《Studying film in Beijing Film Academy》
Name：BERGLUND ALEXIA FARANAK
Nationality: Sweden
University：Beijing Film Academy
Tutor: Liu Beibei
From culture to outstanding education, China really has it all. Like many other students, my routine as an international university student at Beijing Film Academy includes hectic shooting days, immersive theoretical classes, and many cups of coffee. I often find myself in hallways filled with friendly faces of various ethnicities, and crowded streets bringing forth a sense for the local closeness I did not experience back home. Every day, comprising its own discoveries and a greater clarity of vision.
After living as a foreigner in Beijing for almost a year, I am still uncovering new sides to this remarkably diverse country. Among many things that I cherish about life here in China, is its culturally distinctive lifestyle and concurrent openness to new influences. It is impossible to feel enclosed. Just look at the map, China is huge! For all the westerners relocating to such a distinct eastern nation, culture shock is given. By living here many of them you can foresee, but most of them will amaze you.
One of the greatest benefits as an international student in BFA, is not the incredible lectures, nor the access to excellent equipment, but how the university aids me in materializing my innovative suggestions. As a part of the international Film Production Program, we learn both the practical and theoretical aspects of filmmaking, from current experts and industry veterans. This has allowed me to acquaint myself with intricate visual languages that fill our experimentally-centered culture, to further admire the allure of the cinematic lingo of our foremost cultural fictions. It also taught me the conventional artistry of film analysis, that till this present moment continues to would my view on imagery and its linkage to culture. I have been able to grow as a creator, establish connections, and build self-assurance to glory in my own artistic output.
BFA introduced me to a different kind of joy, not simply the joy of analyzing a beautiful shot, but the compound and persisting delight of learning how to decipher cinematic structures and visual styles, and through that; finding like-minded people and communities. It defines one of the main reasons for my choice of studying film. Some other microscopic motivations to exemplify my decision would be that I’m getting hands-on experience, nurturing new desires; cultivating friendships with others who share my aspirations, and for those relationships to last forever. Being granted a wonderful education at BFA, simply compels me to make movies, and encompass myself with people who do the same. Could it get any better? I strongly believe that this is the greatest way to learn, and with the major acting as a helping hand, I’ll be provided with the solid ground I’ll need after graduating. Subsequently, I’ll be able to illustrate to the audience a refined version of what I was taught, because I am sure that ultimately, we’ll all get what we put into it. And if I make every effort to lay the foundations for success, living in China could very well be the best thing ever befallen me.
Throughout this year, I’ve trained my brain to explore various interpretations of critical and constructive thinking about the medium, yet with the same appreciation for good classics. Into the bargain, the university taught me tenacity; the ways of taking a subject matter or idea and nourishing it to its vast potential, whilst bracing myself to prosper in a business where our chances are slim. Nevertheless, you don’t need to be at the core of the industry during film school, but I believe everyone should try to position themselves somewhere stimulating to their creative spirit.
Remain open to where the world may bring you. When I began film school I was confident that my sole passage to satisfaction in this business would be to become a director. However, as I’ve made a great effort to further open my eyes to other ways of cinema that may shape my future profession, I've been pleasantly surprised by the variety of possibilities across the field in regards to the varied ways of creative work.
Be that as it may, it is not just all about my exciting experiences or the delight of bringing an idea to reality. For me, it’s about comprising all these components to eventually flourish into the individual I am striving to become; an unprejudiced, hard-working, perseverant person. Through sharing bits and pieces of my life here in Beijing, I essentially allow others to explore their possibilities through my reality. Just as importantly, being an international student in China, I have the opportunity to represent non-Chinese citizens in a favorable light. Funny thing is, if you asked another foreign film-student about their life in China, you would most likely get a different answer. There’s so much to unveil in this massive, captivating country.
