METU Student Achieves Success at the International Looking China Film Program

In 2025, Erdősi Mira, a third-year Television and Film Directing student at Budapest Metropolitan University (METU), represented the university at the prestigious international documentary workshop of the Looking China Youth Film Project. With her film Touch the Earth, she won second prize at the 2025 Golden Lenses Awards.

Each year, the Looking China Youth Film Project invites young filmmakers from around the world to China. During the two-week workshop, participants create short documentary films about contemporary Chinese society and culture, while exploring the country’s cultural diversity, traditions, and dynamic development through their own creative work.

Students from Budapest Metropolitan University have been regular participants in the program since 2017, achieving several outstanding professional successes in recent years. In 2019, Jenifer Zuggó’s film Beyond won first prize at the Golden Lenses Awards, further strengthening the university’s international presence. Diana Groó, Head of the Film and Media Studies BA program, commented:

“The two-week documentary workshop of the Looking China Program is a fantastic opportunity for our students. Many of my Hungarian and international students have participated in it and returned with wonderful experiences. Erdősi Mira applied for the program after completing the documentary course and won second prize with her film. We are very proud of our students’ achievements, and we are delighted that we have a participant in the program again this year,” she said.

Touch the Earth centers on the concept of “Fu Cang,” which can literally be translated as “touching the earth,” though its meaning is far more complex. The film offers insight into a unique, harmoniously designed space: the home of the three-member Wang family, created through a six-year collaboration between a Chinese designer-photographer professor and a Japanese master architect, with contributions from numerous artists.

The film sensitively portrays the harmonious coexistence of people and space, and how the environment shapes and expresses the everyday lives and mindset of its inhabitants. Through an intimate approach, it reveals the aesthetics of Chinese gardens and architectural solutions, while also highlighting how these spaces convey the way of thinking and ambitions of those who live in them.

“As a young filmmaker, it was a fantastic opportunity to explore the beautiful details of a completely unfamiliar culture through my own lens. During the two weeks, I not only worked in a welcoming and inspiring environment, but also gained insight into the intimate moments of a family. This allowed me to tell an honest and personal, yet comprehensive story,” said Erdősi Mira.

The achievements of METU students clearly demonstrate that the university’s film education is competitive on an international level and capable of nurturing creators who reflect on the stories of different cultures with sensitivity and high quality.