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XJTLU Faculty Assemble Chinese-Language Film Watchlist
Faculty and staff at Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University have compiled a list of Chinese-language films they believe deserve wider attention. The Suzhou-based joint-venture university says the picks aim to widen the frame beyond Chinese cinema’s biggest names.
Professors, teachers and assistants at the university contributed recommendations, alongside members of its wider academic community. The list is intended to move beyond the most familiar names in Chinese cinema and surface titles that may be less widely known.
XJTLU is based in Suzhou and was founded by Xi’an Jiaotong University and the University of Liverpool. It is the largest Sino-foreign cooperative university approved by China’s Ministry of Education, with more than 26,000 students from over 90 countries and regions. Its degree programs are taught in English, and its international setup includes exchange opportunities, overseas study routes and a 2+2 pathway between Suzhou and Liverpool.
Among the picks included in the watchlist is Cek Toko Sebelah, recommended by English writer and editor Vionna Fiducia Theja. She said the film reflects the intricacies of Chinese-Indonesian families in Indonesia, including households that have lived there for generations, speak fluent Indonesian more than Chinese, run local businesses and face cultural and generational conflicts rooted in inherited values.