The World According to Xi Jinping poster

The World According to Xi Jinping

Movie 2018 7.8 /10

The World According to Xi Jinping builds a portrait of China's leader by assembling interviews, archive footage and reporting from journalists who follow his rise. Rather than a chronological life story, it maps the ideas and decisions that have shaped Xi's rule, showing how his early exposure to... Read more

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Streaming availability last verified: January 14, 2026

About The World According to Xi Jinping

The World According to Xi Jinping builds a portrait of China's leader by assembling interviews, archive footage and reporting from journalists who follow his rise. Rather than a chronological life story, it maps the ideas and decisions that have shaped Xi's rule, showing how his early exposure to Maoist thought informs his current priorities. The film tracks shifts in domestic politics, where central control tightens, and in foreign policy, where China seeks greater sway over international rules. It presents evidence and commentary without relying on sensational claims, so viewers can weigh how Xi's preferences for governance and global order might affect the years ahead.

Released in 2018, the documentary was directed by Sophie Lepault and Romain Franklin, who also appears on camera. Anne Loiret provides the narration, and the film mixes reportage, interviews and archival material to construct its argument about leadership and ideology.

Box office figures for this title are not widely reported, and no reliable worldwide gross is available. As a political documentary, it likely reached most viewers through festivals, broadcasters and online platforms rather than major theatrical runs, so commercial totals weren't a primary measure of its reach.

The film helped sharpen media and academic conversation about Xi's style of rule and China's international ambitions. It didn't spawn a single famous line or image, but journalists and analysts have used it as a compact resource when discussing authoritarian consolidation, propaganda and Beijing's effort to reshape global institutions.

On review sites the movie earned generally favorable marks from a small number of voters, holding a 7.8/10 average in one listing. Thematically it focuses on centralized authority, ideological continuity with Maoist influences, state control over society, and the diplomatic aims behind China's rising profile. Its tone stays investigative and measured, encouraging viewers to consider the evidence and form their own conclusions.

Details

Release Date
December 13, 2018
User Ratings
6 votes
Type
Movie
Genres
Documentary

Cast

Xi Jinping

Xi Jinping

Self

Anne Loiret

Anne Loiret

Narrator (voice)

R

Romain Franklin

Self - Journalist

B

Brice Pedroletti

Self - Journalist

Written by: Sophie Lepault, Romain Franklin

Frequently Asked Questions

The World According to Xi Jinping is not currently available to stream, rent, or buy online in the US. Check back later for updates.

With a rating of 7.8/10 from 6 viewers, The World According to Xi Jinping is well-regarded and recommended by viewers.

The World According to Xi Jinping builds a portrait of China's leader by assembling interviews, archive footage and reporting from journalists who follow his rise. Rather than a chronological life story, it maps the ideas and decisions that have shaped Xi's rule, showing how his early exposure to...

The World According to Xi Jinping stars Xi Jinping, Anne Loiret, Romain Franklin, and Brice Pedroletti.

The World According to Xi Jinping was released on December 13, 2018.

The World According to Xi Jinping is a Documentary film.

Yes, Xi Jinping is credited in the film as "Self," so the documentary includes footage of him and his public appearances as part of its examination.

Romain Franklin appears in the film as "Self - Journalist," and he's also listed among the creators, so he takes part both behind the camera and on screen as a journalist.

The documentary argues that domestically Xi is striving for what it calls the "perfect dictatorship," while on the international stage it presents him as aiming to rewrite the existing global rules.

Yes, the synopsis notes that Xi was deeply influenced by Maoism in his youth, and the film explores how those early influences help explain his current ambitions and strategies.