“Hotline Beijing” Premieres in Los Angeles

                     — A Story of Beijing’s Urban Governance Through a Hotline

LAPost/Los Angles, Ca (September 22, 2025) –  the premiere event of China’s documentary film “Hotline Beijing” was held at the Harmony Gold Theater in Hollywood, Los Angeles. Li Zhiqiang, Deputy Consul General of the Chinese Consulate General in Los Angeles, attended the event and delivered a speech. The event was attended by documentary directors, producers, associations, film and television production companies and distribution institutions, academies, and representatives from cultural and artistic circles and Chinese community organizations in Los Angeles.

From Beijing to the World

Hotline Beijing takes Beijing’s “12345” citizen service hotline as its narrative thread, focusing on the innovative practice of the city’s “Responding to Complaints Immediately” reform. Through a documentary approach, the film tells how ordinary citizens’ most pressing needs are addressed, while also revealing the challenges and institutional innovations of governance in a megacity.

Since preparation began in March 2024, the production team spent ten months completing the film. They visited more than 40 relevant organizations, interviewed over a hundred staff members, and shot at more than 120 locations across nine districts in Beijing. The film ultimately presents seven stories—neighborhood parking management, installing elevators in old residential buildings, the growth of hotline operators, the work of community leaders, legislative progress on the reform, international media field visits, and emergency response. Together, these stories portray how a single hotline can reshape the governance of a city with more than 20 million residents.

In February 2025, the film was released in 350 cities across China, attracting over 2 million viewers and becoming the third highest-grossing domestic documentary in Chinese film history. It has won the July Monthly Best Documentary Award at the New York International Film Awards and was screened at the 2025 Cannes International Film Festival in France and the 2025 Italian Chinese Film Week.

A People-Centered Governance Vision

The documentary not only presents specific community stories, but also showcases Beijing’s broader explorations in agile, resilient, proactive, law-based, diversified, and digital governance. By depicting the “Responding to Complaints Immediately” model, the film highlights the principle of “people-centered” governance, offering fresh insights into reshaping grassroots governance and providing valuable lessons of value to other megacities worldwide.

As a documentary grounded in reality, “Hotline Beijing” also reflects on the relationship between public space, civic expression, and social listening in contemporary urban life. It demonstrates the unique role of documentary cinema in fostering social dialogue and embodying the spirit of the city.

International Exchange and Cultural Dialogue

The U.S. screenings aim to promote the international dissemination of Chinese documentaries, strengthen professional exchanges between Chinese and American film communities, and enhance understanding within overseas Chinese communities. By showcasing Hotline Beijing in Los Angeles, the project uses film as a bridge to share China’s experiences in urban governance with global audiences, allowing more people to witness the social warmth and governance wisdom behind Beijing’s stories.

Director Xu Jieqin noted:

“Behind the 60,000 calls made each day in this metropolis of over 20 million people, how are citizens’ demands answered? What kinds of systems support this? What principles guide the design of such governance? During our research and filming, we too gained a new understanding of urban governance. The sense of awe we felt, we hope to share with audiences.”