Multimodal discourse analysis of the external publicity documentary four seasons of China

Beijing International Studies University, Beijing, China

^* Corresponding author: Dearlvsuper@163.com

Abstract

As one of the effective forms of cultural exchange between China and foreign countries and the shaping of national image abroad, the external publicity function of documentaries has been increasing. The paper argues that the mutually reinforcing relationship between the images and text modes in the documentary objectively conveys to foreign audiences that China upholds the ecological concept of caring for nature and advocating the harmonious coexistence between man and nature. Meanwhile, the paper finds that the image of a big country has been established, including the image of respecting nature, adapting to nature, and protecting nature in the Four Seasons of China. The implications of this study are relevant for proposing an MDA framework for external publicity documentaries from the cultural, context, content, and expression levels, to explore the multimodal strategy of external publicity documentaries to help China project a good national image internationally.