At 14:00 on 21 November, the lecture titled “Cultural Codes in Nordic Films” was held in the Sino-Danish College (SDC) Building at the Yanqihu Campus of the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (UCAS). The speaker was Professor Tan Hui, Dean of the College of International Education and Director of the Office of International Cooperation and Exchange at Beijing Film Academy. As the second session of SDC’s Administrative Capacity-Building Series, the event took films from the five Nordic countries as its starting point and introduced Nordic film traditions and their underlying social and cultural foundations to SDC’s administrative staff as well as to students and faculty from across UCAS. Professor Wang Haiyan, Dean of the Sino-Danish College, Mr. Qin Xiaofei, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of the College of Life Sciences, and Professor Shi Zidong from the School of Sciences for the Habitat attended the lecture.
In her talk, Professor Tan began with the historical origins, natural environment, and social systems of the five Nordic countries and outlined how Nordic film styles have taken shape. Drawing on clips and posters from a number of classic films, she examined cultural features such as restrained and understated emotional expression, everyday narrative styles, and a strong concern for equality, welfare, and individual dignity, guiding the audience to appreciate the Nordic values embodied in these works.
During the Q&A session, teachers and students engaged actively with questions on topics such as the differences between Nordic films and mainstream commercial productions, as well as family and social issues represented in Nordic visual storytelling. Participants noted that the lecture not only deepened their intuitive understanding of Nordic society and culture, but also provided new perspectives for future film viewing and cross-cultural communication. Going forward, SDC will continue to host high-quality events on humanities and culture, further broadening the international horizons and cross-cultural communication skills of its students and staff.
Author: ZHANG Qing
Photo: ZHANG Qing
Editor: GAO Yuan
