[Global Times Special Correspondent Shao Qunyu Yangliu] "The film is an exploration of the film and television art of dance, and also a dissemination of "A Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains" in more dimensions." The film is directed by Zhou Liya and Han Zhen, starring Zhang

[Global Times Special Correspondent Shao Qunyu Yangliu] "The film is an exploration of the film and television art of dance, and also a dissemination of more dimensions of "A Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains"." Directed by Zhou Liya and Han Zhen, and led by Zhang Han, Meng Qingyang, and Xie Suhao The movie " Only This Green " starring in it will be released on October 1. The film is adapted from the dance poetry drama of the same name. Through the perspective of a scroll unfolder (played by Xie Suhao), the film tells the story of the Northern Song Dynasty painter Ximeng (played by Zhang Han) and craftsmen working together to create the image character "green" (played by Meng Qingyang) and draw The process of publishing "A Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains". Recently, the two directors who directed the film gave an exclusive interview to the Global Times. Zhou Liya said that movies make up for the limitations of the stage. Han Zhen said: "I believe it will come to the world with a confident attitude."

"Only Green" poster

Global Times: What was the opportunity to create the movie "Only Green"?

Zhou Lia: In recent years, people have paid more and more attention to dance. While working hard to expand the spread of the work, we are also thinking about how to enrich the connotation of the work without losing the original expression. What's more, we are the directors of the National Academy, and it is our mission and responsibility to spread Chinese traditional culture.

Han Zhen: It is an honor for us that works have the opportunity to be put on the big screen. I believe that filmmakers can turn their attention to dance poetry and drama because of their sense of responsibility in spreading traditional culture and their confidence in the development of dance art. In fact, the dissemination of dance images in self-media has already begun, and we have also made an attempt, hoping to bring about new developments in dance images.

Global Times: Why do videos choose to be presented without lines?

Han Zhen: We also struggled with it. We were worried that having spoken lines would destroy the feeling of "beautiful without words", so we decided to challenge a film without lines. This is a niche art film, but it carries popular sentiments. When the heavy feelings "pounce" in front of you, you will definitely feel the innocence and praise of Chinese culture in it, and will not be affected by whether there are lines or not. Of course, we also designed the inner emotional expressions of the characters in the picture annotations. These come from the experiences, messages and instructions from more than 1,000 years ago, which instantly merge the past and the present time and space.

Global Times: What is the difference between movies and dance poetry dramas?

Zhou Lia: On the stage, many details and props need to be simplified, and there are often no physical performances. But the movie can express many details clearly, such as showing all the props, scenes, houses, the "Four Elegant Events" of the Imperial Academy of Art, and the "Silk Singing" scene, which uses a long lens to restore the Song Dynasty's "Silkworm Weaving Picture" , allowing viewers to see all the silk-weaving craftsmanship. In addition, with the help of film lenses, the sincere and delicate micro-expressions of the dancers can also be seen.

Han Zhen: The big screen presents the parts that require "imagination". For some viewers, the threshold for dance-poem dramas is relatively high in terms of ticket prices and viewing habits, while movies are much more accessible. We hope that the film can break this threshold and allow more people to come into contact with "Only Green" and see its expression.

Global Times: How did the creative team of grasp the artistic conception of the original work and the narrative needs of the film?

Zhou Lia: At first, we didn’t deliberately distinguish between film and stage performance methods, but gradually we discovered that the stage is the logic of space, and the lens is the logic of the picture. For example, in the scene where the three protagonists look at the moon, in the illusory environment of the stage, the audience can "imagine" that the three people are in different spaces. In movies, these "imagery" things must be transformed into "reality." Movies allow us to make choices and changes in perspective, space, and images.

Han Zhen: We have also gone through a round of adjustments in terms of the performance of . Dancers are used to exaggerated performances with their body parts and expressions, but the film lens requires actors to perform with restraint—emotions must be conveyed urgently, but expressions and body parts must be precisely controlled. I remember that Xiao Hao (Xie Suhao) ran a scene more than ten times. The acting teacher said that he was too tense and asked him to relax more.But one thing is particularly good. The actors have performed nearly 600 performances of dance poetry dramas, and they will not downplay their emotions because they have to restrain themselves. This is also a fresh and valuable experience for them.

Global Times: What does hope to bring to the audience through the "Only Green" series?

Zhou Lia: We hope that the audience can "enter in a simple way and understand the deep things". They may be attracted by the beauty of a certain shot and enter the theater or cinema, but when they leave, they can start looking for "A Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains" with different feelings in their hearts - from liking a picture or a dance to falling in love with traditional Chinese culture . "A Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains" is an important part of aesthetic education in primary and secondary schools across the country. We hope that through "Only This Green", students can feel a true beauty. My daughter is 12 years old this year, and one of her exam questions included "Only Green". This is actually an extension of Chinese painting and traditional culture from the perspective of aesthetic education.

Han Zhen: As Director Zhou said, this is one of the original intentions of our willingness to do our best. In a sense, it is also our annotation of traditional Chinese painting. There are many student audiences at movie screenings these days, and some even parents find it surprising that their children actually sat down for the entire movie and said they liked the movie. The impact on beauty actually starts from childhood.

Global Times: What have you gained during the overseas tour of the dance-poem drama "Only This Green"? Are there any plans for the film to be released overseas?

Zhou Lia: The dance poetry drama "Only Green" was successfully "unrolled" in Singapore in March this year. In June, it passed through Istanbul, Turkey, the intersection of the Eurasian continent. In September, it debuted at the Pacific International Theater Festival in Russia. The body language of dance is the most international form of communication. When it comes to overseas exchanges, one of my deepest feelings is "co-creation" - not only going out to show, but also co-creating with international colleagues. After "Only Green" and "Wing Chun", our next work is "Jiujiang Daqin". The international stage art master George Xiping, who was responsible for the opening ceremony of the Sochi Winter Olympics, serves as the performance stage visual chief designer. It won the Tony Award for Broadway in the United States. Donald Hodel, winner of Best Lighting Design, served as chief lighting designer. During the cooperation, we exchanged each other’s artistic ideas and pursuits. I once explained to them that the meaning of “dragon” in each dynasty in ancient China was different.

Han Zhen: The overseas distribution of the movie is still under negotiation. I used to read the reactions of foreigners watching the dance poetry drama "Only Green" on Douyin. Their surprise and admiration were no less than those of domestic audiences. When "Wing Chun" was performed in London, we did not make any adjustments to the content. The image itself is also an international language. I believe that the film "Only Green" will be presented to the world with a confident attitude in the future.