American Documentary Showcase: GZDOC’s “American Film Day”

From December 5 to 10, three American documentary film makers from the U.S. Department of State’s American Documentary Showcase Program traveled to south China to participate in the 2010 Guangzhou International Documentary Festival (GZDOC).  The filmmakers, Martha Foster, David Novack, and Bristol Baughan, also met with university students at Sun Yat-sen University, South China Agricultural University, and United International College, to discuss such topics such as documentary filmmaking, environmental protection and climate change, cultural diversity, and how documentary films promote understanding between different cultures.  During media interviews with local journalists, the film makers took the opportunity to emphasize how documentaries reveal common and real human experiences shared by people throughout the world.

The 2010 Guangzhou International Documentary Festival dedicated December 10 as “American Film Day,” featuring a public screening at the Sapphire Art Space of the American-produced documentary film festival entries.   A special evening screening of “Wo Ai Ni, Mommy” capped the Day’s events.  Prior to the screening Vice Consul Erin Ramsey gave opening remarks on behalf of the Consulate, and afterwards the filmmakers led a lively discussion about documentary filmmaking, adoption, cultural differences, and culture shock. The audience of over 250 was deeply touched by the film, which documents a young Chinese girl’s life after she was adopted by an American family from New York.