movie " Hidden in the Dust " was released for 61 days, with a total box office of 96 million. The professional version of Maoyan predicts that the total box office in the mainland will be 122 million, which is a dazzling achievement. The Douban score of
has also risen from the original 7.8 points to 8.5 points, which has become the highest score for domestic films so far this year. The amazing thing about
is that after the online video broadcast was launched, its single-day box office did not drop but rose, reaching a maximum of 12.68 million, and it finally turned into a dark horse at the box office.
It was also shortlisted for the main competition unit of the 72nd Berlin International Film Festival.
(still photo of "Hidden in the Dust")
has commented that this is the best-performing domestic film of this year.
People's Daily Online is a comment, because is real, it is wonderful, and it is not destined to "hide into the dust".
This movie, the box office and word of mouth are flying together!
But the actors in the film, except for the heroine, who is played by Haiqing , are all relatives and friends of the director or villagers in the village.
Corn fields, adobes, deserts, wetlands... That loess land and the stories it carries are unforgettable after seeing it.
Human nature, respect, lived, loved... The thoughts about life live in my heart and will not go away for a long time.
The director of the film Li Ruijun said, "We harvest movies from the land."
In fact, this is not the first time he has filmed this yellow land.
's hometown gave him inspiration for his creation. His deep-rooted feelings for his hometown and his contemplation of human nature are the driving force behind his creation.
He once lingered outside the door of the movie for three years, borrowed money for the filming, and was so embarrassed that he only had 2,000 yuan in his pocket.
But he did not give up, but followed his heart and built a blueprint for the movie in his heart step by step.
left his hometown to pursue his dream in Beijing
in 1983, Li Ruijun was born in Huaqiangzi Village, Gaotai County, Zhangye City, Gansu Province.
In his memory, he was six or seven years old, and he was still lighting kerosene lamps at home.
The village was only powered on in the early 90s.
At that time, my uncle's house had a black and white TV. The TV could only broadcast two channels, Central 1 and Central 2. Occasionally, there would be a movie.
But this did not delay Li Ruijun and other children in the village, and spent a lot of time in front of this TV.
movies are mostly Hong Kong and Taiwan movies, or dubbed foreign dubbed movies.
Li Ruijun didn't like these things, and he began to reject movies together.
(Still from "Hidden in the Dust")
In 1997, he was 14 years old. Following his father's job as a teacher, he transferred to the county seat to read the second year of junior high school.
But he often goes back to the countryside during festivals or holidays. His relatives are in the village and his friends are in the village. He has a natural feeling for the countryside.
Like the rejection of movies, he also began to reject the study of English.
The middle school in the village started learning the English ABC alphabet in the first year of junior high school. After
transferred to the county seat, he obviously felt that his English was weak, and he also felt that the English teacher did not like him, and even felt that the teacher was targeting him.
In the second and third grades of junior high school, the stubborn Li Ruijun has been fighting against English learning. For example, he often fails to hand in homework, and does not memorize words and sentence patterns...
As a result, he gave up English abruptly.
This made him suffer later.
Of course, he also has subjects he is interested in. In high school, he studied art and music, and he had fun while studying.
Li Ruijun, who was supposed to continue his studies in fine arts and music, was by accident and read movie advertisements in collegespecialized.
The school he attended is Shanxi Media Institute , which is the third largest undergraduate media college in China, and its strength is not bad.
However, compared with the previous two , from Communication University of China and from Zhejiang Media College , the gap is still not small.
During his college days, he not only obtained a diploma, but the biggest achievement was to overturn the previous cognition of movies, from rejection to obsession.
Although the film advertising major focuses on learning to shoot commercials, the basic course is no different from the film directing major, and courses such as film analysis are compulsory courses.
One day he watched the movie " Bike Stealer ".
This is a neo-realism film with actors selected from non-professional actors.
But beyond his expectations, the effect of the film was surprisingly good. The scenes in the film, as well as the fate of the father and son, made him worry about it and could not forget it.
"It's been a few months, and it's still in your heart."
He looked like he had been hit and turned 180 degrees.
It turns out that movies can be so charming!
From then on, he plunged into the school's reference room and began to systematically watch and re-understand movies.
It also ignited his passion to make his own film.
In 2003, he graduated, with a movie dream in his arms, he moved to Beijing and became a member of "Beijing Drift".
He is looking forward to meeting filmmakers in Beijing. Perhaps, this will help him realize his dream of "electric shock".
But the ideal is very plump, but the reality is very skinny.
had this idea in mind, but for three years, he failed to touch the threshold of the movie.
"electrically shocked" for the first time, owes foreign debts
His career plan can be said to be an ideal plan.
He wants to apply for a job in a film and television advertising company first, while making money, while writing the script he wants to make, and then waiting for the opportunity to enter the film industry after he has the opportunity to meet people who make movies.
However, in Beijing, which is full of talents, it is very unlikely that a workplace novice wants to apply for a job by sending a resume.
He searched for a job for two months and still got nothing.
Seeing that his money has been spent, the most important thing is to survive and to stand aside for his dreams.
still relied on the recommendation of TV alumni, Li Ruijun got a job in a TV station, he was responsible for the director, camera and editing.
As he works, he waits for an opportunity to arise.
and so on, that's 3 years.
However, it's not that he waited for the opportunity, he figured it out, and he didn't wait any longer.
"There are so many film academies , such as Beijing Film Academy , Broadcasting Institute, these professional colleges graduate so many directing students every year, when will this opportunity fall on my head, why should it fall on me head?"
He decided to take the initiative and create his own chances.
He is keenly aware of possible opportunities. He once chatted with the TV station editor-in-chief about movies, and the editor-in-chief also asked foreign friends for him, and he really asked for some possible intentions.
So, Li Ruijun threw himself into script writing excitedly.
But when he finished the script and asked again, his friends lost interest.
Li Ruijun continued to cast a wide net and finally found someone who was interested in investing 400,000.
Li Ruijun worked non-stop to form a team and prepare for the shooting...
didn't think so, and something went wrong again.
It turned out that this person invested the money in the renovation of the hotel, and the renovation was in full swing.
but the team is waiting, the arrow is on the string, and it has to be sent.
They can only think of other ways.
Li Ruijun pieced together, but there is still a shortfall of about 300,000 funds.
watched Li Ruijun worry about money, his parents couldn't sit still.
They took out the hundreds of thousands of savings they had originally used to buy a house in the county town, and borrowed some from the villagers to get the money together.
"If you want to do this, others don't support it, and we can't help it."
And Li Ruijun's abacus is also playing well. If the film is finished this year and released next year, the money will be returned to the parents and the village. folks.
In August 2006, "Summer Solstice" finally started.
("Summer Solstice" stills) After
started filming, Li Ruijun found that he was in a hurry and was far from ready.
had a problem with the script, so I changed it while filming;
didn’t pay enough money, I wanted to make a few more, but when the words got to my mouth, I swallowed it; Unexpected things happened. For example, the crew had conflicts, quarrels, and fights. These interpersonal things made him devastated.
He almost gave up.
Later, he felt that he should give an explanation to himself and his buddies, so he bravely persisted.
In November 2006, the film was finished.
Li Ruijun sent "Summer Solstice" to some international film festivals, hoping to get the chance to distribute it overseas.
But he didn't understand English and couldn't communicate with the live distribution staff. As a result, the film won an award, but not a single copyright was sold.
I don't know whether Li Ruijun regretted his stubbornness in giving up English at that time.
settled down, and the movie made him owe 300,000 yuan in foreign debt.
The one-year repayment he said was never fulfilled.
Li Ruijun was so anxious that he couldn't sleep at three or four o'clock at night, and walked along the road alone until dawn.
Sometimes, when he calls his parents, when he hears the wrong tone, he thinks that his relatives are urging him to pay back the money again.
So, as long as you have a whole number at hand, such as 10,000, 20,000, you can quickly call it.
In the village, Li Ruijun became a "joke" and became a talking point after dinner.
But making this movie also opened the door to happiness in his life. He met Zhang Min, two like-minded people, and from then on, they both lived together.
(Li Ruijun and Zhang Min)
Li Ruijun defines himself as a craftsman and dislikes office politics the least.
For this reason, as soon as he sees such signs, he will resign.
Therefore, he has a lot of free time at home.
When he can't find a job in time, he does some work such as filming conferences, weddings, and auto shows. Although he is not happy, it allows him to support himself.
Besides, he has to rely on these odd jobs to pay off his debts.
In addition to making money, he also wants to save money. During that time, he was frugal for a month or two and didn't change his style.
The restaurant owner didn't even need him to speak, he just gave him a look.
's first "electrical shock" really gave Li Ruijun a dismay.
But his pursuit of his movie dream has not slowed down.
moved to his hometown to shoot local feelings
Li Ruijun wrote the script while working part-time. In addition, he also made a solid summary of the last movie.
In 2009, he was planning to make his second film " old donkey head ".
A 73-year-old rural man named "Old Donkey Head" alone manages the desert next to his ancestral grave. The old man has three sons and two daughters, and earns a living by farming two acres of land.
Having learned the lesson from the last time, Li Ruijun worked hard to save costs, no longer pursued the surface, and focused on telling a good story.
In addition, the preliminary desk work will be improved repeatedly, and plans are also made in advance for possible situations during the shooting.
Fortunately, many friends helped, they went to Li Ruijun's hometown in Gansu together, and trained his relatives and friends to become actors, so that these people never dared to stand in front of the camera, and they could pass the test in moving positions, expressions, etc. Train everywhere.
Li Ruijun serves as the screenwriter and director, and is also in charge of the film's art, music, and editing;
has three leading actors, one is his uncle, the other is his uncle, and the other is his wife Zhang Min;
The actors are not only acting In addition, but also as a driver, cook and so on.
Equipment, props, etc., also pursue low cost.
used a Sony HDV-Z1C, a Sennheiser 416 microphone and a mixer, and then added two red headlights ;
bought a box of 200-watt bulbs;
The vehicle is a donkey cart , a few motorcycles, plus a tractor.
This brings the cost down all of a sudden.
In September 2010, the film was completed, and after the inventory, a total of 300,000 yuan was spent.
(still photo of "Old Donkey Head")
At the suggestion of several film academy professors, the script of "Old Donkey Head" was translated into English, and participated in the Rotterdam Film Festival script venture capital competition, and won a total of 30,000 yuan in prize money.
"Old Donkey Head" also received a shortlist for the Forum section of the Berlin Film Festival.
This has greatly increased Li Ruijun's confidence. There is no problem with his own idea of making movies. He is even more determined to observe life and treat movies sincerely.
His parents were relieved to learn that the film had won international awards and prizes.
Central Radio 6 broadcast the film, which radically changed the attitude of the villagers towards him. In the
movie, the houses, land, and desert in the village are more beautiful than in their own eyes.
It turns out that your home can be so beautiful! Hometown can also be seen by many people!
This gives the villagers some confidence.
Since then, the villagers have happily accepted Li Ruijun's invitation to shoot, and even booked roles. After
completed "Old Donkey Head", Li Ruijun focused his attention on the land of his hometown.
He talks about the left-behind old people in the village and their feelings for the land;
he shoots people in the village who give up their land and go out;
He can't figure out how the people and the land in the village fully accept them.
What is the material life of the people in the village, what is their spiritual life, and what kind of predicament they are facing...
He observes sincerely, thinks with compassion, and then tells them and the film with his heart. The story of the land.
He said that he did not have a particularly clear plan, everything happened naturally and came naturally.
After the filming of "Old Donkey Head", he thought about the mental predicament of the rural elderly, so in 2012, he filmed "Tell them, I went by White Crane ";
20In 2014, he talked about the current situation of the existence of another nation, "'s family is in a place with lush water and grass ";
(still photo of "Home in a place with lush water and grass")
In 2017, he filmed " passing by", which was already in the pipeline. "Future ", showing the embarrassment of migrant workers and peasants returning home but losing their land.
Although the film is a shot of the city, the root of the story still grows in this land. The
scene is the land of the hometown. The actors are professional and non-professional. Li Ruijun's relatives and friends can always support half of the film.
Because he had no money, he insisted on low-cost shooting. The total production cost of the first four films did not exceed 4 million yuan.
He never jumped out of the fight with money.
But he persevered all the way, using the camera to focus on the land of his hometown again and again.
He said that he was making movies with his life, and his movies grew out of the soil in his hometown.
accumulated a lot of money and made nearly 100 million movie box office
often hear and see the living conditions of people who can't get out of the village, Li Ruijun feels that this truth should be recorded.
He started brewing the story.
In 2019, he completed the script of "Hidden in the Dust".
tells the story of two middle-aged bottom-tier farmers who were abandoned by their families. From the unfamiliarity at the beginning of their marriage, to the familiarity in their day-to-day working life, they knew each other and stayed with each other, showing a sad rural couple's desire for a better life with yearning.
At the end of 2019, Li Ruijun returned to Huaqiangzi Village in Zhangye to prepare for the start-up.
Because the film will be filmed in sequence throughout the four seasons of the year, so it is planned to be divided into 5 shootings, and the starring Hai Qing must join the group 7-10 days in advance each time.
In January 2020, Haiqing went to the village to experience life.
In March 2020, "Hidden in the Dust" was launched. The filming of
was not continuous, and due to the epidemic, it took almost a whole year to complete the film.
This time, Li Ruijun's seven aunts and eight aunts came into battle.
's uncle plays the leading role for the first time;
's mother plays the heroine's sister-in-law;
's father plays the village chief;
's wife plays the clothes stall owner; clothing.
Because of the sufficient training, the relatives performed naturally and in place.
The male protagonist is steady and forbearing on the surface, but his heart is warm. His uncle's performance is remarkable, exceeding expectations, and steadily supporting the whole drama.
The powerful Haiqing, who experiences rural life on the spot and integrates with her role, is a western rural woman no matter how you look at it.
(still photo of "Hidden in the Dust")
The story of the movie is not complicated, but it has a profound meaning, is thought-provoking, and has a strong humanistic concern. It is a literary film that people will never forget after watching it.
Li Ruijun shared his deeper understanding of the film:
This film tells the undifferentiated love of the land for people.
I always feel that everyone is connected, it is like a network. Caring about everyone around you is also caring for yourself. In the movie
, Li Ruijun is still worried about funds.
The status quo of literary and artistic films is not very popular, and investment is not easy to find.
The various uncertainties brought about by the epidemic also caused investors to go back and forth. When
was the most difficult, Li Ruijun and the producerZhang Min, who did not have 2,000 yuan on his body, could not afford air tickets, and took the train for more than ten hours to Beijing to find investment.
Fortunately, the embarrassment of the past has passed, and Li Ruijun ushered in the explosion of his directing career.
On July 8, 2022, "Hidden Into the Dust" was launched on domestic theaters, and on August 9, "Hidden Into the Dust" was launched on the video website.
But what is amazing is that in August, the box office did not drop but increased.
(still photo of "Into the Dust")
As of 17:28 on September 6, 2022, the box office of "Into the Dust" reached 96.045 million.
Maoyan Professional Edition predicts that the total box office in mainland China will be 122 million.
In addition, "Hidden in the Dust" was also shortlisted for the contemporary world section of the 47th Toronto International Film Festival, the main competition section of the 72nd Berlin International Film Festival, and the main competition section of the 14th Udine Far East International Film Festival in Italy.
stick to his heart and stay true to the truth
Someone once invested 2 million yuan and wanted to find Li Ruijun to make a literary film.
But after Li Ruijun read the script, he couldn't accept it, so he decisively refused.
In his opinion, doing things should follow the heart, not twist.
He is such a real person.
As Li Ruijun said, his films grow in the soil, and he is always filming the land and people of his hometown.
His films have won numerous awards internationally.
Some people questioned that he described suffering too much.
In his films, there is warmth, but also indifference; beauty and ugliness; happiness and suffering.
some suffering, suffering out of the sky.
but it's real.
can find you and me, or the shadow of our parents in his films.
Because it is real, it will be touched and even more painful.
is also powerful and most vital because of its authenticity.
I have to say that Li Ruijun's films have a unique charm.
Thanks to such a filmmaker who recorded such truth. Li Ruijun from
also told us that following your heart and working hard, every step you take is worth it. Moreover, it may also encounter the gift of fate unexpectedly.
Author: Zhu Xiaolu & Lele
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