The Amphitrite, a 4k ultra HD large-scale documentary on Guangzhou’s history of marine trade, made its debut on September 24 at the main forum of Guangdong 21st Century Maritime Silk Road Int'l Expo, an important platform for cooperation between Guangdong and countries along the Belt and Road route.
Later on September 27, the marine culture themed documentary officially premiered at Guangzhou Library, marking its first official meeting with domestic audiences.
For thousands of years, the ancient Maritime Silk Road has connected China with many parts of the world, including Southeast Asia, the Indian subcontinent, the Arabian peninsula, Somalia, Egypt and Europe. And Guangzhou, as one of the vital ports along the noted sea route, has served as a hub for the cultural and trade exchanges between China and the West since more than 2,000 years ago.
The documentary, produced by the Documentary Center of the Guangzhou Broadcasting Network (GZBN), tells the legend of Amphitrite, the first French ship arriving in Guangzhou for trade about 300 years ago.
Three dimensional animation, scene reconstruction and other techniques were adopted in the documentary to reproduce the landscape and life in Guangzhou at that time and to vividly unfold the city’s history of foreign trade.
A poster of the documentary
As the first French merchant ship that visited Guangzhou, Amphitrite not only introduced various exotic goods into China, but also took a diversity of Chinese cargoes, such as tea, silk and porcelain, back to France, which gave rise to the craze of "Chinoiserie" in the West.
Thierry Meynard, professor from the Department of Philosophy of Sun Yat-sen University
Thierry Meynard, professor from the Department of Philosophy of Sun Yat-sen University and academic advisor for the documentary, was invited to the premiere to share with audiences the story of the French merchant ship.
He said that Amphitrite had served as a bridge for cultural communication between China and France. The documentary reproduces this part of history and can serve as a reference in the academic field.
A poster of the documentary
