Chen Xiaoqing
In a flash, more than ten years have passed since the broadcast of "A Bite of China". It seems that from that moment on, I, a documentary director who has shot historical biographies, social documentaries, science and technology and nature, etc., was positioned as a "foodie" who shoots delicious food.
In the past ten years, as a documentary practitioner and food researcher, my team and I have witnessed the leap of food from satisfying food and clothing to pursuing flavor enjoyment. We have witnessed the Chinese people's transformation from being full to eating well, and from being concerned about quality to starting to pay attention to the behind-the-scenes of food. of emotions and culture, and also saw the power of food across cultures. Food is a goodwill ambassador across regions and cultures. Despite language barriers and different cultural backgrounds, people still have a bond that transcends languages - food, and a common love for food culture. Feedback from global audiences has always been the driving force and benchmark for our creations.
From the perspective of the creator, the broadcast performance and influence of the series of food documentaries we created come from the team's long-term focus and research on food culture. By creating food documentaries, from focusing on Chinese food to looking globally, and using a global perspective to analyze the uniqueness of Chinese food, our understanding of food and the cultural connotations behind it continues to deepen. As our perspective changes, so does the way we shoot. The episode "Chicken Customs" in the second season of "Flavour World" covers everything from China's Heilongjiang chicken stewed with mushrooms and Anhui Suzhou chicken shredded grits soup to Africa's roast chicken and marathon chicken, Korea's ginseng chicken soup, fried chicken, etc. Several chicken dishes allow the audience to see how people from different regions and ethnic groups process the same ingredients into dishes with local characteristics, reflecting the wonderful collision and changes of food culture.
"Origin of Flavor" series is the first documentary series produced by a Chinese team purchased by Netflix, a streaming video service provider. It has been ordered for 3 consecutive seasons and has received enthusiastic response after being broadcast. The first season of "Origin of Flavor Chaoshan" topped the Netflix food program section for 6 months. We are delighted to see that audiences from all over the world are amazed by the ingenuity of food preparation in many regions of China, and are also deeply impressed by the sincere emotions of the local people. Some overseas viewers left messages saying that certain foods in the film were strikingly similar to dishes cooked by their grandmothers when they were children. In the "My Food Guide" series currently being broadcast by
, we have made more attempts. Looking at the ratings feedback from all over the world, it is not difficult to see that overseas audiences are very curious about China's customs and food. After seeing clips of Yunnan's traditional hand-dried ham, Chaoshan people hand-beating beef balls, and Gansu people making beef noodles, a large number of viewers expressed their wish to visit and taste the delicious food. Traditional food, together with local natural landscapes, characteristic buildings, and folk customs, are important windows to show the charm of culture. We should do our best to protect and truly record them and pass them on to more foreign audiences. We firmly believe that food is the best "glue" between people.
On the whole, the current trend of documentary production and development in China is good, and a large number of excellent works have been produced. As a pioneering team in the field of food documentaries, we must maintain a balance between "unchanged" and "changed" and pursue innovation and change while adhering to our own creative concepts and goals. We will also continue to promote international cooperation in documentary production and continue to make adjustments.
Why implement changes in documentaries? In the final analysis, it is because our country's social and economic development has not stopped for a moment, and people's living standards continue to improve. In addition to filling our stomachs, food is also an important explicit carrier of culture. This is a huge field that can be explored and studied in depth. Once you delve deeper, the world will be extremely vast. In food documentaries, how to realize the visual and auditory presentation of the deliciousness, nutrition, aesthetics and other attributes of food is our goal in the future, and we will also make more explorations and attempts in creation. (The author is the chief director of the "A Bite of China" Season 1 and 2, the "Flavour of the World" series, and the documentary "My Food Guide") ▲
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