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Chinatown, an attempt at globalization in Sweden

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Chinatown

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840840867

48

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an attempt at globalization in Sweden

CHINATOWN An Attempt at Globalization in Sweden. A film by Ronja Yu. Kalmar is a small town in the south of Sweden, facing problems of unemployment and a dwindling population. It really needed an economic boost. The local authorities signed an agreement with an ambitious Chinese businessman, Luo Jingxing, who planned to set up a commercial center in Kalmar. Here is an ideal globalization project, that unfortunately did not work out as envisioned. This amusing and relevant film shows the problems that emerge when the tigers of the developing world try to expand into Europe. The inhabitants of Kalmar prepare happily to receive their new neighbors. But the Chinese construction workers are told by their boss "you don't spit on the ground in Sweden." There's the strict Swedish Health and Safety Inspectorate, which clashes with the Chinese desire to get things done fast. Swedish safety officers will not allow the Chinese to work without the proper work shoes. The workers laugh with bemusement. The Chinese wanted to start building before getting their permits. The project pitted Chinese raw capitalism against Swedish bureaucracy. In the end, the center failed, money disappeared, and both sides lost out. The harsh reality of the cultural clash defeated this vision of globalization. 48 min. IDFA, Amsterdam 2011

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