Directors' Discussion,What Films Do We Need

Anchor: One of the most talked about events at the Shanghai International Film Festival each year is the President Lecture, during which the Jury President discusses critical problems concerning Chinese films and filmmaking in general with fellow directors.

This year, the theme of the President Lecture is "What Other Films Do We Need?" So, what films do some of the most renowned Chinese filmmakers think China needs, other than what's available in the theaters?

Liu Yan finds out.

Doze Niu, an actor-turned director from Taiwan, kicked the discussion into high gear by asking this question.

"I've been troubled by this. Why can't I see any films that reflect real life and arouse emotions, and are done with sincerity at the same time? You know, when we see such films, we laugh, we cry, and we'll be able to learn something. I call them 'commercial films with substance'. Where are they?"

Hong Kong director Ho Cheung Ping agreed that it's rare to see sincere films these days, and oftentimes every decision is driven by money.

"To be honest, product placement in Chinese films these days can only be described as 'shameless'. I'm not saying you can never have product placement, but you need to respect your film. We're telling a story to the audience. They buy tickets to see the film, not a 90-minute infomercial."

Jury President of the Shanghai International Film Festival John Woo said his solution is very simple.

"Until now, I have always kept my "beauty of violence" philosophy. So, product placement is not a problem for me. Just imagine, will Coca Cola be happy to see characters in my film shoot the crap out of Cola cans? (laughs) Therefore, as a filmmaker, it's really important to stick to your unique personal style."

Chinese mainland director Wang Xiaoshuai agreed, and stressed the importance of staying true to oneself as a filmmaker.

"Look for our own strength. If we still copy whatever Hollywood is doing, for example, 3D is all the rage, and thus we follow suit and make more 3D films, that's horrible. I think we need to wake up, and take pride in our uniqueness. Don't ever change your personal style. If you do, that's simply too bad."

The word "3D" seemed to have touched on some nerve, and director Niu chimed in.

"It's stupid to try and outdo them in technology. When we don't have enough resources, how can we shoot a movie as epic as Avatar? What we can do is, create good stories that focus on human beings and human emotions. The Chinese people have experienced so much, and we have such a huge population and such a large country, surely we can beat them when it comes to good storytelling."

Director Ping agreed, and added we need films that can influence people in a positive way, no matter where they are.

"I think a good movie should be able to touch people everywhere, people with different cultural backgrounds, and people who speak different languages. Of course, we need to support and focus on the local market, but at the same time, we shouldn't give up the chance to communicate with foreign countries and cultures. No films should be confined to only one region."

To sum it up, the master directors suggested we should make films with sincerity, stay true to our unique style, and try to win audiences over by good storytelling rather than fancy technology. Sound advice, don't you think?

For CRI, I'm Liu Yan in Shanghai.