Maltese viewers have highly commented on a Chinese animated retelling of the Daoist folklore of the Eight Immortals at a film showcase in Santa Lucija on Friday, as the film continues its rollout beyond China.

The showcase opened on the Mid-Autumn Festival on Friday at Santa Lucija's Chinese Garden of Serenity.

Its opening film, "All Wishes Come True!", had reached overseas cinemas after its July release in China. It imagines the Eight Immortals, figures from Chinese folklore, as eight ordinary people before they become legendary immortals.

"It was very interactive. Like, you're literally not bored even one second," said Agata, a Maltese audience member.
"The film is excellent, and it has a very nice story, more colorful, more enthusiastic. It makes me enter more in the culture of China," said another audience member.

Mou Zhengyang, who wrote and directed the film of the Eight Immortals, said he hopes its messages brought by the films in the showcase would resonate beyond their familiar legend.

"What the film expresses is about caring more about what's right than what you stand to gain or lose. It's about being kind and doing the right thing. I think audiences can feel the spirit of passing these values on, as well as the appeal of Chinese culture," Mou said.

The Malta showcase is one of several ways Chinese films are reaching audiences abroad, alongside festival screenings and commercial releases.

Stephen Cachia, a lecturer in Chinese history at the University of Malta, said the films could shape how viewers understand the country.
"When they see these films, they get a more realistic picture of China. Actually, if you go to China... I was there last year in July, and I could see that China is actually much more modern than Malta, for sure, and even most European countries," Cachia said.

Maltese media professional Fiona Vella said she had seen more variety in Chinese films and increasingly elaborate computer-generated imagery (CGI).

"Each year, I'm always saying great development, but very, very wide development from one thing to another. The CGI is becoming very more spectacular. I would say [I] like Chinese films because usually they are based on some Chinese history or culture. So I get to learn more about these things and also about the Chinese people," Vella said.