Some of the unavoidable realities in Zhang Mo include: she is Zhang Yimou's daughter, she is a mother of two children, she has traveled overseas, and she has never doubted that she will eventually return. She is a film director. What she has experienced is not as arbitrary and free as we think with blindfolds.
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"I can't be tied down"
The stylist lifted a long black dress into the dressing room and told Zhang Mo that this was the first outfit for a short time shooting. After succinctly praising the cut and style of the dress, she said, "Add a coat to the outside." "Everyone noticed that there was a slightly unfolded design at the chest of the skirt. If we think in a certain stereotype, we will probably think that Zhang Mo, who went to the United States to study at the age of 15 and went all the way from middle school to columbia university architecture and New York University film school graduate student, should have long been deeply immersed in the free and open culture of the West, but did not think that the background in her bones was as good as ever: "I am still a very conservative person at heart, I (dress) never love to show." "The truth is, she's been in the U.S. for more than a decade, and she's been to only a handful of parties." Because I'm all rushing homework, doing models, soaking in the library..." Before graduating from college, she once stayed up three nights in a row to make models, catch papers, and didn't sleep. It just so happened that my mother came to see her at that time and was surprised: "Have you lived like this all these years?" Answer: "Almost." Mom said, "Who doesn't even sleep all year round?" If so, or go home, is it necessary to fight like this? Answer: "That's not okay, I'll graduate right away." My mother was not joking with Zhang Mo at that time, and Zhang Mo's life did have the option of "don't have to do anything but stay at home". Zhang Mo said: "It's okay (to stay at home), but that's not me, I don't want to stay." People want to progress, if there is inertia, it is really a young man who does not work hard, and the old man is sad. When you were young, you didn't fight and work hard, how do you know what you are? If we have to ask the answer to the question "What influence did the family and fathers really give Zhang Mo", the response that Zhang Mo can now give is: "Respect." ”
Black gloss coat COMME MOI
When Zhang Mo was 15 years old, her father sent her to the United States and left her in New York, and the next day her father returned to China by himself. - "He still has scenes to shoot." "Most of the previous time Zhang Mo spent in his hometown of Xi'an, did not leave home for a long time, had an extremely weak Foundation in English, and grew thin and small. The homework of the first English language class was to interpret Shakespeare's play "Macbeth" with her own understanding; "hockey" and "women's wrestling" in the physical education class, she "never saw it", "it was stupid at the time". No one chose her to do her homework with her, and no one ate with her. She didn't have a single friend for a long time. The only consolation is to call my mother, but most of the time I report good news and no worries. It was 1999, "she had never seen the world I was in", so Zhang Mo only said that the good things that happened to her, "for example, my Chinese score went from 0 to 30 points, that is progress." Zhang Mo later recalled that she was not inclined to summarize that life as "bitter" or "difficult", but instead thought that it was a precious opportunity for her to forge herself. Because before that, she had already faintly become aware. "After all, my father is engaged in art, his requirements for me are not the same as those of ordinary traditional families, he still advocates the child's self-concept as the center, let go of my own experience and choice, and then I can pursue what I love, he has not given me any so-called constraints." The same was true of my mother. Both of them still have big hearts and don't care much about me. No one has ever asked Zhang Mo, and when she grows up, she must inherit her father's profession as a film director, and she has always been "no pressure, but there is a sense of pride" about the "family heirloom". So she can make her own choices at almost every major point in her life. The only self-requirement is "I can't be tied down." Black leather coat COMME MOI
"Guess the beat"
At the age of 32, Zhang Mo became a mother for the first time in his life, and the first feature film "28-year-old minor" was also prepared for a long time, and when the child was more than 7 months old, the movie started. Zhang Mo took care of both ends and did everything well.
Poster of "28 Years Underage"
It was a fantasy realistic inspirational film for women growing up. Written by Zhang Mo and directed by Zhang Mo. A 28-year-old urban girl, under the catalysis of an accident, actually returned her mind to the age of 17. Faced with the dilemma of choosing love and ideals at different stages of women's growth, she has to find herself from the dilemma between her 17-year-old self and her 28-year-old self. "28-year-old minor" was released at the end of 2016, as a small and medium-cost production film, the commercial performance and word-of-mouth results of that year were still quite good, but Zhang Mo almost did not have any excessive speech, and then chose to bury his head again to temper himself and study for a doctorate at the Beijing Film Academy.
Zhang Mo starred ni Ni with "28-year-old minor"
The second time I saw her name and work on the big screen was more than 5 years later in the 2022 Spring Festival, when the movie "Sniper", which she co-directed with Zhang Yimou, was released. The box office is not huge, but the reputation is very good. Some commentators have commented that the film "simplifies complexity" in 96 minutes, "sees the coldest gun with small and the hottest blood", "writes the US military as a real person is already better than others"...
Sniper poster
In "Sniper", the division of labor between Zhang Mo and Zhang Yimou is simple and clear to the extreme. Because the plot is a clear battle between the Chinese and American armies on the battlefield of the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea, their distribution is also clear in the filming of the film: the father shoots the volunteer army side, and the daughter shoots the AMERICAN side. "To put it more simply, it is that the actor who speaks English belongs to me, and the Chinese belongs to him." Zhang Mo said.
Zhang Mo and Zhang Yimou at the launch ceremony of "Sniper"
The two "trenches" are located at the north and south ends of a hillside, from one end to the other, and people with good foot strength have to walk for 15 minutes, during which time the snow is not small, the snow is thick, and Zhang Mo has to walk for more than 20 minutes. But throughout the shoot, she didn't really have much of a chance to walk past. Her mission was to keep the "U.S. army" side of the shooting - she and her father "each shot their own, can not see each other" every day, one of the important technical factors is the fear that the sound of air shells between each other will affect the recording.
Many times in the "Sniper" stills, she still has to "guess the shooting". She used a heavy scene as an example. The male protagonist, Zhang Yu, chose to walk alone to the front of the US trenches and exchange his comrades for his comrades. The audience finally saw a tense confrontation between the two sides, but when the real shooting, the American actors only had a bunch of flagpoles in front of them, and Zhang Mo had to constantly give them Zhang Yu's possible action trajectory and state performance - yes, Zhang Yu had not yet filmed this scene, and Zhang Mo did not know what he would do - at the same time, Zhang Mo also had to give the American actors a variety of tips and requirements such as emotions, moods, and eye line of sight direction. After Zhang Yu's scene was filmed, Zhang Mo went to see the material for the first time and found that "the part he walked was different from what I guessed at the time", so he immediately arranged the most efficient reshoot plan in reality.
Stills from Sniper
"Patience" - this time in the shooting scene of "Sniper", Zhang Mo came up with the "skills", she first thought of the key word.
"Because the actor has no opponent, sometimes the emotional expression is inaccurate, I said that people (Liu Wenwu) have come to you, are you still so calm? This is a Chinese 'god of death' in front of you, you have to be afraid... But not everyone can be the same, some are nervous, nervous, I said you can use the slight twitching of the face to show, the other person can use the eyes to show them apart. In fact, Zhang Mo's control of the "American Army" character group portrait in "Sniper" is not only reflected in the performance details of the actors. Before filming began, she and screenwriter Chen Yu thoroughly sorted out the action logic and character core of this group of Americans who stood against the volunteer army. Embodying "contrast" is the core of Zhang Mo's creation.
"Man should live..."
Zhang Mo believes that the embodiment of the "strength" of one side of the warrior in the war movie can be roughly selected in two directions: one is "like the iron man", fearless, ruthless, and heavy weapons; the other is "emotional", "strategic" and "thinking"—the latter emphasizes the meticulous portrayal of human nature. Zhang Mo was clearly biased toward creating the latter. In this seemingly no "grand" atmosphere of the duel, how to shape the opponent is Zhang Mo's task. "I want to embody them as flesh and blood, like individuals, not as so-called battle machines." She doesn't know if this counts as a so-called "female perspective"—"All I can say is that this is my perspective." Drawing on her years of knowledge of Western culture, she found the motivation for the leader of the sniper squad to set the stage for the operation: "Westerners are based on patriotism and do not reject the promotion of individualism." This man's individualism is that he wants to be different, he wants to let others know that he is strong... He was fighting to prove his status and strength. "The story that advances in this setting progresses to the back, and the audience will clearly see the contrast between the two human qualities, and then understand the impact of cultural differences."
Black printed long dress GANNI
Zhang Mo explained this idea to The Big Zhang Director before filming began, and got a reply: "Okay." "Work moves forward in a smooth way." Da Zhang Dao" - she called Zhang Yimou from beginning to end. During the filming of "Sniper", Zhang Mo always asked himself to carry his spirit, and between the cruel and sad plot picture and the film technology work, he maintained the balance of rational judgment and emotional emotions. "I'll pay extra attention to the technical aspects, oh, that's how he shot it, so can I pick up the shot on my side?" If not, discuss the adjustment plan immediately. Until the first full cut of the first edition came out, the two sides of the picture were all combined, accompanied by music - when the story first appeared in front of Zhang Mo in a perfect form, her restraint in filming the bloody scene could finally be temporarily shelved, completely weeping for the sacrifice of the young boys on the battlefield.
Especially when she saw the sacrifice of "Fat Dun", she was the most emotional. "The last thing Fat Dun shouted out was: I thought that my child was going to be called 'Iron Plate', and you would think, what was this person facing in the last second of his life? He was facing an enemy trench, and then he died on this cold hillside, and you felt so uncomfortable, so pitiful, so sorry. You feel that he should live, people should live, should be wives and children hot kiln. If you really want to die, it should be natural, old, and not like this. I would imagine these things, and I couldn't stand them when I imagined them. "That day in the editing room, Zhang Mo cried very sadly. She never hid her emotions, and she didn't feel the need to hide them. People don't have to lie about their feelings, this should happen naturally and calmly. Such a war film is her participation in the directing, she tried her best to put her thinking and reason into the creative process; then she was touched by the work as a viewer. What's so hard to understand about perceptual rationality mixed together? As for the question raised by others, such as "whether there is anything special about women making war films", she also feels that gender is not an "obstacle". "Those rational and logical, whether in creation or in concepts... It's all gender-neutral, not that men are deeper and women are relatively weak, no, these abilities and traits I already have, and my films will prove it for me. ”
Tops ELLASSAY jumpsuits MAISON SANS TITRE sandals Hermes BAZAAR: Which female filmmakers have influenced and inspired you? Zhang Mo: When you asked about this, my first thought was that when I was twelve or thirteen years old, I went to my father's crew to visit the class, and the first time I saw them- the production director or the executive director, I thought they were so cool, dressed in a special style, mingled with everyone, and did a good job of their work, I thought they were so dashing. At that time, I thought that no matter what work I do in the future, I must be such a professional woman, autonomous and confident. Many years later, I found that many of these people were still around my father, and they worked together for twenty years. They're still cool, and they're more stable, mature, and peaceful. BAZAAR: What's the difference between the girls and the boys in the crew? Zhang Mo: I think the girls in the crew are as capable as boys. If they don't speak, they will be convinced, and when they speak, others will obey them, because what they say is very reasonable. And they're not just emotional, they don't move: "I'm angry!" "It's not like that. BAZAAR: What are the specific dilemmas that women are experiencing in the film industry that you are feeling now? Zhang Mo: In fact, I am more concerned about the proportion of women in the industry, but the acceptance of the "role" of female filmmakers by the audience and society. I don't know why, if a female director appears in front of the public, or is interviewed, you can see in the comment area that everyone is commenting on whether the director's appearance is high enough, the figure is not good enough, and the dress is good or not. I was thinking, why don't you speak of male directors by that standard? What we do is we want people to pay attention to the work. So this status quo, I have always felt really strange. When can we just talk about a person's achievements and the people's efforts? BAZAAR: Women have some special energy and characteristics that are different from men, and this trait used in film creation or literary and artistic creation must be a "killer skill" - is there such a situation? Zhang Mo: This question is quite interesting, I really haven't thought about it that way. But when you say that, I think that the traits of the so-called "killer skills" vary from person to person, and are a person's genes, personality, and even weaknesses. So when we say the so-called strength and weakness of "women" and "men", in fact, we are talking about the difference between individuals, right? BAZAAR: Do you feel like your life is unique? Zhang Mo: Everyone's life is different, everyone has their own way of life, and everyone is an independent individual. So you can't waste your youth and life. This may be why I still yearn for beauty in my heart, and I feel that even if it is bitter, even if it is a loss I have suffered, it will be wealth in the second half of my life. BAZAAR: Would you make a movie about your experience in the United States? Zhang Mo: To be honest, I wrote the script, including the so-called cultural differences and shocks I received in my host family, but now it is too niche. At the end of the day, I still believe that while film is art, it must also be commercial. Some directors have to make their own voice or an author's form of film, of course this is a route, I admire these people. But my understanding since childhood is that the movie must be seen by many people, otherwise it will not fully reflect its value. So a lot of the effort I'm making now is also to one day be able to tell my own story. What I actually want to make in my heart is the story of my childhood - probably a summer vacation, a very good time in my life, that is, a pure literary film, and it is a children's film. BAZAAR: Do you hope that your existence will have any special significance for Chinese films? Zhang Mo: This question is so big, I may answer it a little big, but this kind of big is not arrogance. I want to make the audience pay more attention to a different way of telling stories, and then not label anyone. Movies are not a mathematical formula, not women + what equals anything.
Why do we want to learn about these female filmmakers?
This is an era when we always talk about "women" from time to time and see them in our writings. She will become a hot topic of discussion, and there must be some inevitable factor in it. So when my colleagues in the Basha film group proposed the theme of "female power" among filmmakers, I was unconsciously ignited in my heart.
One of the most important qualities of feminine power that Harper's Bazaar has been promoting for years is chi beauty.
Beauty is to make people beautiful, this thing is what we are best at doing, but now it is no longer the first thing we pursue, because in the era of personalization, everyone's perception of beauty is different, and beauty is becoming more and more without a unified standard.
And "wisdom", before "beauty", why? Because we attach great importance to the spiritual world of women, the power that spirit brings to people is very far-reaching.
"Female filmmakers" - when we put forward these five words, the first thing we think of is not mostly: they are very hard, very tired, dusty servants, wind and food and sleeping... In fact, from my own experience, I know a lot of women in this industry, who are behind the scenes, but there is no lack of independent detachment. They are tired, but they are full of love for their profession, they are beautiful, full of energy and wisdom.
In my opinion, every female filmmaker is influencing this society with her own works, and indirectly promoting women to find their own positions in this society more and more clearly and strive for their own rights and interests.
Female producers, screenwriters, directors, cinematographers, editors, art directors, styling directors, director assistants, field notes, makeup artists... Every woman in the film industry has a great place. As a media person, I realized that I should let their journey be known to more people. Before they become successful filmmakers, they are first and foremost people with wonderful stories. These stories bring us more of an inspiration. Their tolerance, love, tenacity and love of life are particularly dazzling.
Many people still have some established views on accomplished women, thinking that they must be very strong, everything can be handled well, even if there is a painful side, it will not be seen, will hide the vulnerability, it is easy to let people have a sense of distance. In fact, each of them has their own softness and cuteness.
Under the aura, they have a true story that is different from each person. These "realities" will be an inspiration to each of us. Any role model or goal may seem lofty, but are we sure we want to become another "she"? No. Everyone is unique and has their own barriers to break through.
You can see from their stories how they got through these difficulties. At every moment when we feel that "there is really no way to break through", as long as we insist on it, we can do it. This is a great encouragement.
When we talk about "female filmmakers", in fact we are not talking about the differences between one gender, we are talking about the differences of each individual. The premise of becoming an ideal woman must first be an ideal person.
I hope that people who see this issue can find their beliefs and directions in it.
Whether in life or at work, what is the most important thing for you? Do you choose a career to please the eyes of others, or is it really to meet your own needs to realize value? What is the purpose of persistence? Only when we truly know the answers to these questions in our hearts can we go down this long bumpy road without fear of any ups and downs and joys.
——Sha Xiaoli, executive publisher and editor-in-chief of Harper's Bazaar
Photography / Zhang Yue
Planning / Ge Haichen Interview & Writing / Lv Yanni Co-ordinator / Li Haojia Image / Wang Defu Han Family Women's Makeup Hair / Liu Shanshan Liang Lin Makeup / He Lei Ma Li Makeup / Tang Zi Xin Ma Li Hairstyle / He Zhiguo Zhang Final Makeup Hair / Matt Clothing Assistant / Jiang Yao Typography / Yuer