In 2008, the National Population and Family Planning Commission (NPFPC) approached our agency for support in raising awareness for the organization’s work to promote social welfare in China. At the same time, the NPFPC wanted to begin communicating with people and organizations around the world about China’s pressing social and family planning challenges.The campaign’s overarching objective was best described by Zhao Baige, Vice Minister of the NPFPC, in a speech delivered in November 2007: “We need to close the gap between the reality and perceptions in the rest of the world. And, the key to addressing this lies in the ability to communicate in different cultures and languages and to cooperate with the rest of the world.”Our agency and the NFPFC worked together to develop four video documentaries, together called “Tales of Hope,” focusing on important social challenges in China.

The videos’ debuted at the China (Guangzhou) International Documentary Film Festival and were a stunning success, as the series took second place in the competition. The videos have since been distributed to thousands of government leaders and target organizations in countries around the world.

Specifically, the goals for the campaign were:1. To provide a realistic picture of Chinese population work through these films and change the world’s perception of the NPFPC’s work;2. To explore a new communication approach with the production, polishing, and distribution of these films; and3. To help the NPFPC become comfortable communicating with outside audiences.The target audience for the campaign was foreign government officials and professionals involved in humanitarian and family planning programs. The NPFPC wanted to help the target audience understand the diversity of social challenges in China, and to paint a complete picture of China’s population and family planning work.

Each of the four videos was produced by a different director, and we worked closely with the directors to ensure that the videos would effectively engage and communicate with Western audiences. The text script, the narration, the footage, the translation, and the content for each of these films were modified to make them more suitable for Western audiences and to help ensure that the messages were effectively delivered.

We developed a comprehensive distribution strategy to ensure that they would reach the target audiences. This began with the video’s submission to the China (Guangzhou) International Documentary Film Festival. With a sophisticated, international audience and a somewhat Asian focus, this was the perfect platform for the video’s debut.

The second stage involved the personal distribution of the videos to visiting dignitaries, foreign government officials, and international organizations. The video was included as part of an introduction package for people visiting the NPFPC offices, and distributed by Chinese embassies around the world. It was also delivered to several organizations involved in population and family planning issues, including the United Nations.

The videos’ debut at the China (Guangzhou) International Documentary Film Festival was a stunning success, as the series took second place in the competition. The videos have since been distributed to thousands of government leaders and target organizations in countries around the world.

Reflecting the client’s satisfaction, the NPFPC sent an official letter to the President of our agency, expressing their appreciation. The letter reads, “Coupled with excellent production and beautiful packaging, the films have been praised by our leaders and experts.”Although the long-term impact of this project is yet to be seen, the NPFPC has begun to communicate with international organizations and audiences about its population and family planning projects, and is growing more comfortable engaging and interacting with the outside world. These interactions are helping to raise awareness for the important social and population challenges in China, and are helping to facilitate respectful international dialogue about population and humanitarian issues that affect us all.

We worked together with the NFPFC to develop four video documentaries, together called “Tales of Hope,” focusing on important social challenges in China. To increase relevance to global audiences, the topics selected correspond with important objectives specified by the United Nations Millennium Project. These are the subjects of the four films:1. “The People of the Holy Mountain” – shows the social progress made in villages under the holy Kawagbo Mountain, of the Greater Shangri-La area.

2. “How Nice to See the Sun” – shows how local organizations help to create support networks and employment opportunities for HIV-AIDS patients in the Henan province.

3. “Wings of a Dream” – documents a poor village couple in Ningxia Province, who support more than 70 teenagers in going back to school and fulfilling their dreams.

4. “Aying’s Wedding” – follows the wedding of Aying, a Bai tribe girl in the Yunnan province. It addresses gender equality issues and demonstrates how the social positions of women are changing in remote areas of China.

Imagine trying to support a family of 1.3 billion people – one fifth of the world’s population. In China, there is one organization tasked with tackling the country’s diverse humanitarian and family planning challenges: the National Population and Family Planning Commission (NPFPC). With such daunting responsibilities, and the ever-present reality of limited resources, the NPFPC is a highly visible organization constantly subject to intense scrutiny.Many people throughout China and the world are familiar with the NPFPC’s involvement in China’s much-assailed One Child Policy, but few are familiar with the organization’s work on other important humanitarian issues.