Film sees bridging of cultural dialogue

ATHENS－A feature film co-produced by Greece and China, A Day in the Life of a Teddy Bear, premiered in Greek theaters last week.

Filmed in 2019 in Greece, China and Austria, the movie tells the story of Panos, a Greek architect who moves to Shanghai for work. There, he meets Liu Jinxi, a Chinese violin player, planning to move to Vienna for her musical studies.

The film was written and directed by Vassilis Xiros, who served as consul general of Greece in Shanghai from 2015 to 2019. His directorial debut was also his last project in China, as he had already finished his diplomatic term a few days before the shooting started.

With the China-Greece Year of Culture and Tourism falling this year, Xiros, who now works as an advisor to the Greek Culture and Sports minister in Athens, says he is happy that his movie can help bridge cultural gaps between the two countries.

"In both countries there is a vaguely positive perception of the other country, but in reality, we have little knowledge of everyday life and culture in Greece and China respectively," he says.

"This gap can only be bridged through cultural exchanges, and the Culture and Tourism Year can effectively serve this purpose, despite the limitations due to the (COVID-19) pandemic," he notes.