Clarke has been known for his keen observation of ordinary people's personal stories. In 1989, the short film about a young boy's battle with cancer, You Don't Have to Die, won him an Academy Award for Best Documentary (Short Subject).In 2013, the documentary, The Lady in Number 6: Music Saved My Life, about the oldest survivor of the Holocaust, brought him another golden Oscar statuette in the same category.

In recent years, Clarke has switched his focus to making films about China. In 2019, his documentary Better Angels, which is about the ever evolving relationship between China and the United States, was released.

In his opinion, local stories from China have good reason to be seen and heard worldwide.

" (In A Long Cherished Dream), it's that simple fact which I hope will make these films resonate with people from countries all over the world, because the attachment the Chinese people have for their land and for their roots is quite unique," he says.

"When opportunity knocks, and there's suddenly a chance to radically change their circumstances, there's inevitably a moment of hesitation," he continues. "Change is scary, and to embrace that change is to leave behind something of real value, a sense of familiarity, of belonging to a community, of family and roots."