The First Chinese Film Festival Held by the Embassy of China in Latvia

      Latvia Immigration focuses on Latvia: On the afternoon of May 8, 2015, the opening ceremony of the first Chinese Film Festival, co-hosted by the National Radio and Television Administration, the Chinese Embassy, and the National Film Center of Latvia, was grandly held at the K. Suns cinema in Riga. Ambassador Yang Guoqiang, Deputy State Secretary of the Ministry of Culture of Latvia, Niel Peters, and Deputy Director of the Film Bureau of the National Radio and Television Administration, Liang Ge, delivered speeches at the opening ceremony, attended by approximately 200 people, including Latvian government officials, prominent figures from various sectors, diplomats from various countries, overseas Chinese in Latvia, and media reporters.

In his speech, Ambassador Yang stated that as one of the most beloved forms of popular cultural art, film has become a cultural messenger that connects emotions and passes on friendship, serving as an important vehicle for cultural exchange between countries. The Chinese Embassy hopes that this film festival will enhance the understanding and friendship between the peoples of China and Latvia and further promote cultural exchange and cooperation between the two countries.

Deputy State Secretary Niel Peters congratulated the successful holding of the Chinese Film Festival, highly praised the achievements of cultural exchanges between Latvia and China in recent years, pointed out that the mutual hosting of film festivals is an important aspect of cultural exchange and cooperation between the two countries, and encouraged the Latvian film community to actively cooperate with China to promote the successful hosting of the Latvian Film Festival in China as soon as possible.

Deputy Director Liang Ge stated that the thriving Chinese film industry creates favorable conditions for expanding cultural exchange and cooperation between China and Latvia, and holding the Chinese Film Festival can help the Latvian people understand China. I believe that this film festival will become a good starting point for mutual understanding and friendship between the peoples of the two countries, and the cultural integration between the two countries will be further strengthened. We look forward to the Latvian Film Festival being held in China soon.

The opening ceremony featured the screening of the feature film "The Grandmaster," which promotes Chinese martial arts culture. The cinema was fully packed, and the film's visuals deeply captivated the audience present. At the end of the screening, the audience expressed that Chinese martial arts are unparalleled and a unique aspect of Chinese culture.

This film festival will be screened at the Art Center of the Riga Art Museum from May 10 to 15. In addition to "The Grandmaster," other films such as "Sky of Tibet," "Finding Mr. Right," "Police Diary," and "Journey to the West: The Monkey King" will also be presented to the Latvian audience, totaling 10 films of various genres.