On December 15, the Guangzhou
International Documentary Film Festival (GZDOC) with support from the United
Nations system in China hosted a special screening of “Nations United: Urgent
Solutions for Urgent Times” at Guangzhou Library.
The event provided Chinese
audiences with the first opportunity to see the film in person, with organizers
aiming to encourage a better understanding of the 17 Sustainable Development
Goals (SDGs) and promote discussion on China’s efforts and achievements on these
subjects.
Produced in partnership with
72 Films, Project Everyone and directed by UN SDG Advocate Richard Curtis, “Nations
United” was released to mark the UN’s 75th anniversary and the 5th
year since the adoption of the SDGs.
The ‘first of its kind’ film features
activists and celebrities who walk audiences through global challenges, from
COVID to poverty, inequality, gender discrimination and climate change. “Nations
United” uses the SDGs as a blueprint and seeks to focus on the solutions and
practical evidence-based actions needed to build a brighter future.
“In these unprecedented times,
the 17 Sustainable Development Goals are more relevant than ever”, said Amakobe
Sande, interim UN Resident Coordinator in China at her opening speech at the
screening. “I hope the film inspires you to join us in this fight. The UN in
China stands ready to walk hand in hand with the people of China in equal
partnership as we achieve the SDGs together”.
“Nations United” was aired as
part of “Imagine2030”, a program launched by GZDOC to promote public awareness
and dialogue on critical global issues. “Imagine2030” uses the 2030 Agenda for
Sustainable Development as its framework, hosting film screenings, forums, and
educational program in several Chinese cities this year.
Joy Jia Yi, the initiator of
the Imagine 2030 from GZDOC explains that documentaries like “Nations United”
can move people hearts, turning these issues into vivid stories, visible characters
and perceptible media.
In a post-screening panel
session for “Nations United”, experts were invited to join an in-depth discussion
on the film, the issues that it raises, and the implications in China.
“To achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, we still have a lot to do. We have eliminated absolute poverty, but we still have relative poverty, and our absolute poverty is also a very low standard. This requires all of us to take responsibility and work hard to achieve these goals”, said Tang Min, Deputy Director of the Expert Committee of the State Council Poverty Alleviation Officer, at the panel.
Nations
United
“Nations United: Urgent Solutions for Urgent Times” is produced by 72 Films, an award-winning production company which creates innovative, ambitious projects that aim to inspire, entertain and make a positive contribution to the cultural landscape. The company has had previous commissions from the BBC, Netflix and National Geographic, and recently produced “The Rise of the Murdoch Dynasty.”
Project Everyone
Project Everyone was co-founded by writer, director, and SDG Advocate Richard Curtis, Kate Garvey and Gail Gallie with the ambition to help achieve the Global Goals through raising awareness, holding leaders accountable, and driving action. Find out more at www.project-everyone.org.
72 Films
72 Films is an award-winning production company which produces ground-breaking, powerful, sensitively handled and thought-provoking content. Their projects have been nominated for Grierson, Royal Television Society, Broadcast and BAFTA Awards and have won three RTS Awards.
72 Films was founded by David Glover and Mark Raphael who met when they were commissioning editors at Channel 4. They are widely acknowledged as some of the most original programme-makers in British television.
Together they have built a reputation as one of the UK’s leading creative forces, being named as one of Realscreen’s Global 100 production companies of 2019 and nominated for best independent production company at the Broadcast Awards in 2020
Sustainable Development Goals
On 25 September 2015, at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, 193 world leaders committed to the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (or Global Goals). These are a series of ambitious objectives and targets to end extreme poverty and hunger, fight inequality and injustice, and tackle climate change, by 2030.
For further information, please contact:
Ms. Louise Xi LI, Head of Communications, UN
Resident Coordinator’s Office in China
Tel: +8610-85320725, Email: xi.li@un.org
