What makes for a good movie on “A Year To Think”? Compelling subject matter is, of course, king. A strong cinematic concept definitely helps. A narrative arc is never frowned upon. And a surprising emotional component is always home run. But not everything we shot found its way out of our constantly moving post-production facility. […]
FIVE TIMES DAILY
Life in the Muslim world just sounds different than it does back home. Give a listen.
OUR SOUVENIR FROM THE FRENCH CONCESSION
When one thinks of Shanghai, the image that is presented to the world is the glistening Pudong skyline — a monument to the 21st “Chinese Century.” But we stayed across the river in the more historic part of town, an area more akin to Greenwich Village or the Latin Quarter of Paris. This is the […]
MARRIAGE CORNER
In People’s Square, thousands of aging Shanghainese parents gather every Sunday to try and fix up their unwed sons and daughters. When we heard about this, we knew it was something we had to witness — and we also knew it might be wise to bring along a bonafide Chinese bachelor to introduce us to […]
TWENTY QUESTIONS: THE KEY TO SUCCESS
In a visit to another of the world’s lovely coffee houses, we catch the proprietress off-guard with one of life’s important questions.
MOST DISGUSTING BATHROOM ON THE PLANET?
Take a break from election news and consider this: Many men in China have an unfortunate habit of not standing close enough to the urinal. As a result, the government has launched a campaign called “Step Forward For Civilization” and you will find these signs above many urinals. The overall feel you are left with […]
FRANNY AND FINN PRESENT THE FORBIDDEN CITY
Your two young guides take you on a private tour of one of the world’s most legendary landmarks.
BEIJING’S 798 ART ZONE
When we imagined Beijing, the words that jumped to mind were Power, Government, Olympics, Traffic. The last thing we thought about was Art. But on the outskirts of the city, beyond the fifth outer ring, not too far from the airport, something exciting is happening. In a district that was nothing but abandoned warehouses ten […]
OBLIGATORY STATE-SANCTIONED VIDEO ABOUT THE GREAT WALL
It is a strict requirement of all filmmaking families traveling around the world to deliver a short film about the Great Wall of China. We frankly had no choice. Please enjoy.
WE ARE THE PANDAS
Welcome to China. In this remarkable, enormous, profoundly complex, indescribably polluted, yet weirdly beautiful country, one of the great claims to fame is the world’s largest population of panda bears. Visitors from all over the globe flock to Beijing and Xi’an just to catch a glimpse of these adorable creatures. When a panda is spotted, […]