Its founder, producer and director Li QI, holds the INA (Institut national de l’audiovisuel) Certificate in Audiovisual Production. Born and raised in China, she studied English and French literature at Shanghai International Studies University before joining L’Oréal China. She subsequently continued her studies in film and audiovisual media in France at Sorbonne Nouvelle – Paris 3 University.

After completing her studies, she gained further experience with several French audiovisual companies and groups, including K’IEN Productions, France Télévisions Distribution and Lagardère Entertainment. She then joined an independent distribution company, where she developed the Asia department, before founding no country in 2013.

The name no country is first and foremost a tribute to the Coen brothers’ cult film No Country for Old Men. no country also expresses the belief that cultures, of which audiovisual content is a powerful vehicle, have no borders.

Founded to promote audiovisual exchanges between China and other countries, no country initially focused on content distribution before gradually developing a documentary production activity. Today, alongside its distribution activities, the company produces documentaries for international audiences, with a focus on distinctive stories that, through a Chinese context, explore universal issues related to history, cultures and social transformation.

In 2024, no country produced the ten-part documentary series Pioneers of the Middle Kingdom, about French entrepreneurs in China, which was broadcast on TV5MONDE.

In 2026, Li QI founded Beijing Huashenglang Media Co., Ltd. (北京花盛廊影视传媒有限公司) in China, a sister company to no country. This new entity will enable no country to strengthen its presence in China and further develop international documentary coproductions about China, in partnership with Chinese and international partners.