In recent years, despite some difficulties in Sino-Indian relations, India and China have strengthened their bilateral relationship through cultural communication, educational cooperation and tourist exchanges. 

Over the past two years, screenings of films have contributed much by showcasing national cultures while promoting people-to-people contact and better mutual understanding as well.

To help bring the two large neighbors closer through art and culture, the Chinese Consulate in Kolkata has initiated a number of cultural programs, including a Chinese film festival, after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping signed two memoranda of understanding on June 9, 2018 on the sidelines of the SCO Summit in China's east coast port of Qingdao.

The potential of film to build bridges is evident in the recently-concluded Chinese Film Festival at the Nandan Film Center, Kolkata, August 11-13, organized by the Chinese Consulate there. The people of West Bengal got a chance to see seven Chinese films, including "Kung Fu Yoga," "Xuan Zang," "The Assassins," "Big Fish and Begonia," "Tai Chi Hero," "My Kingdom" and "Rest On Your Shoulder." 

The movies captivated many, making waves in the film fraternity in Kolkata and Eastern India. I had the chance to see five of the Chinese films. 

History is such a fine mirror, where we can see the past in the present. When I was a secondary student, I read about the seventh century Chinese pilgrim and scholar-monk Xuan Zang or, as we Indians know him, Hiuen Tsang, who travelled 10,000 miles in his quest for Buddhist sacred texts to India during the Tang Dynasty. 

When I saw Huo Jianqi-directed "Xuan Zang," I was overwhelmed by the way the film authentically retraced Xuan Zang's arduous overland journey and the difficulties he faced. The historical adventure film, with Huang Xiaoming in the title role, also features Indian actors like Sonu Sood, Neha Sharma, Mandana Karimi and Ali Fazal. 

The film has so many different dimensions that one doesn't even know where exactly to begin. Numerous scenes were shot in China and India in an attempt to introduce both countries' real culture to audiences creating a bridge between two of the oldest civilizations.

The film was a Sino-Indian co-production agreed on during the visit of President Xi Jinping to India in September 2014. Huo Jianqi won the Best Director Award at the 2016 BRICS Film Festival in Delhi for his work. It was selected as the Chinese entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the Oscars in 2017.

The 2011 romantic fantasy "Rest On Your Shoulder" is an amazing environmental movie based on love, dedication and sacrifice. The sweet fairy tale's essential message lies in the broader sense of love – love for our planet, and love for all things around us. 

Chinese actress Jiang Yiyan plays a woman who sacrifices her human form and turns into a butterfly, in an attempt to save the life of her fiancé, a biologist named Yan Guo, played by Chen Kun. 

In recent years, Chinese comic and animation have enjoyed a great renaissance. Directed by Liang Xuan and Zhang Chun, the Chinese animated epic fantasy "Big Fish and Begonia" is a milestone for the Chinese industry. The film, rooted in Chinese Taoist classic "Zhuangzi," tells the story of a world within the world, unseen by any human. 

It tells how Chun, a young girl of a mystical race of beings that control the tides and the change of the seasons, fights to protect a human boy's soul, locked in a tiny fish named Kun until it is ready to return to the human world. The work won much applause from critics and moviegoers in Kolkata for its distinctive characters, stunning images and unique Oriental cultural charm. 

More importantly, the virtual reality technology used in this film is a reminder to Indian film makers of how to create something much fresher than most Hollywood cartoons.

In recent years, some of Bollywood films like "Dangal," "Secret Superstar," "Bajrangi Bhaijaan," "Bahubali 2" and "Hindi Medium" have been hits in China, promoting Indian culture to China. 

However, Chinese movies are not regularly shown in Indian theaters. The two countries might be divided by borders, landscapes, cultures or religions, but one thing that has the power to bind us all is the cinema. 

Co-production films are a platform for people to explore distinct cultures, cuisines and arts of other countries. Hopefully, there can be more Hindi-Chinese movies, and we two peoples can understand each other better.

The author is the cultural secretary of New Horizon Radio Listeners' Club, based in West Bengal, India. 

Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors only, not necessarily those of China.org.cn.

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