Iranian film master Majid Majidi will join the "Vision Beijing" programme to make a five-minute film about the capital city of China.

Academy Award-winning director Oliver Stone joined Iranian film master Majid Majidi in Beijing last week as part of the ongoing "Vision Beijing" programme.

The two directors will make short films about Beijing to promote the city in leading up to the 2008 Olympic Games.

Stone is one of the biggest names in Hollywood with Oscar credits for "Midnight Express" (1979, Best Screenplay), "Platoon" (1986, Best Picture), and "Born on the Fourth of July" (1990, Best Picture).

His current film "World Trade Centre" opens in Beijing cinemas on November 11 and was excited about the new short-film project.

"Today, many peoples of the world can live in harmony, and China plays an important role," Stone said. "China and the United States are two big countries that should have more interaction. My goal in shooting this Olympic short film also lies in the need to build a harmonious international society."

Stone and Majidi joined Italian director Giuseppe Tornatore (his "Cinema Paradiso" won Oscar in 1990 Best Foreign Film) as three of five international directors who have been invited to shoot a five-minute film about the capital.

Majidi met students from the Central Academy of Drama and spoke about Beijing, the film industry and the Oscars.

He said a five-minute film about a 5000-year civilisation was a major task for any filmmaker. "It's a creative idea, but a challenge too. To show 5,000 years of culture in five minutes, it means every minute has to tell 1,000 years of stories," he said.

"It's hard, but I will try to make it. This is the enchantment of film.

"The Eastern world has a bounty of culture and civilization. I think it is the duty of any artist, especially an Eastern artist, to tell their own story."

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