Text/Yangcheng Evening News all-media reporter Li Li
In the second half of the summer program, many films withdrew, but the "Free Range Era" directed by Guangdong director Wang Jun was silently fixed. In an interview with the "Yangcheng Evening News" and other media reporters, Wang Jun said that he had prepared for the film's dismal box office. He described the screening as a "naked run", describing the mood at the moment as like a mother who is about to give birth to a child, "but the future of the child can only rely on 'free range'".
Starring Li Mengnan, Zhang Hongbo, Hao Ping, Li Yixin, Zong Xiaojun, Luo Eryang, Hao Yang, Zhou Baizhen, Yao Xinyi, etc., "The Free Range Era" will be officially released on August 20. The film has no star, no marketing, but has a good reputation in the industry, and has won many international film festival awards before: the 50th Houston International Film Festival Feature Film Unit Golden Remy Award in the Family Ethics Category, the 13th San Diego World Children's Film Festival Best Actor Award, the 16th Auburn International Film Festival Audience Choice Award... Recently, before the official release of the film, director Wang Jun told reporters several small stories in Guangzhou.
The story of the slot
A few days before the official release, "The Free Range Era" conducted a small-scale test screening in a theater in Guangzhou. The cinema hall was small, and only a few dozen industry insiders and media reporters were present, but after the screening, people applauded in unison. Some people secretly discussed that they heard that this film had a good reputation, "but I didn't expect it to be so good."
Storyboard trailer for The Age of Free Range
The story of "The Age of Free Range" begins with a "screening accident": as the only film projectionist in the town, Jin Agui once promised his son Jindou to play "Shaolin Temple" to all the children in the town, but he reneged on his word, and Jindou, who was angry, decided to steal a copy of his father... It sounds like the same title as Zhang Yimou's "One Second", but in fact, "The Free Range Era" was completed as early as 2015. Why is it only released now? Because after the filming of the work, I participated in many international film festivals, and then I wanted to release it and encountered the epidemic, and it was delayed to this day.
To make the film a big hit, this summer slot is not the best time. But Wang Jun thought clearly: "'The Age of Free Range' is a literary and art film, and the box office of literary and art films will not be too high, which is the same in the whole world." He laughed and said that in fact, the film schedule has also been changed several times, "left dodge right dodge did not avoid, waist are folded, it is better to simply straighten up the waist bar to accept everything." Without traffic stars, no commercial elements, and no large-scale publicity, Wang Jun knows that the box office will not be a miracle. But he still wants to fight for it, not for himself, at least worthy of the investor's righteousness at that time. Also, for Chinese films and audiences. "In the general trend of various films being withdrawn and postponed, I should do my best for Chinese films." Wang Jun said.
What if the theater does not give a schedule? Wang Jun replied, "I will never complain. Movies have been marketized for many years, otherwise where did China's tens of billions of box office achievements come from? People put what is the freedom of others, but I am grateful for every theater that arranges the film for "Free Range Times", even if it is an eight o'clock in the morning. ”
Xie Jin's story
In "The Age of Free Range", "movie" is the key word around the protagonist's father and son. The father is proud to be the only projectionist in town, he does not understand why one day this job becomes unimportant; the son is almost expelled from school for stealing copies to show open-air movies to his classmates; because of the movie, the father and son break up, and because of the movie, the two reconcile... Wang Jun admits that as a director and first screenwriter, he has put a shadow of his life in the film, including his obsession with movies. "My mom was in a film machine shop, and movies were a great thing in those days." He recalled that when adults went to the movies when they were young, they always refused to take their children with them. "I remember when I was seven or eight years old, I used a tricycle with a car of children chasing adult buses. When I got to the place where I was watching the movie, I couldn't get in, and all kinds of over the wall. These details, he later more or less put into the "Free Range Era".
After growing up, Wang Jun was admitted to the Shanghai Theater Academy. Although I majored in stage design, I eventually went to make a movie. Wang Jun recalled that in the process of realizing his dream, Xie Jin had a particularly great influence on him, "there was a fate between us without fate." The earliest was that Wang Jun listened to Xie Jin's open class at school. "I remember him saying at the time that making art is like holding sand in your hand, you are not strong, your hands are a little looser, and a lot of things are gone. I was so excited by that class that I went to the director's house with a classmate to discuss Chinese cinema with him. As a result, Xie Jin was not at home that day, and his wife was picking vegetables at the door. Wang Jun turned to leave, and Mrs. Xie Jin said, "Don't be in a hurry to leave, leave a letter for Teacher Xie and tell him who you are and what you are here to do." ”
Wang Jun said: "I just remember that I wrote a long letter on the folded small dinner table of Xie Jin's house. Because I think I can't see it, after all, such a big wrist is not something you can see if you want to see it, so let's write all the brains I want to say. Unexpectedly, one day, I just came back to school from outside, and everyone said to me: Why did you go? Teachers and classmates are looking for you everywhere! I said what? Everyone said that Xie Jin had just come to the school to find you! I was stuck at the time, and I felt cold from the door of my head to the bottom of my feet. The doorman told me: Don't worry, Teacher Xie also left you a letter. "That letter Wang Jun still has, and it is roughly written: Classmate Wang Jun, I read your letter, you went to the Xie Jin studio of the film studio to find me on a certain day in a certain month. Unfortunately, for various reasons, the two could not meet in the end.
One day in 2008, Wang Jun, who was filming on location on the Mekong River in Vietnam, learned of Xie Jin's death. At that moment, he burst into tears.
Father's story
In "The Age of Free Range", JinDou is a particularly naughty and rebellious boy, so he is not less beaten by his father Jin Agui. This kind of father-son relationship actually reflects the mode of getting along with Wang Jun and his father in the past. Even when Wang Jun later studied art and was admitted to the theater, his father was resolutely opposed to it--the latter even specially picked Chinese New Year's Eve and burned his drawingpad easel paintings. As a result, this move actually stimulated Wang Jun, making him decide to take the road of art to black. "The relationship between father and son is actually a war between two men, and I fought with my father for a lifetime." Wang Jun said, "I even secretly resolved in my heart that if I want to have children in the future, I must have a girl." ”
Wang Jun truly understood his father in the moment before the latter's death. "He told me a lot about his past before he lost consciousness. In that instant, I was relieved of everything between the two of us. "Only then did Wang Jun truly understand his father as a person, understand why he had such an attitude toward himself in the past, and understand that he actually loved him." After that day I started thinking about the problem that you had to let your child into your heart. You can't shut something out, or two generations will never understand each other. Wang Jun said.
Today, Wang Jun has a deeper understanding of his father. For example, when his father did not let him study art, first, because he did not understand art, and second, because in the life experience of many people at that time, learning art "could not see the future". Wang Jun said that in fact, each generation has its own personality and the process of forming opinions, "not because he is the father, he must be perfect."
The story of the little chubby mound
Many people who have watched "The Age of Free Range" are deeply impressed by a small fat dun in the film who can no one call the big name - he always rolls iron circles behind everyone, but no one takes him seriously, it is he who finally persuaded Jin Agui to play "Shaolin Temple" to the children of the town, but he said it but no one believed it. This character, in the end, has a tragic ending. "In everyone's life, there must be such an inappropriate poor person, you can't tell his provenance. He always wants to fit into the 'mainstream', but he can't integrate into it. He may have done something, but the applause at the end was always someone else's. Wang Jun admitted that Xiao Fat Dun is his personal favorite character in the whole film, "When writing this character, I cried alone with the computer for half a day." Before the release of the film, he also cut a small trailer for Xiao Fat Dun.
This is also what makes "The Age of Free Range" special — it seems to be about the conflict between father and son, but it actually carries it deeper and more. A friend of Wang Jun's who wrote a long film review after watching "The Age of Free Range", one of which is: "This movie is by no means a cool drama that designs emotions, pulling the audience to cry, laugh, laugh, sad, and happy, the whole film is always pulled by a clear face of restlessness, every scene does not stop, but after watching it as a whole, it is clear and quiet." The aftertaste under the dark line is the staying power. This kind of quietly reminds you of the life and human effect you have had, which is exactly what Wang Jun is pursuing.
"I made up my mind from the beginning of the script writing, to tell a story plainly and sincerely, not to play with flowers. I don't want that kind of so-called 'classic line', or even hope that a movie comes down, you don't remember any of the 'golden sentences'. I also reject the kind of pretense that tries to make the audience understand. Wang Jun said, "If artists want to have any sense of responsibility, I think it is four words: artistic conscience." When I made this movie, I kept asking myself: Are you shaking chicken thieves? Are you ever in rhythm? Have you ever wanted to scratch the audience's armpits? He said that even if only one person watches his film, he must adhere to this "conscience": "What if someone watches my film and has a little touch?" Like why should I be a director, doesn't that have anything to do with the movies I've seen before? (For more news, please pay attention to Yangcheng Pie pai.ycwb.com)
Source | Yangcheng Evening News Yangcheng Pie
Image | Provided by the tablet
Editor-in-charge | Shao Ziheng