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I combed through the young Chinese directors and finally understood why Du Qifeng's "yin and yang weirdness"

Text | Ling Hu Boguang

Recently, To's remarks at the Berlin Film Festival caused controversy, and this matter has been written about before and will not be mentioned. First, there is no restriction on what films Hong Kong makes. The result is that except for last year's "Tomorrow's War" and now "Poisonous Tongue", Hong Kong's local box office lists are all American films.

I combed through the young Chinese directors and finally understood why Du Qifeng's "yin and yang weirdness"

Second, Hong Kong filmmakers can only come to the mainland market, and you naturally have to abide by the rules of the mainland when you come to the mainland to make films, is there anything wrong with this?

The decline of Hong Kong and Taiwan entertainment is very serious, and mainland pop culture is rising rapidly, and mainland audiences naturally have reasons not to buy it.

I combed through the young Chinese directors and finally understood why Du Qifeng's "yin and yang weirdness"

I guess some people must be thinking that mainland pop culture is still on the rise? However, in the 2023 Spring Festival file that has just been released, no one expected that a wave of domestic pop culture would break out, and many people did not notice. The director team of these works is a new force of youth like "The Wandering Earth 2".

I combed through the young Chinese directors and finally understood why Du Qifeng's "yin and yang weirdness"

"Crazy" director Xu Jizhou is 76 years old, and Zhang Yongxin of "Age of Awakening" is the Mesozoic generation. They are Kong Sheng and other next-generation domestic TV series directors Young Zhuangfaction. "Deep Sea" director Tian Xiaopeng 75 years, "Nameless" Cheng Er is 76 years, "Daming under the Microscope" director Pan Anzi 77 years.

"The Three-Body Problem" director Yang Lei is 79 years old, only one year short of the director of "The Wandering Earth", and Guo Fan is 80 years old.

I combed through the young Chinese directors and finally understood why Du Qifeng's "yin and yang weirdness"

"Moses on the Plain" director Zhang Dalei 82 years, "Go to the Windy Place" director Ding Ziguang 85 years, "Exchange Life" director Su Lun 80s, "Chinese Table Tennis" director Deng Chao is 79 years.

The director of "China Qitan" is also basically a young Zhuang school mainly in the late 70s and 80s. The key thing is that it is the same as Xiao Bro's "Capsule Project" to tap young talents for Chinese animation. Young talent is the future of an industry, and all this is no longer there.

Chinese pop culture in full swing? If you don't believe it, we will know it by looking at the 2023 Spring Festival file

I combed through the young Chinese directors and finally understood why Du Qifeng's "yin and yang weirdness"

To Qifeng, born in 55, is the same generation of Hong Kong directors as Tsui Hark in 50. To Qifeng's filming time was very early, but John Woo, Tsui Hark and other big directors rose strongly to become masters in the mid-80s. To Qifeng, it can't be said that he is marginal, but by the mid-90s, the development was somewhat uneven.

I combed through the young Chinese directors and finally understood why Du Qifeng's "yin and yang weirdness"

Du Qifeng's real strong rise was in the late 90s, the reason was to list a vote to establish Galaxy Image, and then shot a ticket of classic gangster films, police movies, crime films and suspense films. Screenwriter Situ Jinyuan, Ou Jianer, Ye Tiancheng, etc., photographer Zheng Zhaoqiang, editor Luo Yongchang, soundtrack Zhong Zhirong, sound effect Zhuo Baoyi and so on.

In addition to To Qifeng, this director also has Wei Jiahui, You Naihai, You Dazhi and so on.

I combed through the young Chinese directors and finally understood why Du Qifeng's "yin and yang weirdness"

A group of Hong Kong actors Andy Lau transformed into an acting school, Liu Qingyun was consecrated, Ren Dahua, and Wu Zhenyu turned positive. Koo Tianle, Zhang Jiahui, Lin Jiadong, etc., Hong Kong actors who began to carry the banner after 2010, you will find that except for Kwok Fucheng, it seems that most of them are reflected by To Qifeng, and Galaxy in the previous decade.

I combed through the young Chinese directors and finally understood why Du Qifeng's "yin and yang weirdness"

After 2000, Hong Kong films have been recognized as declining, and now looking back at the "Infernal Affairs" series in addition to Stephen Chow. To Qifeng, Galaxy Images is not the most popular company team of classic movies. I have always thought that To Qifeng's last film guru in Hong Kong, and Galaxy Imaging is the last popular company team.

After 2010, the production of To Qifeng's and Galaxy Imaging was reduced, Hong Kong's local films were almost cut off, and the films in the north to the mainland were all costume magic movies in the early stage, and later all the police and bandit blockbusters on the commercial assembly line.

I combed through the young Chinese directors and finally understood why Du Qifeng's "yin and yang weirdness"

Young talents are the future of an industry, all this has ceased to exist in the Hong Kong and Taiwan entertainment industry over the years, and the talents who originally went to Hong Kong and Taiwan to develop are accelerating the loss to the mainland, don't you believe it?

Not only Zhang Yimou, the rise of "Guo Fan" is faster than you think

I combed through the young Chinese directors and finally understood why Du Qifeng's "yin and yang weirdness"

1. Various domestic film festivals have begun to break out, and young directors show their talents through film festivals, and there is a great chance to jump into the mainstream market.

In recent years, there have been more and more film festivals in China, of course, the situation is muddy and sandy, the better ones are the Pingyao International Film Festival, which only started in 2017, the Hainan Island International Film Festival that was only held in 2018, and the FIRST Youth Film Festival.

I combed through the young Chinese directors and finally understood why Du Qifeng's "yin and yang weirdness"

The Hainan Film Festival is not qualified enough, has not yet won anyone, and the artistic influence is not enough.

The Pingyao Film Festival is much better, and Liu Jian, the director of the animation "Big World", made his new work "Art Academy" shortlisted for the main competition of this Berlin Film Festival. Others include "Carnival", "Over Spring", "Passing the Pass", "Under the Sun", "Tropical Rain", "Endless" and so on.

I combed through the young Chinese directors and finally understood why Du Qifeng's "yin and yang weirdness"

The 2021 session is a little strong, Fei Mu honored China's best film is "Space Exploration Editorial Department", and the best director is Wei Shujun of "Yong'an Town Story Collection", some people may not understand what the significance of this kind of film festival excavation is.

First, it is not only literary films, but also genre films. For example, "Space Exploration Editorial Department" is a Chinese literary and art science fiction film.

I combed through the young Chinese directors and finally understood why Du Qifeng's "yin and yang weirdness"

Second, literary and artistic films are exploring the boundaries of film art, at present, the world's literary and artistic film events are still the three major European events, as long as you recognize that the three European major are film art events, envy Korean films in the three major awards, then digging out excellent mainland literary and art films is a springboard to enter the three major ones.

Our mainstream film festival Hundred Flowers is the popularity award, Huabiao is the main theme, and the golden rooster is also partial to the main theme and positive energy.

I combed through the young Chinese directors and finally understood why Du Qifeng's "yin and yang weirdness"

For example, Wei Shujun, the director of "Yong'an Town Stories", is one of the most outstanding young directors of literary and art films in China, and the previous works "Wild Horse Mane" and "Yong'an Town Stories" were shortlisted for the Cannes Film Festival (only the second prize, and did not win the award), and the new works "White Crane Bright Wings" and "Mistakes by the River" were hailed as seed contestants.

I combed through the young Chinese directors and finally understood why Du Qifeng's "yin and yang weirdness"

The third is the behind-the-scenes film and television industry bosses, the company's capital mining of young talents to inject vitality into Chinese films, such as "Tropical Rain" director Chen Zheyi is Singaporean, his new film has a film called "Burning Winter", starring Zhou Dongyu, Liu Haoran and Qu Chuxiao, Chinese film.

I combed through the young Chinese directors and finally understood why Du Qifeng's "yin and yang weirdness"

Before 2010, such young Chinese and foreign Chinese directors would be attracted to Hong Kong and Taiwan.

The FIRST Youth Film Festival has become one of the bases of young Chinese directors, this film festival began in 2006, I think until 2013 was average, 2014 broke out and began to bring out a large number of outstanding young Chinese directors and filmmakers.

I combed through the young Chinese directors and finally understood why Du Qifeng's "yin and yang weirdness"

The best film of 2014 "Heart Labyrinth", best director Xin Yukun, one of the best young directors of Chinese crime films in my eyes.

In the next few years, "What's in the Black Place", "Joy and Funeral", "Middle Evil", "Birds of the Suburbs", "Little Widow Becomes Immortal", "Four Springs" and so on -

I combed through the young Chinese directors and finally understood why Du Qifeng's "yin and yang weirdness"

The 13th Best Film "Spring River Plumbing" in 2019, the 7th place in the top ten films of the year in the French "Film Manual", was shortlisted for Cannes, director Gu Xiaogang is 88 years, another of the most outstanding young directors of literary and art films in China, and the new film "Grass and Wood World" is another seed contestant.

This session also has "Sherlock on the Plain", another excellent young director of genre films.

I combed through the young Chinese directors and finally understood why Du Qifeng's "yin and yang weirdness"

The next three years because of the "epidemic" is not a big year, especially in 2022 and the newly released 2023 because of the crisis of the situation, this film festival is a feeling of rushing to end.

Not only Ning Hao, Xu Zheng and Huang Bo, Guo Fan of "The Wandering Earth 2" are supporting young directors

I combed through the young Chinese directors and finally understood why Du Qifeng's "yin and yang weirdness"

2. Not only film festivals, many bigwigs in front of and behind the scenes, officials and film and television companies have launched various young talent support programs. There are also good and bad under the mud and sand, here are a few well-known and more successful in front of the stage.

I combed through the young Chinese directors and finally understood why Du Qifeng's "yin and yang weirdness"

China's most famous and successful young director support program is Ning Hao's "Bad Monkey 72 Change Plan", Lu Yang who held "Embroidered Spring Dao" and "Assassination of a Novelist", Wen Muye of "I Am Not the God of Medicine" and "Miracle", others like "Beneficiary" bid for the Olympic Games, and "Once Upon a Tropical Past" director Wen Shipei is general (the director's aesthetics is very powerful).

I combed through the young Chinese directors and finally understood why Du Qifeng's "yin and yang weirdness"

This plan will launch about ten young directors in the future, which is still worth looking forward to.

Xu Zheng has launched a film plan to supervise N new directors, "Behind-the-Scenes Player", "Pampering", "Shouting Mountain", "Exchange Life", "Love Myth", etc., and there are nearly ten young directors supported by Xu Zheng. The young directors supported by Huang Bo have "Calm Waves", but unfortunately the level is average.

I combed through the young Chinese directors and finally understood why Du Qifeng's "yin and yang weirdness"
I combed through the young Chinese directors and finally understood why Du Qifeng's "yin and yang weirdness"

In addition to Ning Hao, Xu Zheng and Huang Bo Iron Triangle, which team is the second team in China that supports young directors the most?

I think the one in front of the stage may be Chen Sicheng, Chen Sicheng in addition to the "Tang Detective" series his own director, "Tang Detective" online drama, "Manslaughter" series has helped out three or four young directors. They are Ke Wenli of "Manslaughter 1", Dai Mo of "Manslaughter 2", and Yao Wenyi.

I combed through the young Chinese directors and finally understood why Du Qifeng's "yin and yang weirdness"

The suspense film "Disappearing Her" scheduled for June 22, director Cui Rui, Liu Xiang is also a young director, the film was screened at the Hainan Film Festival last year, and the reputation was bursting.

I combed through the young Chinese directors and finally understood why Du Qifeng's "yin and yang weirdness"

Among the four young directors, Covington Lee is Malaysian, 85 years old. Cui Rui studied in the United States and worked in the United States for a long time after graduation, and also supervised the production of "Midway".

I combed through the young Chinese directors and finally understood why Du Qifeng's "yin and yang weirdness"

Kong Dashan, supported by director Guo Fan, is the executive director of Group B of "The Wandering Earth 2", and the independently filmed literary and art sci-fi film "Space Exploration Editorial Department" is scheduled for April 1. Liu Jiangjiang, the director of "Life Events", supported Han Yan, the director of "Tumor Jun" and "Little Red Flower", and so on.

I combed through the young Chinese directors and finally understood why Du Qifeng's "yin and yang weirdness"
I combed through the young Chinese directors and finally understood why Du Qifeng's "yin and yang weirdness"

The producer of the TV series "Moses on the Plain" is the sixth-generation great director Diao Yinan, who supported Zhang Dalei after the 80s. The movie version of "Flame on the Plain" is another young director Zhang Ji. In June last year, Diao Yinan's producer also filed a literary film "Rainy Night Mambo".

This director Zhong Beier is 91 years old, and his previous job was the executive director of Diao Yinan's films.

I combed through the young Chinese directors and finally understood why Du Qifeng's "yin and yang weirdness"

In addition, the Pingyao Film Festival was organized by Jia Zhangke, and last year he and Ning Hao also completed "Big World Gacha Machine", in fact, it is similar to the animation "China Qitan" for young director talents to excavate and try, there are many examples of this same kind of support for young directors.

How fast is Chinese pop culture on the rise? Let's look at this Spring Festival file

I combed through the young Chinese directors and finally understood why Du Qifeng's "yin and yang weirdness"

The third is that due to the rise in the development of Chinese pop culture, talents in other fields will enter the film industry, such as "No One in Sight" in 2022, and the director and Xie Miao also cooperated with a well-known "Northeast Police Story".

I combed through the young Chinese directors and finally understood why Du Qifeng's "yin and yang weirdness"

"No One in Sight 2" has been officially announced to be officially released in theaters, and "Northeast Police Story 2" has also been filmed. If the former theater results are good, I guess "Northeast Police Story 2" will also land in theaters. A martial arts film and a modern action film are both scarce themes in Chinese films now.

I combed through the young Chinese directors and finally understood why Du Qifeng's "yin and yang weirdness"

This director Yang Bingjia is very, very young, only 31 years old in 1992.

The rise of this wave of mainland young directors is very large, according to my observations, let alone Hong Kong and Taiwan, even the same young Korean directors with great momentum are far inferior. If you don't believe it, check the director according to the popular Korean film and television dramas, and after I checked, I found that in addition to a few sporadic 8090s, the mainstream is the 6070s.

I combed through the young Chinese directors and finally understood why Du Qifeng's "yin and yang weirdness"

All this is the rapid development of the pop culture industry, the entry of hot money, the expansion of the industry, and the beginning of attracting talents at home and abroad into the industry.

In recent years, the Hong Kong entertainment industry has not been without talents, helpless resources scarce old people are unwilling to let go, do not dare to let inexperienced newcomers pick the beam, like "Crime Scene" and "Tomorrow's War" director is a technical job turned regular, but you only know Koo Tianle, right, do you remember who the director is?

I combed through the young Chinese directors and finally understood why Du Qifeng's "yin and yang weirdness"

Another example is Weng Ziguang, the director of "When the Wind Rises Again", who is already one of the few outstanding young directors in Hong Kong that I think. The mainland animation "Deep Sea" and "Nameless" are not very successful commercially, but the two directors can definitely make films with larger investments.

The box office of "When the Wind Rises Again" has swooped, and now there are two roads in front of Weng Ziguang. Either come to the mainland to make films, in the final analysis, you can only rely on the huge mainland to eat. Either stay in Hong Kong to make literary and art films with small investments, and the probability of making films with large investments is relatively low.

I combed through the young Chinese directors and finally understood why Du Qifeng's "yin and yang weirdness"

Finally, we don't just talk about the good and the bad, like the dispute between Jia Zhangke and the official at the Pingyao Film Festival, and the talents held out may not be talents, but young talents are the future of an industry. The upside is the trend of everything, and the downside is gone forever.

In recent years, the rise of young director talents in the mainland has been very fast, and the Spring Festival files "The Wandering Earth 2" and "Manjiang Hong" have also caused netizens to debate about the succession of new and old directors, but I think that the people's growing spiritual needs, the unbalanced and insufficient development of popular culture, and the succession of young talents does not seem to be fast enough.

I combed through the young Chinese directors and finally understood why Du Qifeng's "yin and yang weirdness"

For example, last year, a network shouted "Special Hero Huang Jiguang", the investment was very low, but the various details of the movie were in place, the weapons were restored in battle, and the spirit of the Chinese revolution was very in place. And Bona just officially announced that he wanted to remake "Shangganling", and it is rumored to be Hong Kong director Liu Weiqiang. Young talents take over, come more fiercely.

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