As the world becomes an ever shrinking place, expats become more numerous. Anyone who has lived in a country other than that of their birth understands the importance of a favorite food dish, familiar music, and a general sense of community. China Television Corporation is providing the newest information for overseas Chinese citizens with a high-quality, enthusiastic, and warm weekly television series titled American Moments. Featuring documentary-style interviews, lifestyle news segments, and Chinese lifestyle video screenings; this mini-series is set to air on WCETV, followed by the Chinese great wall elite network (a DISH Network pay channel). A truly global production with multiple crews obtaining coverage, director Siyi Wu is contributing her talents to capture stories based in the United States. Known for award-winning documentaries like “Care & Cure”, Wu brings her exceptional directorial style combined with a comfortability with both cultures.
Media in its varied forms is ubiquitous. Negative comments often accompany the idea of uber connection but in the case of American Moments this is highly positive. This programs seeks to inform Chinese speaking audiences about the lives and events of Chinese and Chinese related/associated people in the United States. The mystery, and thereby misunderstandings, of the Chinese experience in America is avoided as a result. Each episode is presented in two segments: “Memoirs of Dream”, and “Vibrant Lands.” “Memoirs of a Dream” features a guest interviewed about their life, events, etc. Past guests have included award-winning Chinese-American Actress Joan Chen, Michael Berry (Professor of Contemporary Chinese Cultural Studies UCLA), computer and internet entrepreneur Xiaochuan Wang, and others. “Vibrant Lands” is focused more on what might be termed pop-culture and lifestyle, discussing everything from international travel to US-China entertainment collaborations. Thirteen episodes have been a part of the initial offering with weekly episodes beginning soon.
Famed producer of CITVC (China International Television Corporation) David Liang is producing the show with director Dora SIyi Wu. In addition to Dora’s exceptional skills, her experience spending time in both her native China and the US was key to her selection. With her prior award-winning documentaries, Dora confirmed that she spoke (through her films) in a way that sparked interest and dialogue between these two cultures. The director communicates, “There is a large variety in regards to the audience we are serving with American Moments. Some of them grew up in the US, some of them have spent a number of years here, some of them just arrived, and some of them have not yet arrived but want to come to America in the future. The information they are all seeking is connected but still segmented. We’re trying to record and report everything objectively. With our interviews, we want to build a bridge between China and U.S. We really want to be the platform and network of think tanks and media outlets.”
American Moments is a far cry from heavy programming while still being quite substantive. Upcoming episodes will spotlight the food cultures of these two countries and how they are intertwined. From the variety of food in China’s thirty-four different regions to American fast food chains like KFC, McDonalds, and Pizza Hut in China; the sharing of cuisine reveals as much about the connection shared as the political decisions. American Moments airs on China Television Corporation.