During his recent visit to Shanghai for an Italian film week, Italian director Saverio Costanzo discovered an unexpected depth of cultural connection, where Chinese audiences demonstrated a personal approach to engaging with international cinema.

"What impressed me most about Chinese audiences is how they put themselves into the dialogue," Costanzo observes. "They ask millions of questions, and each one starts from their personal experience. It's very humble and genuine — quite different from what I experience in Europe."

The film week — Un Nuovo Anno con il Cinema Italiano (A New Year with Italian Cinema) — showcased several of Costanzo's notable works, including Hungry Hearts, The Solitude of Prime Numbers, and the television adaptation of the pseudonymous Italian author Elena Ferrante's Neapolitan Novels, of which the first is My Brilliant Friend. The latter has achieved particular success in China, maintaining ratings of 8.6 to 9.5 out of 10 among all four seasons on Douban, a Chinese review platform.

For Italian actress Alba Rohrwacher, who starred in several featured works, the New Year's Eve screening created a precious moment of connection.

"I looked around the packed theater and saw faces of all ages, from teenagers to elderly couples, all sharing this moment," she recalls. "I'm so happy to have had such an unforgettable moment here in China."

The cultural resonance extends beyond cinema, Costanzo says. "There's something that links our societies that continues to surprise me. Perhaps it's our shared emphasis on family, or our passionate approach to cuisine," he explains. "When I'm in China, I feel closer to home than I do in some European countries."

A walk along Shanghai's Bund offered him further insight into Chinese culture. "I witnessed elderly Chinese tourists viewing the skyline with collective pride, saying, 'look what we did'. Even a farmer from China's countryside would regard Shanghai's skyscrapers as a shared achievement," he notes.