Zhai, Qian; (2024) A Small Nation Encounters a Big Country: The Transnational Journey of Danish Cinema into China, 2011-2022. Doctoral thesis (Ph.D), UCL (University College London).

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Abstract

In May 2017, Denmark and China signed a film co-production agreement during the official state visit of former Danish Prime Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen to Beijing. This made Denmark the first and the only Nordic country to have such an agreement with China. So, what did it mean when a big country wanted to sign a film agreement and expand cultural exchanges with a small nation in Scandinavia and vice versa? What types of film collaborations, co-productions, and cultural exchanges were realised? What factors contributed to the emergence of this new film partnership? With these questions in mind, this thesis explores why and how Danish films travelled to mainland China by looking at the production, distribution, and exhibition over a specific period from 2011 to 2021. The China-Denmark cinematic connection remains an underexplored subject in current transnational Danish and Chinese film studies. Therefore, this thesis aims to fill this gap, providing a fresh case study and insights into the ongoing debates on transnational cinema studies. This work delves into the geo-political, diplomatic and cultural implications of the Sino-Danish film collaboration. It discusses the transformation of China and Denmark’s film and cultural policy in the past ten years. Furthermore, it investigates how films serve as instruments for states, institutions, and corporations to mediate diplomatic and political goals, generate soft power, and brand their nation. This study also considers the impact of digital media and streaming platforms on these cross-border cinematic ties. Methodologically, this thesis is built on the theoretical framework of transnational cinema studies. Beyond academic scholarship, this research employs a variety of materials, including cultural and film policy, industry reports, government documents, film reviews, personal blogs, social media posts, newspapers (both digital and print), film archives, and published memoirs. Additionally, my ethnographic participant observations of various activities related to Danish cinema’s presence in China enrich this thesis.

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