On September 24, the 5th Chinese Documentary Film Festival came to a close at the Guangzhou Opera House, marking the festival’s first edition in Guangzhou. This year, 55 films qualified for the competition, with 22 making the shortlist. The newly launched Golden Kapok (Guangzhou) Documentary Call also received more than 1,100 submissions from 15 countries.

The night before the closing ceremony, Nael, an Indonesian international student, attended an event at the festival. He had expected a low-key gathering for people in the industry. Instead, he found himself drawn into stories about ordinary people, skilled craftsmen, and those working to protect the environment. There were no scripts, yet their real-life stories were every bit as compelling.

When the conversation turned to making his own documentary, Nael immediately lit up.

“If I were filming Guangzhou, I’d follow a day in the life of an Indonesian student here — Steamed Rice Rolls in the morning, hanging out by the Pearl River with friends in the afternoon, and Beijing Road at night.” He would also turn his camera on shop owners, fellow students, and people in the neighborhood.

“Guangzhou has this unique mix of things. It’s perfect for documentaries.”

To Nael, the city brings together the old and the new, the local and the global. There is no need to invent a story — everyday life here already provides plenty of them.

As an Indonesian of Chinese descent, Nael was drawn to stories that cross borders and cultures. And in Guangzhou, he realized that someone like him could be part of a documentary story, too.

Real stories know no borders. And in Guangzhou, reality is already the best script.

Reporters: Wu Di, Cheng Linxin
Video: Cao Jingrong
Editor: Wu Di