In north-central China’s Ningxia Hui autonomous region – where desert mountains frame ancient mausoleums and Islamic culture shapes daily life for the Hui Muslim community – a new Indonesian feature film has transformed the landscape into a stage for cultural diplomacy.
The production, Assalamualaikum Beijing 2: Lost in Ningxia, blends Chinese settings with Indonesian storytelling in a way that analysts said signals a more deliberate effort by Jakarta and Beijing to use filmmaking as a tool for deepening people-to-people ties across Asia.
Directed by Guntur Soeharjanto and released in Indonesian cinemas in June, the sequel builds on the success of the first Assalamualaikum Beijing and draws inspiration from Asma Nadia’s bestselling book of the same name.
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It follows Aisha – played by Indonesian actress Yasmin Napper – a young television journalist who converts to Islam for love and travels to Ningxia to reunite with her partner Arif, portrayed by Emir Mahira. But her plans unravel when Arif suddenly disappears while pursuing his studies in the region, setting the stage for a story that intertwines romance, faith and cross-cultural encounters.
While the film was produced by Indonesia’s Imperial Pictures, its China shoot relied on local on-the-ground production support, with Beijing-based Nanyang Bridge Media helping secure permits, locations and local crew in Ningxia.
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