An Analysis of the Cultural Differences Between China and Spain in "Alcarrs" and "Return to Dust" Based on Hofstede's Theory of Cultural Dimensions

Abstract

With the development of globalization, the number of cross-cultural studies is increasing, among which the articles that use film as a medium for cross-cultural studies mostly focus on the cultural differences between China and the United States, but there are relatively few articles that studied the cultural differences between China and Spain. Based on Hofstede's theory of cultural dimensions, this paper analyzes the differences between China and Spain in five cultural dimensions through a comparative study of "Alcarrs" and "Return to Dust", two films shortlisted for the 2022 Berlin International Film Festival and both portrayed rural lives. The study finds that Chinese and Spanish cultures differ significantly in multiple dimensions, with the most apparent differences in the dimensions of masculinity and femininity, power distance, individualism and collectivism, and the more minor differences in the dimension of uncertainty avoidance between the two cultures. There are also differences between Chinese and Spanish culture in terms of long-term and short-term orientations, although the plot of the two films do not show much of this.