OC T O B E R 2 0 1 1 (Continued on Page 8) (Continued from Page 4) CCTV-RAI Co-Pro Opens Windows Marco Polo’s travels to China are well known, but there is a similar individual, up to now little known: Matteo Ricci, who in 1607 — over 300 years after Polo — arrived at the Imperial Court of Beijing with the task of evangelizing China. Ricci’s story will be retold in La Cina Vicina (Nearby China), a documentary film directed by Duilio Giammaria, co-produced by RAI-TG1, RaiWorld, the Chinese state television group (CCTV), the Region of Marche, the ItalianMinistry of Foreign Affairs, and the ItalianMinistry of Economic Development. The co-production agreement between RAI and CCTV (brokered by RAI’s recently established RaiWorld) has been developed in the wake of the Matteo Ricci exhibition, which was organized by the Marche Regional Government in four Chinese cities. Ricci, a native of Marche from the city of Macerata, was a Jesuit priest who introduced to China the first elements of Euclidian geometry (which he translated into Chinese), geography and astronomy. He was the first European to be buried in China. Ricci’s importance has been recognized by the U.S. magazine Life, which placed him among the 100 most important people of the second millennium. Today, the effigies of Marco Polo and Matteo Ricci decorate the interior of the Millennium Center in Beijing, the seat of the Chinese government. The narrative style of La Cina Vicina (which will be shot in high definition) will examine the past and present stories through various locations in Italy and in the Orient, with the voices of contemporary experts from China and Italy. According to a representative from RaiWorld, “With this film, China is opening a window on the histories of companies and people who, through many difficulties, developed successful activities in China by actualizing the teachings of Matteo Ricci.” La Cina Vicina also offers the opportunity to rediscover an important piece of Italian history during a crucial period that influenced the development of the world. Matteo Ricci began his long missionary journey (from which he never returned) at the founding of his order in Rome toward the end of 1500. Ricci was able to overcome the diffidence of the suspicious Mandarins right at the height of the Chinese empire’s isolationist period and, in less than 20 years he became, “The wise man from the West” with the Chinese name of Li Madou. During his journey, Ricci not only taught and translated scientific texts from the West, but he translated from Mandarin the works of main Chinese thinkers, including Confucius. U.S. Reality TV Filming On The Rise According to figures reported by FilmL.A., which handles local film permits in Los Angeles, reality TV productions have been on the rise this summer. FilmL.A.’s statistics indicate that approximately 50 new reality TV shows have requested permits to film on local streets or non-certified soundstages through early July. This is in spite of the fact that such productions were down 13 percent in the second quarter compared to the year before. This recent increase in production is a testament to the genre’s popularity in the U.S. It also serves as a reminder that reality TV fuels local TV production in Los Angeles, since far fewer dramas are shot locally, with cities outside of California acting as competing locations for filming hour-long dramas. Because scripted programming is more economically beneficial, FilmL.A. spokesperson Philip Sokoloski noted that he hoped to see more scripted programming filmed locally. Among the titles fueling the reality TV production fire are Punk Payback, dedicated to helping viewers avoid being “punked” on the street (Fuel TV); Dance Moms, about a dance company instructor and her students (Lifetime); Shahs of Sunset, centered on a group of young Persian American friends living in L.A. (Bravo); Dirty Soap, giving light to the personal lives of soap opera stars (E! Entertainment) and Barbies Reality, following the events that take place at a party rental hall (not yet sold at press time). V I D E O • A G E 6 ENTERTAINMENT ACTION CRIME LIFESTYLE Visit cableready.net to view all available programs Email sales@cableready.net to schedule a meeting at MIPCOM! Visit us at Stand R31.17 D E V E L O P M E N T • D I S T R I B U T I O N • R E P R E S E N T A T I O N +1-203-855-7979 l info@cableready.net
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