Greece readies to enhance bilateral cooperation with China's film-TV producers

[TaiShang]

Greece readies to enhance bilateral cooperation with China's film-TV producers


(Photo/provided by Greek embassy in Beijing)

Greece is opening its cultural industry to Chinese filmmakers and TV producers, wishing to promote cooperation with China in the field of co-production of Film and TV programs through a series of concrete measures and tools. This issue has been included in the agenda of Government talks between the two sides in the past, and it has been mutually agreed that it could be a very promising field of cooperation.

Over the last 50 years Greece, with its unique landscape and highly skilled technical staff, has regularly attracted famed directors and actors from a number of countries (notably US and Europe, including a few from China), chiefly as a top shooting location. To name a few international productions filmed in Greece: Mamma mia, Captain Corelli's Mandolin, LaraCroft, Beijing Love Story etc.

Recently (April 21-29), the President of the Association of Greek Independent Audiovisual Producers (SAPOE), Mr. Panos Papahadzis, together with the Legal Counselor of SAPOE,Mrs. Christina Pigaki, concluded a successful visit to China (Beijing, Shanghai, Zhejiang) and held a series of meetings with China Film Producer's Assoc., SAPPRFT, Shanghai SARFT, CCTV, SMG, Zhejiang TV, Shanghai Intl Film Festival, Shanghai Film Group and other private film and documentary production companies. Greek delegates were warmly received and during discussions useful exchanges and ideas were generated as regards ways of promoting joint productions and rendering Greece a preferred location for shooting of Chinese films in Europe.

Greece's most important assets as a film production base and shooting location derive not just from the unparalleled beauty of its land, but also from its millennia-long diversified culture, friendliness and warm hospitality of its people, the vast resources and experience in its tourism industry, and last but not least, the high quality of its film and movie industry and its skilled people. This was amply demonstrated in China last year, when the film ofdirector P. Voulgaris "Little England" received a triple top award and the Golden Gobletprize at the Shanghai Intl. Film Festival.

 

[atatwolf]

Puahaha

 

[northeast]

Greece is a failed country.Need to be careful when you do business with them.They don't pay their debt.

 

[jhungary]

If Greece is the preferred set for Chinese production in Europe, then there are something wrong with the Chinese production.

Greece is probably the most or one of the most "Non-Europe" European country.....

 

[TaiShang]

Better keep away from a country that is associated with a certain bird and that has been known to be a state sponsor of every known terrorist group in the Middle East and enhance cooperation with a secular and peaceful country that has been one of the bedrocks of the Western civilization as we know it today.

Way to go China-Greece cultural cooperation.

@Keel

China and Greece: Enhancing Cultural Understanding and Cooperation

A clear understanding of China and Greece’s rich cultural heritages is vital to enhancing modern-day people-to-people exchanges and cooperation.

Both China and Greece enjoy centuries-old cultural heritages that respectively are important sources of Eastern and Western traditions. As people-to-people exchanges between China and Europe become more frequent, a clear understanding of how historical legacies influence contemporary soft power and cultural diplomacy is vital to strong Sino-European relations.

Carnegie–Tsinghua’s Zhang Lihua hosted a panel discussion with leading Chinese and Greek experts on the potential of cultural exchanges between the two countries. They examined how longstanding societal traditions affect prospects for Sino-Greek cultural cooperation.

DISCUSSION HIGHLIGHTS

• Cultural Continuity: Panelists noted that both China and Greece have longstanding historical legacies that stretch back for millennia and established cultural customs that have preserved societal continuity across many generations. They suggested that both countries take great pride in their rich heritage and share a deep respect for each other’s cultural traditions in the face of rapid change and globalization in today’s world.
  
  
• Preserving Literary Traditions: Panelists agreed that ancient Greek and Chinese societies both placed high value on written records to document their intellectual heritage. The Academy of Plato’s library in Greece and a similar institution in imperial China collected and disseminated important texts, which contributed to both civilizations’ rich literary traditions. Both Greece and China pursued knowledge in a comprehensive way that incorporated history, religion, and science. Participants concluded that these records are a valuable resource for modern researchers exploring parallels between classical Greek and Chinese thought.
  
  
• The Challenge of Cultural Preservation: China and Greece both face challenges to safeguarding and promoting their cultural traditions, panelists said. They pointed out that many Greek and Chinese students are choosing education programs and career paths in business and the natural sciences, while fewer are receiving an education in classical languages and the liberal arts, which are central to both countries’ cultural heritages. Current economic conditions in Greece are reflected in smaller government budgets for cultural programs, which has limited the scope of initiatives for cultural preservation and exchange.
  
  
• Advancing People-to-People Collaboration: Panelists suggested that expanding Sino-Greek cultural cooperation would help to deepen economic and people-to-people exchanges between the two countries. Participants pointed out that academic researchers from both countries could benefit greatly from joint studies to examine Greek and Chinese textual records, which may highlight shared cultural insights and foster mutual understanding. Meanwhile, educational exchanges between Greek and Chinese universities also are becoming more popular.
  
  
• State Support for Strong Bilateral Ties: Last June, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang visited Athens and pledged to bolster Sino-Greek cultural ties, panelists reported. During his trip, the Chinese and Greek governments agreed to establish cultural centers in each other’s capitals. Participants asserted that China’s New Silk Road initiative is another promising avenue not only for cooperating economically, but also for expanding cultural interactions between Greece and China.

China and Greece: Enhancing Cultural Understanding and Cooperation-Carnegie-Tsinghua Center - Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

 

[TaiShang]

Greece hopes to become Chinese tourists' number one destination in Europe

2015-05-28

A senior Greek official said on Wednesday that she wants her country to become Chinese tourists' number one destination in Europe after the Chinese tourist arrivals in Greece increased by 70 percent in 2014.

Addressing the 3rd Posidonia Sea Tourism Forum hosted in Athens, Greek Alternate Tourism Minister Elena Kountoura, along with other key Greek tourism bodies' officials, invited more Chinese people to visit Greece, pledging to redouble efforts to facilitate the issuance of visas and open more direct flights between the two countries.

"We would like to see an increase in the number of Chinese tourists visiting Greece each year. We would like to see Greece becoming your number one choice of destinations in Europe," Kountoura told China-Greece Tourism Cooperation Seminar, one of the highlights of this year's Posidonia Sea Tourism Forum.

Greek and Chinese state officials and industry representatives said they would explore ways to unlock the great potential of sea tourism on a bilateral and international level.

Speakers and delegates from both sides who participated in the seminar organized by the Chinese Embassy in Greece and Hainan Provincial authorities, stressed the need for greater cooperation among all stakeholders to further boost ties between the two countries and people in the sea tourism sector as well to the benefit of Greece, China and the world.

At a seminar organized for the first time by China during Posidonia, one of the most prestigious Sea tourism events in the East Mediterranean, with about 700 delegates and exhibitors from over 20 countries, Hainan Province officials presented the yachting and cruise industries of the island and investment opportunities in this field.

In 2014 more than 100 million Chinese travelled overseas. Despite the impressive increase of the number of Chinese tourists visiting Greece in recent years, the 100,000 Chinese who visited Greece last year (70 percent more than that in 2013) still account for only 0.5 percent of foreign visitors to Greece annually.

In order to attract more Chinese tourists in the future Kountoura said that Greece aims to address issues, such as the flight connectivity barriers, by increasing the number of direct flights between Chinese hub cities and Greek tourist destinations from one last year to at least three this year during high tourism season.

On China's part, Chinese Ambassador to Greece Zou Xiaoli praised the bilateral efforts made to strengthen collaboration between the two countries in all sectors, including sea tourism.

He appeared confident that sea tourism can become a very significant growth point in future Sino-Greek cooperation.

"Today the great sea can become the blue paradise for the mutual exploration, development, prosperity. I am certain that our great expectations will become a reality," he said.

Addressing the event Ambassador Zou stressed that the participation of the Chinese delegation in the Athens forum was one more strong sign of China's commitment to further develop its strategic relationship with Greece, including in the sea tourism market.

Success will come by combining the comparative advantages of the two sides, he said, encouraging business cooperation, cultural projects and people-to-people exchanges between Greeks and Chinese.

The ambassador noted that Greece could attract mainly three target groups among Chinese travelers as a first step: newlyweds, students and the elderly.

Kountoura said she will travel to China for a third time in June to attend Beijing's international tourism exhibition to promote bilateral cooperation in the hope of further boosting Greece's tourism industry which is a main pillar of Greece's economy accounting for 20 percent of the country's GDP.

Lu Junhua, Vice Governor of the People's Government of Hainan Province, who also delivered a speech during the seminar expressing optimism for further collaboration between the two sides, extended an invitation to Kountoura to also visit Hainan.

"Hainan welcomes all friends from Greece and the world to come to our island for business or vacations," Lu said.