Officials from Rwanda and China have reiterated the need to forge common grounds to promote the arts and creative industries in their respective countries.
The calls were made on Saturday at the launch of “Colorful China” project in Kigali.
The “Colorful China” project in Rwanda is spearheaded by China Radio International, (CRI), the Kwetu Film Institute and Global Max Media Group, (GMMG) under the “One Belt and One Road” strategic vision as the new era of China-Africa comprehensive strategic partnership.
The event also involved the Colorful China movie screening and VR panorama project - trip to Rwanda for dozens of students and other revelers.
Speaking at the event, Guo Weimin the Vice Minister of China state Council of Information Office, said that the “Colorful China” project is an opportunity to strengthen cultural exchanges with African countries, promote cultural integration between China and Africa, link policies, and connect people, creating conditions for a more friendly and cooperative relationship between China and Africa.
His comments were echoed by Dr. James Vuningoma, the Executive Secretary of Rwanda Academy of Languages and Culture. He noted that the, “the launch of Colorful China was a milestone between China and Rwanda to continue enjoying mutual relationship”.
“Today’s launch is not only a warm gesture but a timely moment for us to emulate the growth of our own film industry. Rwanda welcomes such initiatives to grow its own sector from a friendly country like China,” he added.
Eric Kabera, a renowned local Film Producer and Director of Kwetu Film Institute, welcomed the moment as an opportunity to challenge local content for the broader international market.
“Content is King as we all know but we also know how rare good quality content from our continent is. We need to change that. As we know, the world has become a globalized village. We are so eager and ready to embark on this road as to witness the people of Rwanda get on the world map,” Kabera said.
He added: “Our government has always encouraged us to seek new partnerships, and with the growing positive relationship between Rwanda and China, and with the upcoming visit to Rwanda by the Chinese President, we hope we can now engage with a people-to-people dialogue and also use cinema and the media to reach millions of our compatriots.”
So far, the Colorful China project has been successfully launched in Zambia, Tanzania, Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe and other countries, and has been included in the official schedule of the China-Africa International Film Festival, which has been highly praised and welcomed by tens of thousands of local audiences.
The ceremony was also attended by the Chinese Ambassador to Rwanda, H.E. Rao Hongwei, as well as Rwandan government representatives and officials from Chinese media industry such as China Radio International among others.