Sino-Arab Film Weeks: People’s Diplomacy and a Cinematic Bridge in the Cold War Era
Figure 1: Al-Ahram, on Chinese film actress Qin Yi and Egyptian singer Huda Sultan during the 1957 Chinese Film Week in Cairo
In September 1957, the art section of the widely circulated Egyptian newspaper, Al-Ahram, featured a photograph of a Chinese woman alongside an Egyptian artist. The image depicted the esteemed Chinese film actress Qin Yi, and the illustrious Egyptian singer Huda Sultan. Underneath the photo, a poster with the words ‘Chinese Film Week’ written in both Chinese and Arabic explains the occasion – the first Chinese film week ever held in the Arab world. Two weeks later, an Egyptian Film Week was held in Beijing, and the film delegation received an equally warm welcome.
Figure 2: Al-Ahram, on the poster of the 1957 Chinese Film Week in Cairo
Figure 3: Dazhong Dianying (Popular Cinema), on the 1957 Egyptian Film Week in Beijing
During the 1950s and 1960s, film weeks held between the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and Arab states played a crucial role in bringing together Chinese and Arab populations. These film weeks were examples of ‘People’s Diplomacy’, cultural interactions that also included art performances and educational exchanges aimed at bridging cultural differences. Such practices were unique to early revolutionary China during the 1950s and 1960s, but gradually faded over time amidst theoretical revaluations and policy changes in the 1970s.
Reaching a Popular Audience
Arab film weeks held in China during the 1950s and 1960s included the Egyptian Film Week in September 1957, the Iraqi Film Week in July 1959, and that of the United Arab Republic (UAR) in May 1965. In turn, film weeks showcasing Chinese cinema were organized in several Arab countries, including Egypt in 1957, Tunis in July 1962, and Iraq in August of that same year. These were one of the main forms of people’s diplomacy between the PRC and Arab countries.
Unlike film festivals in Cannes and Venice of the same period that were accessible only to artistic elites or professionals, Sino-Arab film weeks aimed at reaching a popular audience. For example, the Iraqi film week in July 1959 featured one feature film depicting Iraqi daily life and four documentaries screened in major cities including Beijing, Shanghai, Shenyang, and Wuhan. In Beijing, the Iraqi films were shown in five cinemas, with a total of 40 screenings and an estimated audience of 14,000 spectators.
The film weeks show that people's diplomacy was both state-orientated but also included non-state actors. On one hand, they definitely involved governmental oversight and financial support. They transcended mere cinematic displays, carrying political and commemorative significance that mirrored the nuanced nature of Sino-Arab relations during that era. For instance, film weeks held between the PRC and Egypt in 1957 were convened shortly after Egypt became the first Arab country to formally establish diplomatic ties with the PRC.
But at the same time, people’s diplomacy enabled non-state actors to take on diplomatic roles, operating beyond conventional diplomatic channels. Non-state actors like intellectuals, filmmakers, and directors were mainly drawn from semi-official and non-governmental institutions, such as the Filmmakers’ Association. In the 1957 Egyptian Film Week, the Chinese delegates included two actresses, a film technician, and a director, who were all accorded diplomatic status. At the opening of the cinematic activities, they were received by President Gamal Abdel Nasser. The Egyptian president's wife even hosted the guests from China in the parlor of her house. Such experiences, ‘similar to that of being a guest in the home of an ordinary Egyptian’[1], left a lasting impression on the Chinese filmmakers.
Anti-Colonial Themes
Both the Chinese and Arab films reflected themes of anti-feudalism and anti-imperialism. One example is Saladin (1963), which was well-received in China during the Film Week of UAR in 1965. This color widescreen feature film depicted Saladin, the iconic Muslim figure leading local forces’ resistance to the Crusaders in medieval times. The narrative and historical message of this film transcended the Chinese War of Resistance against Japan, the Suez Canal War in Egypt, and the overthrow of monarchical rule in Iraq. Speaking to multiple audiences, it expressed the spirit of Third World resistance in what was then seen as a global struggle.
People’s diplomacy emerged within the context of Cold War rivalry. Inspired by the spirit of the 1955 Bandung Conference, a wide range of transnational cultural exchanges flourished between Third World countries. It enabled the nascent communist China, politically isolated and suffering from non-recognition in the Arab countries, to initiate relationships through mainly non-professional diplomats, as it was difficult to conduct intergovernmental diplomacy. Film weeks, as a cinematic bridge, challenged Western blockades and dispelled Arab suspicions. Based on the common goal of anti-colonialism and nation-building, they were a crucial part of the relationships that were forged between the PRC and Arab states during the 1950s and 1960s.
* Ying Huang is a Ph.D. candidate in Chinese Studies at the University of Exeter. She has been a lecturer in the School of Middle Eastern Studies at Beijing International Studies University since 2019. This blog was developed through discussions at the Mapping Connections Institute, held in Beirut between 27th – 30th May 2024 as part of the ‘Inter-Asia Week’ (Inter-Asia Partnership). The views expressed are the personal perspectives of the writer and not attributable to the Mapping Connections partner institutions.
[1] Yang Bai, "Aiji Xing [Days in Egypt]," in Alabo Guojia Yinxiangji [Impressions of the Arab States], World Affairs Press, 1958, 25.