Cinematic gala shines with stars in Beijing's spring

[Photo by Jiang Dong/China Daily]

Oriental DreamWorks CEO Fang Gan says coproductions have moved to a new level where Hollywood relies more on Chinese talent rather than their money.

He says Kung Fu Panda 3, jointly produced by China and the US, had two versions－one in English and the other in Mandarin to capture the nuances of both languages. The producers even hired a Chinese director and a star-studded cast to make Chinese audiences feel that the film "is a tale tailored for them".

But can a joint program win over the native speaker and the rest of the world at the same time?

Portman answers the question saying the key to making a quality film is "being specific" to be universal.

She gives the instance of Black Swan, which won her the Oscar for best actress, to explain how a fresh tale revealing the lesser-known world of ballet dancers can win over moviegoers regardless of nationality or culture.