Western Film Theme Day” on SRIFF

    According Zhao Wentao, General Manager of Western Film Group, six films produced or co-presented by Western Film Group including 5 feature films A Chinese Odyssey III, Haunted Tales II, The Old Man and Dogs, In The Name Of Love, The Desert Ambition, and a documentary The Finger and The Moon have been accomplished or released. Several films are in preparations, including 3D animation film A Chinese Odyssey, and The Seventh Choice, Westbound Train, Seize Swan in Tiger's Den, Zhang Qian—Great Explorer, Hetao Militia, Famen Temple Legend, Raise of Terra Cotta Warriors, Male and female Sword, Legend of Monk Detector II, Hot Mom, etc. Western Film Group has established a brand new Internet Film Department, with four internet films in production, including Dreamcatcher, Young Generation, Guard the Imperial Memorial Park with the Princess, and Falling in Love with Emergency Physicians. It can be easily figured out that works by Western Film Group cover very broad themes, including Red Revolution, Silk Road, histories of Zhou, Qin, Han, and Tang dynasty, modern life, and animations. These films will surely infuse new energy to film market.    

    Youth crazy in his old age

    Sixty-year-old director Liu Jianhua is sprinting for Best Newcomer Prize

    The Old Man and Dogs tells the story of northwest Dog King Zhu Yongsheng, his daughter, and their dog Lanbo. From the view of details, the film depicts a touching story between human and dog. The film is also a realism theme film presenting western customs of China. It’s regarded as a return work of western films, a useful attempt of new western genre films, and a work adopting modern concept and technology to improve expressing capability and keeping the humanistic spirits and unique colors of western films. Seeing from the movie clips released, the film is filled with deep western customs, and combines with vigorous Shanxi opera, showing a unique solitary and vigorous feeling of western China.

   Director Liu Jianhua said, “This film is an exploration of humanity between human and nature. Human beings have to trust and be loyalty to each other. Human and animal should live in harmony with each other.” There is a saying in film circle that animal theme works are the most difficult. When the compere asked director Liu Jianhua about his magic code to shoot the film, Liu was quite mysterious: “I won’t tell you, because it’s an exclusive secret. If I tell you, there won’t be anyone ask me to shoot animal films any more. But I can tell you this, after this film, my next film will tell a story between monkey and human.” Director Liu said frankly, “this is actually my first film. In order to shoot the film, the crews has been raising wolfs and training dogs for 6 years. The crews has went to Sinkiang dozens of times to collect folk songs. The script has been plotted for 6 year, and our scriptwriter Liu Xia has modified over 30 versions. Also, we can promise here, despite there are many scenes that wolfs and dogs fight and bait each other, no animal was harmed in the whole process.” Raising wolfs and dogs for 6 years, that must be the secret of director Liu.

    Liu Jianhua is in his sixties, but he lives to a green old age. He said jokingly, “Actually, I joined the selection of Silk Road International Film Festival for the Best Newcomer Prize. But I heard later that they didn’t set up the prize in this film festival. Despite my old age, I am indeed a newcomer of film circle. But you know, as Akira Kurosawa still directed when he was 65, there is no wonder to direct at my age.” Director Liu said sentimentally, “I am grateful to films and life for conveying what I want to express to audiences. Without the hot life in western China, there won’t be this film.”

    Xi’an fellow went home

    Liu Xiangjing act a northwest man who dare to love and hate

    Due to some emergency business, the leading role Huang Hong who was on red carpet with the crews the day before didn’t show up in the meet-and-greet, but he brought his blessings through VCR. Huang Hong said, “I am grateful to the crews and production team for having me in the film. After performing in this film, I feel like taking root in western land and this role. The role in the film is derived from real people. We hope to let more people know such beautiful story at the western frontier.”

    Another actor Liu Xiangjing, a typical Xi’an fellow, appeared at the press conference. He said this is the first time for him to act an authentic northwest man: “This role dares to love and hate, which is typical northwest man. Despite that he takes gun out at slightest disagreement, he is a guy who can live or die for love.” The filming location was in remote mountains in Sinkiang where the temperature is minus dozens degrees centigrade. Liu Xiangjing said frankly that the filming environment was quite hard. He mentioned that the crews were most painstaking, and expressed his gratitude to director Liu Jianhua and cameraman Ma Deling for their suggestions. Liu Xiangjing said, “It was really hard when we were shooting the film. We went through wind, snow, frosts, rain, fogs, etc. In the remote mountains, the snow was thick above knees, somewhere even above waist. After whole day walk in the snow, it felt like finishing a marathon. I think our audience will experience and feel this creation atmosphere. We don’t request resplendence, but I believe audience will enjoy the film visually and acoustically.” Actor Feilong joked, “For me, the most difficult part was to climb mountains. You know, I weight 150 kg. Climbing even made me feel dizzy, but I still failed losing weight.”

    The Old Man and Dogs, since joining this appraisal and election, has won great recognitions from insiders. Some expert indicates, “This film makes us feel that western films is coming back. The whole movie is full of masculine beauty of western China. It well integrated stars and commercial elements. It’s expected to acquire good market result.”