On quiet evenings in the 1980s, many Chinese families would gather around their television sets, eagerly awaiting each new episode of Escrava Isaura (Isaura: Slave Girl). Set in distant Brazil, the drama was among the first foreign TV series introduced to China after the start of reform and opening up. Though episodes aired just once a week, the show sparked a nationwide sensation.

A poster for the Brazilian TV drama Escrava Isaura. (Photo provided by Maria Lucélia dos Santos)

Its protagonist, Isaura — a kind-hearted and resilient young woman who endured relentless oppression — deeply touched Chinese audiences. Her perseverance resonated widely, and the actress who portrayed her, Brazilian actress Maria Lucélia dos Santos, became a household name in China.

More than four decades later, Santos still vividly recalls that extraordinary chapter in her life.

"What made the show so moving wasn't just the story itself," she said. "It was that Isaura represented millions of ordinary people striving for a better life. She conveyed a universal emotion that transcended national and cultural boundaries."

"That's why the show struck such a chord with Chinese audiences," she added. "In 1985, when I learned I had won the China TV Golden Eagle Award for Best Foreign Actress — and that I was the first foreign recipient of this honor — I was truly surprised and overwhelmed."

At that time, most Chinese households did not even have telephones. Yet countless viewers voted for the young actress through magazine ballots.

"Despite the long journey, I traveled to China alone. When I stepped onto the stage to accept the award, the venue was packed," Santos recalled. "The Chinese audience wanted to hear me speak, to hear me sing. Their warmth moved me to tears. That night wasn't just an award ceremony — it was an unforgettable emotional connection with the Chinese people."

Brazilian actress Maria Lucélia dos Santos wins the China TV Golden Eagle Award for Best Foreign Actress in 1985. (Photo provided by Maria Lucélia dos Santos)

During that first trip to China, Santos visited Beijing, Shanghai, and Suzhou. She was captivated by China's rich history and culture. What she initially imagined as a short, exotic visit turned out to be the beginning of a lifelong connection with China — and with the broader cause of fostering China-Brazil friendship.

Over the past 40 years, she has traveled frequently between the two countries, devoting herself to promoting cultural exchanges. In 1992, she collaborated with Sichuan Television to produce a documentary titled Beautiful Brazil, which introduced Chinese audiences to the Amazon rainforest, samba dancers, and indigenous villages, offering a vivid new window into the South American country.

Later, she led a Brazilian film crew to China to shoot another documentary on China's transformation — a work that captivated Brazilian viewers. Santos has also actively championed China–Brazil film and television cooperation, involving herself in every step from fundraising and scriptwriting to on-site filming.

"I want to contribute to film and TV collaborations between Brazil and China," she said. "It's my way of paying tribute to the deep friendship between our two peoples."

Reflecting on current cultural exchanges, Santos observed that young people in both countries now benefit from advanced digital tools. Social media platforms, streaming services, and cross-border productions have greatly expanded the possibilities for cultural cooperation.

In recent years, Chinese culture — including Chinese food, traditional Chinese medicine, Tai Chi, and Peking Opera — has become increasingly popular in Brazil. Likewise, Chinese people are growing more familiar with samba, Carnival, and Brazilian literature.

"Brazil and China are no longer strangers," she said. "Cultural exchanges have taken root among the two peoples, helping us better understand each other."

"I hope young people in both countries can discover each other's unique brilliance and shared values through different ways of life," Santos said.

She envisions a new "Isaura" — not a young woman trapped in oppression, but a girl creating short videos in a subway station in Beijing or São Paulo, or a Brazilian student with a love for Chinese culture.

Brazilian actress Maria Lucélia dos Santos delivers a speech at the second China-Brazil Film Exhibition in 2023. (Photo provided by Maria Lucélia dos Santos)

Santos is optimistic about the future of China-Brazil cultural cooperation. "Globalization has brought us closer together. That makes it all the more important to tell our own stories — to tell stories of exchanges and cooperation."

She plans to continue working to strengthen cultural and artistic partnerships between the two countries and hopes to play an even bigger role in the years to come.

"Culture is both gentle and powerful. It can stir emotions deep within us, and it can also build trust and friendship between nations," she said.

More than four decades have passed, yet many Chinese viewers still remember the grace and resilience of Isaura. And Santos, for her part, has never lost her deep affection for China.

"I love China. I love the Chinese people. I love Chinese culture," she said. "I'm just an ordinary person blessed by fortune. It was Brazil-China cultural exchanges that made me who I am today."