Cross and Dragon Matteo Ricci and China

The history, cultural, and personal events related to Father Matteo Ricci over 400 years ago, sit at the heart of the problems that China has today with the West and the rest of the world. Today, as before, China and the West look at each other without understanding but with great curiosity. Through his translations of the Chinese Confucian classics into Latin, Ricci introduced Europe to the depth, complexity, and diversity of Chinese civilization. This caused profound cultural change in the West, including influence on the Enlightenment. Francesco Sisci, Italian Sinologist The screenplay has something of the qualities of theatrical masterpieces such as Bertolt Brecht s Galileo,John Osborne s Lutherand Robert Bolt s A Man for All Seasons,while also calling to mind great films such as Martin Scorsese s Silenceand Bolt s The Mission. It will be certain to generate widespread discussion and debate, causing a renewed interest in the possibilities of a deeper understanding between China and the world. John Minford, Australian National University The script is rich in content not only because Ricci s adventure was so heroic. I particularly like the way the richness of the Chinese cultural world is highlighted. He meets some of the most fascinating personalities of Ming China, and touches, and is touched by, their minds and souls. Elizabeth Sinn, University of Hong Kong