China film festival in Amman draws full-house audience

Chinese Ambassador to Jordan Guo Wei delivers a speech at opening ceremony of the 2025 China Film Festival in Amman, Jordan, on Dec. 1, 2025. (Photo by Mohammad Abu Ghosh/Xinhua)

AMMAN, Dec. 1 (Xinhua) -- The 2025 China Film Festival kicked off Monday evening in the Jordanian capital Amman, attracting a full-house audience.

Running for four days until Thursday, the festival features four Chinese films: Dead to Rights, The Sinking of Lisbon Maru, I Am What I Am 2, and The Lychee Road.

In his opening speech, Chinese Ambassador to Jordan Guo Wei described cinema as "an art that transcends the boundaries of language and geography," noting that film cooperation has become a significant cultural bridge between China and Jordan.

The themes of the presented movies "encompass history, culture, and daily life in China, giving the Jordanian audience a deeper perspective on Chinese civilization," he added.

Speaking to Xinhua on the sidelines of the opening, Mohannad Al-Bakri, managing director of the Royal Film Commission of Jordan, underscored the long-running relationship between the two countries, saying the cooperation in filmmaking is both strategic and culturally rooted.

"This is a relationship that has existed for thousands of years," he said. "Today we are celebrating this relationship and the cinematic culture from China, which is also a pioneer in Jordan."

Al-Bakri noted the strong resonance between Chinese and Jordanian storytelling. "When we look at the cinema that is showing these stories, we are very similar. This is proof that there is understanding, love, and honesty in this relationship."

Mohannad Al-Bakri, managing director of the Royal Film Commission of Jordan, delivers a speech at opening ceremony of the 2025 China Film Festival in Amman, Jordan, on Dec. 1, 2025. (Photo by Mohammad Abu Ghosh/Xinhua)

Da Peng, director and lead actor of The Lychee Road, poses for photos at the 2025 China Film Festival in Amman, Jordan, on Dec. 1, 2025. (Photo by Mohammad Abu Ghosh/Xinhua)

People attend the opening ceremony of the 2025 China Film Festival in Amman, Jordan, on Dec. 1, 2025. (Photo by Mohammad Abu Ghosh/Xinhua)