Editor's Note:

This spring, Beijing embraces yet another ardent reunion with cinema.

As the 16th Beijing International Film Festival kicked off, we inadvertently came across a post on rednote by a seasoned film enthusiast, @IamSteamedOrange. This is not just a heartfelt reflection on the film festival, but a weighty "Evolutionary History of BJIFF" spanning over a decade.

What first appeared as a polished, high-end industry event has grown into something far more alive, a cultural ritual shared by countless film lovers; from 4K revivals of films from the age of celluloid to the bold new frontier of AI feature films and virtual reality in 2025...

"What is cinema?" It is the flowing light and shadow on the screen, and also the living people off the screen.

Today, we're sharing this heartfelt note in a newly illustrated form. Let's read it together.