1905 Film Network News On the afternoon of April 25, the 14th Beijing International Film Festival Emil Kusturica’s Film Master Class began. The guest speaker of this film master class was Serbian director, screenwriter, and actor Emil Kusturica, who had a conversation with director Huang Jianxin and writer Yu Hua.
A Grand Slam in important awards at the three major international film festivals, Cannes, Venice and Berlin, and a member of the Double Gold Palm Club. These dazzling achievements symbolize that director Emil Kusturica has become an insurmountable mountain in the history of world cinema. His works always use absurd narrative techniques and expressions to present grand themes such as country and nation, and convey deep feelings about home and country. In this master class, director Emil Kusturica and two dialogue guests focused on the theme of national epics and spiritual miracles, reviewed his film creation process for more than 40 years, and told how he has adapted to the currents of the times and society. Recognize yourself in the midst of change.
Talking about his country, Serbia, director Kusturica said: For me, I have experienced such a period, and until the end of the last century, it did not alleviate the pain in my heart caused by the historical background. . I can hear from the depths of each person's heart whether they have suffered from psychological trauma due to long-term turmoil. At the same time, they have a sense of humor about enjoying hardships. This also made me rethink whether there are other elements that can be reflected in the films I create. I hope to be able to show this big historical background in my film, and I also hope that through this kind of presentation, I can better convey my personal feelings about my family and country.
Writer Yu Hua recalled that his acquaintance with Kusturica was related to the latter's masterpiece "Underground". The two of them visited the place where the inspiration for the movie "Underground" originated. It was an old, relic-like door. The door stood quietly in the light. It is this small door that passers-by don't pay too much attention to, but behind it is the dreamlike but profound world of light and shadow from the movie "Underground". Recalling this incident, Yu Hua said to Director Kusturica: Our creations, our inspirations, and everything in our stories may have come from a certain small door. After entering, we discovered that there is such a vast world inside. .
Regarding the unrestrained imagination in Kusturica’s works, writer Yu Hua commented: Director Kusturica has two souls in my mind, one is Shakespeare’s soul, and the other is Chekhov’s soul. Sometimes these two souls are separated. For example, "Father Goes on a Business Trip" is Chekhov's soul beating, but "Underground" is Shakespeare's soul beating, with Shakespeare's unrestrained, open, and Doing whatever you want, that kind of wild imagination, all of that comes out. But when it comes to "Song of the Wanderer", it feels like the two souls are coming together again.
For director Huang Jianxin, the choice of themes and stories is closely related to life experience. Director Huang Jianxin said: When I started making movies, I paid special attention to ordinary people and the subtle things around me that grew up with me. After that, I began to shoot more realistic films to record the changes in the development of the country, so there were "Stand Up Straight, Don't Lie Down", "Back to Back, Face to Face" and "Stop on Red Light, Go on Green Light". For example, the scene in "Stop on Red Light, Go on Green Light" is the yard where I grew up when I was a child. That's where I grew up.
At the end of this master class, the host asked Director Kusturica to share his feelings on the topic Where am I in history?
We know that the sun rises in the east and sets in another corner of the world, and the extension of our culture slowly unfolds in this way. I hope to use the lens to express to everyone the changes in the times and my country. No matter what kind of person we become, or what path we take, we need to base ourselves on the present and look back at history. It will bring us changes and inspiration. Only then will you know where you came from and where you are going. .If you ask me where I am in history at this moment, I feel that I am in the flow of time, coming from where I belong. I am in the process of continuous social development, both culturally and historically. I am in an era that I believe in.
