In order to further enhance the mutual understanding between China and Brazil, spread the excellent ethnic culture and exhibit the artistic charm of picture movies, the RevistaRECURSO and Ministry of Culture of the People’s Republic of China (Center of Ethnic and Folk Literature and Arts development) decided to jointly hold A series of activities of Charms of Culture – Exhibition of Video Works, Exhibition of theme pictures and Exhibition of films of Brazil : Poem of Love and The Root of China, and invite the scholars and artists from both countries to hold activities such as culture lectures, TV forum and art exchange.
“Brazil : Poem of Love ” (Brasil – Poemas de Amor) is a chapter about Brazil in Charm of Culture (Encantos da Cultura). The film follows Yanjun Zhang’s videotaped travel across South America, makes exploration of immigrant culture in order to elaborate on the social reality in Brazil, and describes the might of culture from the perspective of cultural integration. For the first time, it shows to people the cultural forms that have most influence on Brazil – such as Fandango, coffee, samba and football – as well as the gorgeous natural scenery in South America. The first part of the film is themed on celebrations (Festa). Its purpose is to create “collective ebullience”, popular among all regions, rooted in a habitation of certain races and displayed in the traditional form. The film explores racial conflicts for enlarging the power of ethnic groups by way of “prosperity of domain”. The second part, “Our Sea, the Sea of the World” (A MAR, O MAR) discusses varying viewpoints and social changes. In the first Brazilian town (Cananéia) named by colonists, state modernization and the abolition of slavery haven’t left much impact. From the time when the Portuguese landed to the period when countless expeditions, adventurers, explorers, pirates and sea thieves came and left, the local inhabitants have lost their initial curiosity towards the passers-by. Imported religion has taken the place of their traditional faith and ceremonies and the Indian’s ancient way of life coexists with modern civilization. The third part, Pantaleiro focuses on the descendants of gold prospectors, who have become a new ethnic group in Brazil. Cherishing and respecting their ancestors, these people live in a paradise isolated by wilderness. Finally, the film turns its focus to Sao Paulo, the largest immigrant city in the world and a melting pot of all races.
Yanjun Zhang is a well-known portrait photographer, and once shot photos for 109 renowned Chinese generals. As of 1998, he has shifted his focus from single personal portraits to story description with pictures and dynamic photographic images, with a purpose to studying the social functions of these images. After he moved to Brazil in 2000, he masterminded the project titled Charm of Culture (Encantos da Cultura). He also founded Resources Magazine (RevistaRECURSO), a Chinese-Portuguese bilingual magazine aimed to introduce Chinese and Brazilian cultural resources. In 2006, Yanjun Zhang produced a cultural film titled “Privileged Land of Mystery ” in southwest China, the first of its kind introducing the cultural heritage of Chinese people. Its exhibition and screening in Brazil directly led to a China visit by a Brazil-China Folk Culture Exchange Delegation in 2007. The cultural movie, “Brazil : Poem of Love ” (Brasil – Poemas de Amor), is another photo film which followed “Privileged Land of Mystery ”. To complete this film, Yanjun Zhang spent 10 years travelling across Brazilian cities and towns, big and small, from wilderness to the deep sea of the Atlantic, recording in detail the cultural traditions of indigenous Indian tribes living in the primitive rainforest. Though he was robbed a couple of times and most manuscripts got lost in the course of his travels, the remaining pictures still present to people a glamorous Brazil.
Charm of Culture is an international communication plan put forward by Resources Magazine (RevistaRECURSO) with a purpose to spreading the power of culture, focusing on the introduction of national culture within the mainframe of cultural films shot in China and Brazil. The order of appearance was concentrates on the cultural film “Brazil : Poem of Love ” (Brasil – Poemas de Amor) shot by the senior journalist and famous photographer Yanjun Zhang, and displays some typical pictures interpreted by digital technology, with a view to revealing the photographic charm of picture films in the form of static pictures.
sign and stamp:
RevistaRECURSO
Center of Ethnic and Folk Literature and Arts development,
Ministry of Culture of the People’s Republic of China
May 10, 2010