A New Doc Set in Space Is Helping Chinese Cinema Chart New Frontiers

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Zhu Yiran recognized that there would be distinct hurdles to overcome once he agreed to direct what is being called the first Chinese documentary filmed in space.

During and prior to the Shenzhou 13 mission, a team from China Media Group’s Television Series and Documentary Center, led by Zhu, spent over a month training three astronauts in filmmaking techniques. Additionally, they needed to adjust 8K UHD technology for their cameras to operate effectively in space. Once filming began, various issues cropped up on a daily basis.

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For the Shenzhou 13 mission, Zhu and his team from China Media Group’s Television Series and Documentary Center spent over a month teaching three astronauts the skills of filmmaking. They also had to modify 8K UHD technology so their cameras could work in space. Throughout the shooting process, numerous problems surfaced daily.

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In preparation for the Shenzhou 13 mission, Zhu and his team from China Media Group’s Television Series and Documentary Center spent over a month teaching three astronauts filmmaking skills. They also needed to adapt 8K UHD technology for their cameras to function in space, and during the shoot, there were daily issues that only came up once recording began.

This film narrates the journey of Shenzhou 13 spacecraft from its launch on October 15, 2021, to landing on April 15, 2022. It captures the everyday activities performed by astronauts Zhai Zhigang, Wang Yaping, and Ye Guangfu, such as space walks and upkeep tasks aboard Tiangong space station. These events were documented by the astronauts themselves using cameras custom-made for this purpose by China Media Group.

According to Zhu, creating a documentary within a space station using narrative standards was an incredibly tough creative task. The team from China Media Group’s Film, Drama, and Documentary Programming Center had to abandon nearly all conventional production methods, encountering numerous obstacles—even the weight of the memory cards that needed to be returned to Earth proved problematic.

Zhu acknowledges that guiding the film production from afar was a demanding task: “The most significant hurdle we faced was not being physically present at the shooting location, which cast a cloud of doubt over the entire project. Yet, this situation also made the movie more genuine and mirrored the true inner realm of the astronauts.

This week, I’m proudly on display as the highlight at the China Film Pavilion during Filmart in Hong Kong. It’s an honor to be a part of this event, co-hosted by the China Film Administration and the China Film Co-production Corporation (CFCC).

In addition to providing entry to over 50 Chinese film companies such as China Film Co, CMC Pictures, Bona Film Group, iQIYI, China Film Archive, and Shanghai International Film Festival, the pavilion showcases over 160 Chinese films that organizers aim to display the wide range of content being generated throughout the nation.

In the spotlight at this pavilion are several successful films, such as the comedy “Detective Chinatown 1900”, the fantasy sequel “Creation of the Gods II: Demon Force”, and the martial arts epic “The Legend of the Condor Heroes: The Great Hero”. These movies join documentaries like the WWII saga “The Sinking of the Lisbon Maru” and the musical-drama “A Tapestry of a Legendary Land”, all competing for attention with the massive success of Ne Zha 2, which has earned more than $2 billion at the box office, making it the biggest animated hit ever in China.

Chinese filmmakers have confidently entered Hong Kong, encouraged by some optimistic trends within their domestic industry, which is gradually regaining its pre-pandemic momentum. Despite a year-on-year drop of approximately 21% in China’s box office revenue to $5.86 billion in 2024, the country’s urban moviegoers exceed one billion. Furthermore, 4,658 additional cinema screens were added, bringing the total number of urban screens in China to a staggering 90,968.

Across China, a total of 873 films were made, with 612 being full-length features. Remarkably, eight movies individually grossed over 1 billion yuan (equivalent to $138 million) at the box office.

As a movie enthusiast, I was thrilled to see that a grand total of 93 international films graced Chinese cinemas in the year 2024 – a significant increase of 10 movies compared to the previous year! Among these, 33 were from North America and 20 hailed from Japan. According to reliable sources, the box office earnings for these foreign films amounted to an impressive RMB9.063 billion ($1.2 billion), representing approximately 21.32% of the total revenue, marking a substantial growth of over 5% compared to 2023.

There’s optimism at Filmart that the excitement surrounding Shenzhou 13 will grow as well, considering that it has yet to be released domestically and internationally.

According to Zhu, every component of the camera system was reengineered to endure rocket launch tremors, make it user-friendly for astronauts, preserve stability while handheld in zero gravity, facilitate shooting from any perspective, and enable charging within the space station. Prior to the launch of Shenzhou 13, we were given permission to train our three astronauts for a month. They were exceptionally intelligent and swiftly adapted to operating these specialized equipment. To guarantee the completion of the film, backup astronauts and crews for future missions also underwent training in filmmaking.

Zhu further explains, “In addition to teaching cinematography techniques, we delved deeper into conversations about documentary filmmaking and the aesthetic aspects of space with the astronauts. This was not just about altering their typical news interview style, but also about igniting in them a fervor for expressing Chinese aesthetics in space, all while adhering to the strictness of their mission.

The China Film Pavilion’s appearance at Hong Kong’s Filmart is part of a series of initiatives that have been introduced over the past year at festivals like Cannes, Annecy, and Toronto. This pavilion not only features film companies and their productions but also offers insights into the broader Chinese film industry. Seminars, such as the China Film Presentation co-hosted by CFCC, the China Film Association, and the Xiamen Film Bureau, will showcase talent from popular franchises like “Detective Chinatown,” “Sheep Without a Shepherd,” “Yao-Chinese Folktales,” and “Made in YIWU” while also providing updates about the China Golden Rooster and Hundred Flowers Film Festival. Additionally, there will be a screening of the documentary “The Sinking of the Lisbon Maru” on March 19, which organizers hope will provide international attendees with a more comprehensive understanding of Chinese documentary production quality.

Meanwhile, Zhu is fervently wishing that prospective distributors for the Shenzhou 13 mission will be thoroughly captivated.

In the movie, as the astronauts look upon Earth’s night shimmering with golden, flickering celestial lights, a deeply introspective moment for humanity arises. He explains that the initial purpose behind producing this space documentary was to stir audiences into appreciating this blue globe more and taking care of it, our single dwelling in the universe.

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2025-03-19 03:25