Senthoran Perananthan from the University of Warwick has been selected to join UK-China Film Collab as a member via the our Future Talent Programme 2023-2024.
Here is Senthoran’s introduction to his expertise as well as his project at UCFC for this coming year:
“ Hi everyone! I am Senthoran, a final year undergraduate reading Economics at the University of Warwick.
It was upon attending my first lecture and scrutinising the wave of screens in front of me that I realised that the cohort were diligently imputing firm names into spreadsheets. A sight to behold and one that made me realise that I should look to gain experience within various financial functions.
I was grateful to have secured spring insight weeks at firms such as Schroders and HSBC. A great time meeting and learning from people whose ambitions ranged from civil service to inheriting multinational pharmaceuticals.
Time for an anecdote. For the longest time I didn’t have cable TV. Well I did, but not British television (I had catching up to do in my adolescence), instead a Tamil language package that my parents had subscribed to. I wasn’t interested in soap operas in any language, but there was one network that screened Tamil dubbed versions every Friday night of anything they could afford. The, at first immersion breaking, rotation of the same 3-5 voice actors on every film, became endearing.
One such Friday, I experienced a spectacle unlike no other, themes of reincarnation, fate and individuality manifested through what I recall mermaids fighting a white-bearded monk. Given the title card was in Chinese, and having no clue who any of the actors were, finding the title was a demanding task. During this quest, I had been captivated by the many great films, so much so that I had forgotten the initial goal.
Now that my internships concluded I was reflecting on whether to pursue finance, film or academia. Coincidentally, at the same time, I was going through the works of Korean director Lee Chang Dong, working backwards from Burning. The first feature release was my last in covering Lee’s filmography. In an attempt to test my recalling prowess, I arrived. I had searched for ‘Green Snake’.
There it was. The moment I saw the poster for the film I intuited what it was. Tsui Hark. Of course it was Tsui Hark. I should’ve known before though I’m glad I had not. And in that moment of euphoria, nostalgia and appreciation, I realised that the way I wanted to give back to the art I love is through sharing it.
For my proposed one-year project with the UK-China Film Collab, I will construct a comprehensive economic overview and economic prediction of the contribution of the Chinese community to the UK’s film industry. This will be the first ever endeavour. I hope my outcome will help to inform public and private sector considerations on supporting more Chinese talents, future UK-China co-production and partnerships.”
Contact Senthoran: Senthoran.Perananthan@ukchinafilm.com
