Recording transformations

"Commercial and cultural considerations should be better balanced," he says.

"We sometimes find our emotions become shallower the more we experience wonder through screens. This excludes some lonely souls, whose stories are worth recording."

China Central Television documentary channel director Shi Shilun says: "We used to always present nature's most beautiful side on the screen. But now, all nature films are enveloped by the impacts of human activities. Reality is cruel, but it urges us to choose a different way."

The COVID-19 pandemic, although a setback for society, may offer an opportunity for documentaries. While Zhang's annual report focused on the industry's development in the previous year, the newest edition features a chapter on recent productions about the outbreak.

"Short videos with touching personal stories became especially common during the epidemic," Zhang says.

"In a pandemic, rational images telling the truth dissolve panic and prevent confrontations caused by misinformation. We are reminded again that documentaries are not only about 'recording' but also about 'thinking'."

For example, CCTV's acclaimed 34-episode series Wuhan: My Diaries Fighting Against Virus captures warm moments in ordinary people's lives during the lockdown in the hardest-hit city. Each video is around five minutes.

"Documentaries can't be absent in this event that affects everyone in the world," Shi says.

"Sometimes, we just show how people look for places to get their hair cut ... But it helps us to explore, to mix speed and depth in documentary production."

Lu estimates COVID-19's aftermath will last more than a year and reduce documentary funding.

"But new documentaries following the news (about the pandemic) have left a precious 'social album'," Lu says.

"Despite the loss and dilemmas amid the crisis, filmmakers also have many fresh angles and unexpected elements to observe in society. That may mean many more inspiring and exceptional productions can provide retrospectives and explore the meaning of life."