Imagine stepping into a dark theater… but experiencing the entire movie with your ears! On Wednesday, December 3, 2025 — International Day of Persons with Disabilities — around 40 attendees with various disabilities gathered in Beijing’s Xicheng District to “watch” the street dance hit One and Only in a totally new way. 🎬👂
Thanks to Guangming Cinema (which means “light and brightness”), every scene came alive through detailed audio descriptions. Between dialogue and music cues, narrators painted vivid pictures of cityscapes, dance moves and even subtle actor expressions. “I’ve come here four times,” says Xu Wei, who was born with a visual impairment. “This version opens up movies for all of us.”
Behind the Scenes
Bringing a single 90-minute film to life takes 28 days. Volunteers from the Communication University of China (CUC) watch the movie about 10 times to draft a 20,000–30,000 character script. Three students, two mentors and a visually impaired participant work side by side to record sparkling narration tracks and immersive sound design. Since 2017, Guangming Cinema has produced over 800 audio-described films.
One volunteer recalls a moment that changed everything: when a child asked, “What does red look like?” It made the team rethink how they describe colors, textures and scenes — focusing on how audiences sense the world through sound, not sight.
Reaching More Audiences
This year, Guangming Cinema teamed up with over 100 community cultural centers across the Chinese mainland. Volunteers also partner with local disability groups and special education schools — all 2,244 of them — sending secure drives loaded with accessible films. Surveys show willingness to attend has jumped from 13% to 63% in just a few years.
“Accessible cinema adds color to our lives,” says Cao Jun, a visually impaired film enthusiast. “It brings us together, whether we’re chatting in the lobby or bonding over our favorite scenes.” ❤️
Looking Ahead
Guangming Cinema’s founder Fu Haizheng hopes this model will inspire more cultural spaces — think museums, galleries and theaters — to adopt audio description. With a wider range of movies and events, everyone could share the magic of the arts, no matter their ability.
On Dec 3, we saw how movies can unite us all. Here’s to more stories told, seen and heard by everyone! 🌟
Reference(s):
A Chinese volunteer organization transforms film for visually impaired
cgtn.com
