Leconte depicted Beijing through various structures including the Summer Palace, Olympic venues and modern constructions.

Retired athlete Goodrich has found a career in a combination of sport and film-making. After the success of his promotional film for London's bid for the 2012 Olympics, he joined Vision Beijing.

His five-minute film, entitled "Belief," focuses on the hard work and thrill of athletic competition.

"I was invited to make a film about sports, about children and to celebrate the Olympic Games," he said. "That's what I do and that's why I came to Beijing and I had a wonderful time.''

Lau, the only Chinese director, showed his love for Chinese food in "Color, Fragrance, Taste Beijing."

He showed different types of famous Chinese food and depicted relations between food and culture.

"I love food so I am the right person to make the film," Lau said at a press conference in Beijing yesterday.

Talking about director Steven Spielberg quitting as an adviser to the Games, Lau said: "I was shocked ... it's clear that the Olympics is all about sport and nothing to do with politics."

Spielberg withdrew from his position as an adviser to the opening and closing ceremonies on February 12 over his beliefs about China's policy on the conflict in the Darfur region of Sudan.

(Shanghai Daily, February 24, 2008)