the same interests. It's especially good for Chinese movie fans. We are getting a chance to experience European culture first hand."

All 27 EU member states have been invited to showcase one recent, popular and successful film and such a wide and diverse selection will enable the general public to discover the range of European cinema.

Organizer EU Ambassador to China Mr. Serge Abou highlighted the EU’s motto – "United in Diversity."

He said: "It’s my great pleasure to welcome so many friends to the First Film Festival in China. It is a wonderful example of hard work and cooperation between all our 27 member states. We plan to build on this success to produce an annual event for the Chinese audience with the newest, the best and the most exciting films the European Union has to offer."

China.org.cn interviews Mr. Serge Abou, EU Ambassador to China.

Abou said European cinema is like a "Chinese banquet", which has "many dishes with distinct flavors and colors to please every palette."

"The festival will enhance knowledge and understanding and I hope that my friends will enjoy the delicious menu we serve up for them," he said.

But Abou was disappointed that only 15 European movies out of 1,000 produced annually had been imported into China this year. He urged both China and EU could promote cooperation in this field.

Each movie in the film festival will be shown once only, with screenings at the Centre Culturel Français (French Cultural Center), the Instituto Cervantes (Cervantes Institute), the Istituto Italiano di Cultura (the Italian Institute of Culture) and the Ullens Center for Contemporary Art.

Films will be screened in their original language with English and Chinese subtitles.