Roundup: Glamor documentaries herald "golden age" of New Zealand-China cooperation

Chinese and New Zealand television audiences will be treated to a feast of their countries' most glamorous features in two new documentaries that both sides claim will be their cooperation in TV co-production to new heights.

Television and film representatives of both countries were out in force at New Zealand's national museum Tuesday to mark the screen launch of a co-production documentary, "Glamorous New Zealand," and the start of production on its sister program, "Glamorous China."

The two documentaries are being co-produced by China Central Television (CCTV) and New Zealand documentary producer NZNH.

Liu Qibao, head of the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, attended an event to celebrate the two programs at the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa (Te Papa) with Arts, Culture and Heritage Minister Maggie Barry.

Barry said in a speech at the event that the two countries were seeing a "golden age" in their relations, which began with the signing of the New Zealand-China Free Trade Agreement (FTA) in 2008.

As a result of the FTA, the two countries had signed the China-New Zealand Film Co-production Agreement in 2010 and the China-New Zealand Television Co-production Agreement in 2014.

"We are very proud of these agreements and we thank you for the close cooperation," said Barry.

One film co-production was already underway and more documentaries were expected soon.

A second series of the popular children's television animated co-production, "Zoomoo Animal Friends" was also set to get underway, she said.

"Glamorous New Zealand," which is set to air on CCTV4 in China, and "Glamorous China" represented another important collaboration.

"It is very positive for the growth of both of our screen industries and serves as a bridge between our two vibrant countries," said Barry.

NHNZ managing director Kyle Murdoch said in a speech that the three-part "Glamorous New Zealand" series was an incredible milestone, not just for CCTV and NHNZ, but for the China-New Zealand relationship.

"For NHNZ, this has been the definition of a successful co-production," said Murdoch.

"CCTV and NHNZ have co-produced a number of successful shows. The success of these co-productions cannot only be measured by high ratings and multiple awards. The real success story is the nature of our teamwork -- Chinese and New Zealand producers working side by side, and this is what true co-production should be."

Murdoch told Xinhua in an interview earlier that "Glamorous New Zealand" would feature three themes: "Land of diversity"; "A paradise on earth"; and "A prosperous island nation."

"It's anything that is deemed to be glamorous for a Chinese audience. So for New Zealand, for example, there's a lot of emphasis on the environment, on new immigrants to New Zealand and on the tourist activities around New Zealand, such as whale-watching," said Murdoch.

NHNZ was marking a decade of collaboration with CCTV, and future projects included a natural history program on the Pacific, he said.

New Zealand Film Commission chief financial officer Mladen Ivancic told Xinhua in an interview that a lot of interest had been shown at a development level for the commission's New Zealand-China co-production fund.

"No one has yet come back and said they want to access production funding for these projects, but we know these things take time. I think it's a very gradual ramping up of interest in the respective screen industries," Ivancic said.

"In the next two or three years, we'd like to see some results because we've put a lot of energy into fostering and networking the industries."

The commission, which approves co-productions with China, had already approved the first feature film co-production, an animated family film called "Beast of Burden," which was about to start production. Endit