The Olympics give us a great opportunity to learn about different countries in a non-judgmental way. The camaraderie between the athletes and those watching allows us to appreciate our worldly neighbors instead of only focusing on the politics of it all - which of course the people very little say in. Likewise, cinema allows us to learn about different countries in respectful ways, especially when the film focuses on the people and not the government. It is with that I decided to do a small series of foreign film recommendations based on celebrating the Olympic spirit and learning about the rest of the world with an open mind.
Today I give you a film from our Olympic host China. In the past weeks the focus on China has had to do with pollution, dirty politics in Darfur and their underage gymnasts. And while all of those things are supremely important, there is an entire country of people who have nothing to do with those issues outside of their personal carbon footprints.
One filmmaker that always does an amazing job of capturing the lives of everyday Chinese citizens is Jia Zhangke. He always manages to portray the important issues of the day but still make clear the individuals struggles people face.
Olympic Film Recommendation : CHINA
Jia Zhangke’s The World
Olympics Olympics Olympics! We love the good, the bad, the ugly and everything in between when it comes to the 2008 Beijing Olympics here at TakePart. It’s reason enough not to miss our Top 10 Stories about the Olympic Games, which we’ve been reporting on in the months leading up to now. Catch the best in TakePart Olympic news below:
TakePart Gang: 
Nicole Hughes: 
Andy Kondrat:
Jon Popham: 
Gina Telaroli: 
Olympic dreams have hit Afghanistan as four Afghani athletes train for the upcoming 2008 Summer Games in Beijing. The fractious, war torn country has never won Olympic medal, but hopes are high that one of its competitors can bring home some glory to a nation badly in need of an injection of solidarity and pride.