Recently at the 7th Hainan Island International Film Festival (HIIFF 2025) on China's Hainan Island, German filmmaker Julian Radlmaier (director of Phantoms of July) and Russian producer Kirill Krasovski spoke with CGTN's Zhang Meng about what makes cinema a truly global language 🌍🎥
This was their first trip to China and they were blown away by HIIFF’s melting pot of storytellers – from indie animators to big-screen auteurs. Julian shared that no matter where you’re from, a good story connects us. Kirill added that Chinese audiences are so open and curious, and that energy fuels creativity 🤩
Both filmmakers brought their Golden Coconut Awards–nominated feature to China and are already eyeing future cross-border co-productions. Imagine a drama blending European style with Asian vibes or a sci-fi thriller that bridges Shanghai’s neon streets with Berlin’s art scene ✨🤝
With HIIFF’s spirit of collaboration and the buzz around their film, Julian and Kirill are ready to build bridges through cinema. Stay tuned for global projects that break borders and bring us closer together!
Reference(s):
HIIFF 2025: German and Russian filmmakers on cinema's universality
cgtn.com
