Original title Interview: Use a more international film language to present a more core Chinese narrative
-Interview with the documentary "Swimming Until the Sea Turns Blue" director Jia Zhangke
Xinhua News Agency, Berlin, February 25, "should be more international The film language presents a more core Chinese narrative." Chinese director Jia Zhangke, who brought his new work "Swimming Until the Sea Turns Blue" to Berlin to participate in the special screening of the 70th Berlin International Film Festival, told Xinhua News Agency reporters a few days ago.
"Swim Until the Sea Turns Blue" is a documentary created by Jia Zhangke again after ten years. The film recalls the late writer Ma Feng, and reflects the real life of Chinese people through the narration of personal lives and memories by three writers Jia Pingwa, Yu Hua, and Liang Hong. Jia Zhangke hopes to use this documentary to talk about rural experiences from the past to the present. The writers selected in the film have experience in rural and small towns.
Jia Zhangke believes that, for directors and artists, they must construct their own strong world in order to face and embrace the rapidly changing external environment.
"I make movies based on my personal life experience. I am from Shanxi. Basically, I make movies with Shanxi as the background. Because of the local experience, when facing the world, I can measure the difference of the world. Diversification and change and unchanging."
"On the other hand, we cannot be complacent. The understanding of life always lies in contact with more new things and new cultures, and dialogue between different cultures, which in turn deepens our understanding of ourselves Inspired by the environment, the Chinese environment and the hometown environment."
"Swimming Until the Sea Turns Blue" brings out contemporary Chinese history through the narration of several generations of writers. It contains unique information about Chinese society and requires a certain amount of historical knowledge to fully understand it. However, the film The audience acceptance is high during the film festival and the exit rate is extremely low.
"I'm not too worried about the question of whether international audiences can understand it." Jia Zhangke said that movies are unique art, and there are cultural differences, but the big themes, the living conditions and the environment of the writers can be understood. "Telling a good Chinese story requires boldness... We always measure whether international audiences can understand things that are too local in China, but we cannot avoid China's core narrative because of this concern." In Jia Zhangke's view, use internationalized movies. Language is very important to tell Chinese stories. "In the beginning, we will definitely choose something that has no obstacles and small cultural differences, but China has been open for 40 years. We should strive to present a more core Chinese narrative with a more international film language."
"Being Blue" is interspersed with fragments of works by several writers, which are recited by ordinary people on the streets. What is the purpose of this arrangement? Jia Zhangke said: "We hope to show some short fragments of the writer's pen, so that readers know what kind of emotions and thoughts this writer has had."
Jia Zhangke believes that literature can bring glory to people, especially to ordinary people. Therefore, ordinary people are arranged to recite literary fragments in the film. "When ordinary people read these literary poems aloud, literature gives people a kind of dignity."
In an information fragmented and entertaining reality, the film revisited serious literature and serious reading. Regarding how to cultivate the reading and viewing habits of the public, Jia Zhangke said that there are more and more activities such as domestic film festivals, cultural festivals, and literary sharing sessions, and more frequent and diverse cultural activities are needed to cultivate the reading and viewing habits of the public.
"It is not recommended to encourage people to read in a macroscopic manner, but to allow the audience to have the opportunity to touch these things through frequent cultural activities, and feel the unique beauty and joy in them. Use a lot ofPractical actions allow people to read serious literature and watch relatively serious realistic movies. Said Jia Zhangke. (Reporter Tian Ying and Zhang Yuan)
