The movie "Space Exploration Editorial Department", as of the publication, was marked by 185,000 people on Douban to watch, and the score was stable at 8.7. Strictly speaking, it is also the "most anticipated film and television in 2023" No.1.
Let's go bigger, the film directed by Kong Dashan is the most special "folk science fiction film" under the sci-fi boom in the past two years; On a smaller scale – I want to see it! When I was a child, which literary and artistic youth was not shocked by "Legal Future Time" directed by Kong Dashan?
Not only me, but also Wang Yitong, the screenwriter and starring of "Space Exploration Editorial Department". It was precisely because of the birth of this "pseudo-documentary" that they promoted their future cooperation - a crazy, hilarious and moving "folk science fiction film".
But how to say, the real heat is too high. Before the premiere, the busy director Kong Dashan and the equally busy screenwriter Wang Yitong gave me 30 minutes to let me enter their inner world. I, for my part, recorded it almost without any deletion. Whether you walk in or not, you have the final say.
Tips: No spoilers, the terrier is very dense.
PART 01
"Sister... You can't shoot that."
GQLab is good! This is the first interview in the morning, right?
Wang Yitong: Yes, but not much today – there are only 5 more.
GQLab ...... I think 5 is already a lot.
Wang Yitong: You haven't seen Kong Dashan, I heard him say yesterday that he can schedule more than 20 games a day. It's especially like "Groundhog Day", a state that keeps repeating, and our tension about the upcoming release of the movie has been exhausted.
GQLab So I'll try to be as interesting as possible, but it's not unconventional. I want to be curious about what kind of person do you think Director Kong Dashan is?
Wang Yitong: When I watched his "Legal Future Tense", I knew that he was the "godfather of pseudo-documentaries" in the Chinese film industry hahaha!
(Kong Dashan comment: I thank you!) ）
As far as he can go in this field, Chinese films can go. But he gave his "Legal Future Tense" a star on Douban, and you'll have to ask him later.
GQLab OK, I have a lot more than I want to ask him. Let's talk to you about the movie "Space Exploration Editorial Department" first. First of all, is it science fiction?
Wang Yitong "The Wandering Earth" is a science fiction film, and we are a "folk science fiction film", just like the relationship between scientists and "folk science".
GQLab Hahaha I thought it was a literary film.
Before I came to you today, I asked a colleague who had seen the film in Pingyao to hear her evaluation. She said two words to me: "mature."
Wang Yitong Haha, there was an interview yesterday that Kong Dashan and I were particularly naïve, like two teenagers.
(Kong Dashan's comment: How good is childish!) I don't like maturity, I like childishness! ）
So I think what you said about "mature" is very interesting, maybe technically - especially editing - the so-called audiovisual language, which is derived from the high degree of control of director Kong Dashan, so the texture is very strong.
There was a roadshow and I almost stunned someone because she said the movie, like "she made it with DV." I thought to myself, "Sister... You can't shoot that. ”
GQLab She may think you're vlogging, but it's actually a "pseudo-documentary".
Wang Yitong: Right! The director's ambition is very big, we just borrowed this shell, the difficulty of shooting is much higher than that of ordinary feature films, the audience has a little distrust, and the whole film collapses. It should borrow the power of real images to build a "real world".
PART 02 "Everyone is crazy, crazy people see madness"
GQLab But you're not only a screenwriter, but also a starring actor. Are you worried that the problem is with your acting skills?
Wang Yitong: Alas, there really isn't, it's just some blind confidence. And I'm a model for the director, I never look at the monitor, I don't watch the playback. It's actually a bit of a "cheat", we know each other so well that I can guess what he wants.
And acting is so fun, I want to act next time.
(Kong Dashan's note: I want to act too!) ）
GQLab: You really trust the director.
Wang Yitong: Yes. I used to really worship, but now I am also a teacher and friend, and I am learning things every day with him.
(Kong Dashan's note: I don't think I'm so daddy... ）
And I think he's getting more and more sunny and confident, he didn't turn out to be like that. You listen to what he has to say then, I'm afraid I will miss it to him.
(Kong Dashan's note: I have always been sunny and confident! ）
GQLab I started to worry that I didn't have enough time for interviews, and you guys piqued my curiosity too much.
Let's talk about "crazy" again, everyone says that this movie is so "crazy", do you agree?
Wang Yitong: The main thing is that everyone is crazy, and the crazy see madness.
I think there is a crazy atmosphere on the Internet, such as "crazy literature", which is a fresh way of expression. You see, we scold people often say that a person is a neurotic, this is a dirty word. But now everyone is starting to advertise themselves as "crazy", and I think this calmness is a comfort. This thing should be positive.
GQLab: Do you know what people say about Space Exploration Editorial Office? They said there was no one in the movie who wasn't crazy.
Wang Yitong: Eh, it's really not! Maybe they are a little paranoid, but in fact they are also cute, and I agree with Kong Dashan on this point.
GQLab Dou Wentao seems to have said something to the effect that if you go deep enough into a person's heart, it is difficult for someone who is not crazy.
Wang Yitong: Right. That so-called "normal" must be a mean that flattens all the edges and corners of all people, but everyone should have his own free place to grow.
(Staff: So, can you give us 2 minutes to eat buns for a teacher?) I'll be interviewed again later. ）
Wang Yitong: This bun... Beijing's buns... (Say go squat aside).
(Editor: Hmm. Very free. It's crazy. Very good. Well. ）
PART 03 Wang Hongwei is "father" and guo fan is "brother"
The GQLab movie is about to be officially released, are you nervous?
Kong Dashan is fine. The real pain is that just after the finale, the past three years (creation) are too tired, so I have been having nightmares after finishing work, at least half a month. Every dream is about rushing – a race against time. After a long time, this is PTSD.
It is true that there were too many negative emotions during the shooting, especially Wang Yitong suffered too much, and I took a lot of anger that I couldn't make with others on him, and he endured it. On the night of the finale, after shooting the last shot, Wang Yitong and I said: "Great, you can finally change back to the mountain you used to be." ”
GQLab was violently moved. Then "Space Exploration Editorial Department" can come to this day, you want to thank the most...?
Kong Dashan Of course, teacher Wang Hongwei and director Guo Fan, without them, there would be no this movie.
(Editor: Huh? An expected breach? ）
I've known them for more than ten years and really feel like family. Teacher Wang is the "father", and director Guo Fan is the "brother". It was under their patronage that I made the film.
Director Guo Fan has never let me fuck the heart of "money", I have never seen a single investor, he has helped me solve it, and I will purely create.
Mr. Wang Hongwei is a teacher at my film school and the producer of this film. On the first day of school, he assigned me the assignment of "pseudo-documentary", which he taught me, and even my view of film since the age of 21 to the present is established under his influence. This is the "Legal Future Tense" and the "Space Exploration Editorial Department".
(Editor: Wow... ）
PART 04 The First International Forum for the Exploration of Interstellar Civilizations
Where did the form of GQLab come from, we know, so what is the origin of this story? It's really "crazy".
Kong Dashan is actually based on a social news, Shandong Tai.
Just a Shandong farmer, a serious reporter, said that a spaceship came, and then the alien came down, accidentally touched the power grid of the electric wild duck, and then electrocuted. The body was placed in the home freezer and then led to the reporter to see it.
GQLab So... That alien is...?
Kong Dashan silicone doll.
GQLab ...... Cough! Have you seen the videos of interviewing alien experts on the Internet before? Just the one who said he could summon UFOs.
Kong Dashan I know too well! At that time, I went to collect wind and went to a "first international interstellar civilization exploration forum", four or five hundred people, and many circles of masters in it. Among them is an "expert" who has been looking for aliens for decades after graduating from Beihang himself, and he has personally experienced all the famous UFO incidents.
Kong Dashan: At that time, I was talking to an eldest sister who attended the meeting. She asked me what I did, and I said I studied film. She said that if movies are the shadow of electricity, what is the ontology of electricity? Then she started a 30-minute freestyle, her knowledge system was too complex, so that I could understand every sentence of her, but I was confused when combined. She talked from the universe flood to quantum entanglement, from the five elements of yin and yang to the blockchain.
Then I pulled her into the crew. I didn't write the script for her, and the words were all said by herself. You can go and see it in the movie.
There were also two other aunts carrying supermarket shopping bags to talk about returning to their hometown, because their hometown was on the distant Proxima Centauri (and possibly the Pleiades), and they were there lamenting why they didn't come to pick us up. It's even better than our movie.
PART 05 SERIOUS TALK ABOUT MOVIES (NOT FUNNY)
GQLab ...... Ahem! I'm a serious editor, let's talk about Chinese movies!
I remember that you said that "Space Exploration Editorial Department" is a "folk science fiction film", and "The Wandering Earth" is a science fiction film. What's the difference?
Kong Dashan Much like the difference between a roadside stall and a three-Michelin three-star kitchen, let's put it intuitively: I was the director of Group B of "The Wandering Earth" at that time, and at that time there were up to four groups filming at the same time, and the configuration of one group alone was larger than the entire team of "Space Exploration Editorial Department", which was very different.
(Staff: Director Oyama is going to the premiere, can the teacher be a little... ）
GQLab I'll hurry up and ask another question! Just why do you want to give your "Legal Future Tense" a star, are you not satisfied?
Kong Dashan Of course, because of the prestige. People just borrow my film to express a kind of dissatisfaction, I don't think it's necessary, it's just a joke.
"Space Exploration Editorial Office" is more or less sought after by some element of luck, and it is impossible to just because of my talent. In fact, it is the main creators, various departments, teacher Wang Hongwei, director Guo Fan, teacher Gong Ge, Wang Yitong, photography, art, editing... The result of working together.
But what, I have to go to the premiere...
GQLab Time is limited! Long live understanding! Thank you Director!
A second after the interview, the director nodded his thanks sincerely, while his lower body was already twisted towards the elevator and running at great speed.
Half an hour later, "Space Exploration Editorial Department" officially premiered in Beijing, gathering Liu Haoran, Yin Fang, Wang Luodan, Mei Ting, Tong Dawei, Dong Zijian, Chen Kun, Chen Sicheng, Dapeng, Li Xueqin, Qu Chuxiao, Lu Yang, Rao Xiaozhi, Li Shaohong, Bi Gan, Bao Bell, Shuang Xuetao (in no particular order)... and a crowd of spectators who are frantically looking forward to the release of the movie.
Today, the movie is officially released, and this "cosmic joke" will probably shock everyone who comes to "have fun"; But I think there will be people who are willing to go through the plot of the explosive stalk to find that seriousness is as important as humor.
So without further ado, see the end!
Curated by: GQ Labs
Interviewed, written by, edited by Arry
Assists: Qiao Xin, Chen'er
Vision: aube