Through the heart of China - A Dutch documentary by photographer Ruben Terlou (VPRO 2018)

I hardly watch television, normally I prefer reading books. I don't even have a television. But sometimes, let's say very rarely, there are programs that I actually look forward to on the Dutch television. Some years ago, I truly enjoyed two series made by Jelle Brandt Corstius, a Dutch journalist with fluent Russian, who traveled through Russia. First from East to West¹, then the second series somewhat through the middle². Corstius has done more incredibly interesting things, like a number of interesting books. I especially hope his book 'Universal Travel Guide for Difficult Countries' will be translated into English one of these days, as it's both funny and full of awkward truths at the same time.³

_{Background image is still taken from online available series
Through the heart of China - Door het hart van China.}

China!

But I actually wanted to talk about this amazing documentary that is still being aired in the Netherlands at the moment: "Door het hart van China" (Through the Heart of China).⁴ It's the second series by photographer Ruben Terlou, who learned Chinese when he went to China after finishing high school because he wanted to become a photographer. That didn't work out as he had hoped, but he did learn Chinese. And now, later in life, he travels through China, accompanied by an amazing cameraman, to find out how the Chinese live and think.

In his first series, he followed the river that flows that is considered the source of life: the Yangtze.⁵ He starts off in Shanghai. And perhaps this series is so dear to me, so true and so beautiful, because I lived in that city myself for some time. In my experience, China is a difficult place to visit, to know what you see and what is going on, especially when you don't speak Chinese yourself, like me. Terlou opens up this world for a large audience, through intimate conversations, with people sharing their stories, their views. Without adding a political message, or claiming to know anything. Terlou shows what journalism should be like. Personal and honest.

^{View on Pudong, from Shanghai Bund boulevard. Picture taken by @nobyeni}

Ruben Terlou doesn't avoid difficult topics, nor does he make things sensational or entertaining. He shows emotion. He talks about climate change and its effects for people and animals. He shows the loneliness of young people, and their struggle to connect to people, their struggle with tradition and the rapid development.

There is much I could tell you about the series, but I would like to urge you to watch it for yourself. It's worth it. It also makes me feel back in China, wondering what to do, what to say. I love the colorfulness of both the people he portrays and the environments he chooses to show. The amount of construction sites everywhere, the streets packed with more traffic than you can possibly imagine.

^{It took me many attempts to get this picture. Busses in Shanghai are not only very crowded, they are also driver by the most fearless drivers I've ever seen. (Let's say the fearlessness of Ukraine was nothing comparable.) It shakes and as it says, even prevention falls. Fortunately I was already used to the stares, as people also considered it very strange for me to even want to take a picture.
Picture by @nobyeni.}

Footnotes

¹ Van Moskou tot Magadan, VPRO 2009. Can be viewed online in the Netherlands.
² Van Moskou tot Moermansk, VPRO 2010. Seems to be unable to view online at the moment of writing.
³ Universele reisgids voor moeilijke landen Only available in Dutch, Uitgeverij Prometheus 2014, 12,50 euro.
⁴ Door het hart van China, VPRO 2018, can be viewed online in the Netherlands.
⁵ Along the banks of the river Yangtze - Langs de oevers van de Yangtze, VPRO 2016. Can be viewed online in the Netherlands.