Spotlighting Cultural Contributions in The Glory of Global Chinese
There is always a need to build bridges among people. A personal perspective about the lives of others helps us all to appreciate the similarities as well as the differences. Beidi Wang is committed to this path. Her contributions as a filmmaker have manifested productions that connect us with the experiences of others in an intimate way. Her work on The Glory of Global Chinese which airs on NBC’s bilingual online streaming platform XUMO, highlights contributions of the Chinese American community. As a storyteller who has spent much of her life in both America and China, Ms. Wang has is predisposed to relating what is most intriguing and benevolent about the contributions of this culturally intersected community. Xumo airs in the United States, Canada, France, Germany, the UK, Italy, Spain, Brazil, and Mexico to over twenty-four million active users; meaning that The Glory of Global Chinese relates the great benefits of these people during in era which seems to often overlook what can be achieved through the sharing of ideas among different cultures.
What and who you pay attention to shapes your world as well as the world en masse. There are those who build an information stream on division. This is the opposite of what The Glory of Global Chinese aspires to communicate. The series informs viewers of the contributions of extraordinary individuals from the fields of entertainment, science, sports, and beyond. Perhaps most importantly, the diversity of those who are featured in this program helps to eviscerate stereotypes regardless of who is watching. Regarding the episode about director Jingyi Shao whose feature film Chang Can Dunk will be released on Disney+ in 2023, Beidi informs, “Belonging to an ethnicity which is usually regarded as nerdy and non-creative, I cannot be prouder to see there are so many excellent filmmakers making their way out in Hollywood. While Jingyi presents his feature film to the majority of American audiences, he is able to share his experience in Chinese, to resonate with people who will understand him naturally in the same culture.” Directing episode six of the series, Beidi presents the exciting work of Xiang Ren, professor of Deep Learning and Artificial Intelligence at USC. In episode 7, she chose to feature the work of Yang Wang, a young female architect known for both her designs and her commitment to the evolution of the modern work process in her field. From philanthropy to entrepreneurship and others, the leaders of so many varied fields are seen; leaders with a connection to both China and America. So often we have seen programs like this in which the perspective seems to be one of a particular culture “looking in on” the work of another but The Glory of Global Chinese circumvents this approach via the skill and perspective of those like Beidi Wang. Each episode comes across like being invited into a conversation that is enlightening and surprising. There is a shared “cornerstone” that allows all viewers familiarity while also receiving new information; indicating the highest level of insightful communication on the creatives who craft the overall tone of this series.
In recognizing the best in others, we can appreciate the benefits of collaboration for all. Programs like The Glory of Global Chinese are important and the work of Beidi Wang cannot be overstated in its impact. All people are a part of a global ecosystem of actions and ideas which can be utilized for the positive or negative direction of the future. In presenting the great contributions of the people of China who are immersed in American culture, The Glory of Global Chinese takes a powerful step in the right direction.
