3. "My People, My Country"
"My People, My Country," directed by Chen Kaige and six other prominent Chinese directors - Xu Zheng, Ning Hao, Guan Hu, Zhang Yibai, Xue Xiaolu and Wen Muye–is one in a series of films and TV dramas to mark the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China (PRC). The anthology combines seven short films focusing on ordinary Chinese individuals who grew up in the PRC and experienced seven significant historic moments from the country's founding ceremony in 1949 to the 2018 Beijing Olympics. The film shows what seven of China's best directors can achieve (though their styles may vary) and successfully triggered a wave of nostalgia and patriotism, as well as huge box office returns. The current popularity of Chinese blockbusters, often labelled "mainstream films", also suggest that this genre has achieved a new level of sophistication from its previous form as dull and didactic productions on Chinese revolutionary history. In recent years, Chinese filmmakers explored and infused elements of action, romance, disaster and war in their movies to revive this genre and make it more engaging to audiences.