A star behind the camera

TV producer wins acclaim for bringing world cinema to Chinese audiences

Ang Lee, the Taiwan-born film director, turned down many interview requests when Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon became the first Chinese movie to win an Academy Award for best foreign picture in 2000.

But Shen Jian was not about to take no for an answer.

The television producer sent reporters to the director's alma mater, New York University, to record video messages from Lee's former teachers and then sent the tapes to the elusive director.

The strategy worked, and Lee became the first big name to appear on World Film Report, a weekly show on the CCTV-6 movie channel.

Shen, who at that point had little or no TV production experience, pumped all his money into making the show in 2000, but he needed to have something "significant" to get CCTV-6, a leading movie channel in China, to buy it.

"I told my people they had no choice but to convince Lee," recalls the 50-year-old, who remains the show's head producer. "It was like a battle for honor. We needed to win."

Fifteen years later, World Film Report is a must-watch for Chinese movie fans. It has featured interviews with more than 3,000 filmmakers from nearly 80 countries, and its 2,000 episodes so far have reached an estimated audience of up to 1 billion across China, the world's second-largest movie market.

Shen's contribution in promoting cinema and cultural exchanges won him the Insignia of the French Chevalier in the Order of Arts and Letters on Dec 9. The honor, presented by the French government, is the highest recognition in the field of culture. Previously, it has been awarded to Chinese movie stars Ge You and Zhou Xun, as well as Oscar winner Ang Lee.

Maurice Gourdault-Montagne, the French ambassador to China, lauded Shen and his team for creating a platform to connect Chinese audiences with filmmakers worldwide. More than 200 guests, including high-ranking diplomats from nearly 50 countries, attended the award ceremony.

"I was surprised to hear the good news (about the award), as I'm not a star," Shen says. "It's a great honor to be recognized for my efforts in promoting cultural exchanges and diversity."

The producer, who was born in the eastern city of Nanjing, says his love of cinema started in childhood and that theaters were a "shelter from the real-world cruelties" his family faced during the "cultural revolution" (1966-76). He says he still remembers the old theaters and their small sales windows, and how the crowds jostled to buy tickets.

Before launching his TV show, Shen worked as a government policy consultant. His analysis on digital reforms, based on a four-month study in Silicon Valley in the United States, was included in China's 10th Five-Year Plan (2001-2005), an economic and social development blueprint.

He says his stay in the US gave him the opportunity to make friends with influential Hollywood figures such as producer Mike Medavoy. After returning to China, he established Shinework Media, which produces World Film Report, and now also acts as a consultant to several companies, including Microsoft, Royal Philips and US investment fund Silver Lake.

"When international firms encounter problems or are confused, they look for help. My work in some sense is like writing a screenplay to guide them step by step," he says. "What I earn from my consultancy work is spent producing movies."

So far, Shinework has signed production contracts with India, Iran, Kazakhstan and Indonesia. Deals with Egypt, Greece, Cuba and Pakistan are also in the pipeline.

The company's aim, Shen says, is to enhance cultural exchange among countries that are part of China's Belt and Road Initiative, which seeks to revive connections that existed along the ancient Silk Road. One example is a co-production with Kazakhstan, which was inspired by the final years of Chinese musician Xian Xinghai, who died in Kazakhstan at the age of 40.

Yet while Shen has realized his dream of exploring the world of cinema, he also knows the responsibilities involved in helming a popular show like World Film Report.

"Cinema is a medium beyond language and ethnicity to record and pass down different cultures," he says.

In 2006, Shen participated as an unofficial member in drafting the United Nation Alliance of Civilizations' final report, which was initiated by Kofi Annan, then UN secretary-general. The alliance aims to "explore the roots of polarization between societies and cultures today, and to recommend a practical program of action to address this issue", according to the UNAOC website.

xufan@chinadaily.com.cn