Jingdezhen is not a town, but a prefecture-level city in Jiangxi Province. Jingdezhen, the "porcelain capital", has a history of more than 2,000 years of pottery, and craftsmen from all over the world come to "pilgrimage", so it has been an immigrant city since ancient times. At present, there are more than 30,000 "Jingdrifts" in Jingdezhen, from more than 40 countries and regions around the world. This group of people brought infinite vitality and creativity to Jingdezhen, which led to the word "Jingdeemia", or "bohemianism", which was re-interpreted in this city that adhered to traditional handicrafts. The way of life of a group of people with stories, along with their understanding and modern expression of the ancient Jingdezhen, together constitute "Jingdemia".
Before the shooting, my expectations had been pulled to the fullest, first, because I was curious about "Porcelain Capital" very early on and wanted to find out; second, because of my love for the Combs Band, the lead singer's eternal flat tongue that could never be distinguished, and the legendary stories behind the band's catchy songs and songs, all of which made people wonder what kind of sparks this band from Taiwan and Jingdezhen could collide.
The first impression of Jingdezhen is only one word: hot. The city is like a giant wood kiln, and everyone is put into the mud, from the soles of their feet to the top of their heads, and they are burned by a continuous stream of rising heat.
Moreover, when you get to Jingdezhen, you must first "reverse the jet lag". It's quiet during the day and the people here are night animals. Although the streets and alleys are full of ceramic shops, the works in the glass cabinets are dazzling, and there are no shortage of famous masterpieces, but the doors are closed. Shopkeepers get up late, and when they get up, they usually go to the workshop first, pulling embryos, painting, and firing.
Teacher Dongfangjun, vice president of the Jingdezhen Jingdrift Association, told us that the soul of Jingdezhen is behind this door, and if you walk into one room at random, you may be able to meet a certain blue and white porcelain master, or a valuable porcelain. At nightfall, shops, porcelain stalls in industrial parks, and porcelain streets are bustling with activity, craftsmen and kiln burners are active, and the whole city exudes a frenzy for ceramics.
The clay is fired at high temperatures and gorgeously transformed into porcelain. Their makers also experience another kind of "roasting", some failing, some not being understood, but always insisting on themselves. Under the leadership of Teacher Dongfang, the band visited Gan Daofu, a modern blue and white pottery master, and focused on the artistic creation of "blue and white and poetry", even if the best daily sales were actually cups and utensils.
"Qinghua" is a kind of material in his eyes, and he uses qinghua to create art to express his views on the universe, human beings, nature, and self, "these are integrated, for contemporary people, it is equivalent to shouting out their own voices."
Luo Guoxin, an expert in the era of the "blind brother", originally insisted on putting down his business and coming to Jingdezhen to collect broken porcelain pieces and repair them one by one. With a lot of debt, it is also necessary to donate the restored ancient porcelain worth millions to the museum, rather than selling it at a high price. He lived in a small attic in the studio, with no air conditioning and air conditioning, and slept on a cool mat on the floor, surrounded by books.
In the face of outsiders' incomprehension, endure endless loneliness, but still will not affect his dedication to porcelain restoration, like the song he likes, "Go alone to steal pleasure, refuse your supervision."
Zhou Xin and Ye Xiang, the "Jing drift" couples who started a business together next to the Ceramic University, also have to face the misunderstanding of their families - why do they "play with mud" in Jingdezhen? "Will you not be able to live"? But those who insist on loving are lucky enough to find a "soul mate" with their peers.
Xiong Kejia, who runs the Taoxichuan Opera House in Jingdezhen, was once an opera singer who lived in Germany for 14 years, and now he chooses to return to his hometown of Jingdezhen, trying to revitalize the increasingly niche art form of opera in his hometown, "making it a city with not only ceramics, but also sound." It wasn't easy to make this decision, but with the most difficult and painful first steps, the road ahead is easy.
Lead singer Yongzhu often asked these people living in Jingdezhen during filming: "Are you lonely?" What keeps you going? "More than once in life, you will face choices, and each choice will be faced and risked alone, not supported, suspected, or crushed by reality... However, "don't cry, there must be a road ahead, as if happiness is not far away", bravery and love can support the realization of dreams. Because sometimes a few more steps forward, you can "do what you want, we will do."
The front seems lonely, but in fact, there are many people who are working hard for their dreams, not only in Jingdezhen, but also around us.