Still There for You: China’s Enduring Obsession With ‘Friends’
On a late May afternoon, the Central Perk café briefly became the hottest spot in the eastern Chinese city of Hangzhou. People started rushing into the coffee shop at 3 p.m., squeezing onto its plush orange sofa, perching on armrests, and leaning against the bar. Soon, there was barely enough room to stand. They’d all come to indulge in a shared obsession: the American TV show “Friends.” On Chinese review site Douban, “Friends” remains the highest-rated American comedy with an average score of 9.8 out of 10, above “Modern Family” (9.5), “The Big Bang Theory” (9.3), and “Sex and the City” (9.0). Read more Sixth Tone
Shanghai Film Festival Head Talks Protocols and Highlights of the 2021 Edition
The 24th Shanghai International Film Festival (SIFF) is set to kick off in a hybrid format for the second year running, with a range of socially distanced in-person events and screenings alongside virtual activities. Patriotic drama “1921” will open the festival on June 11, and more than 400 films will be screened over 10 days. The festival is reporting that many screenings were sold out within minutes of tickets going on sale. Read more Screen Daily
