Song Chong
35 years ago, I was a young director, I was able to become the director of a Children's Film Factory in China, from a director to a film entrepreneur and film entrepreneur, thanks to Mr. Yu Lan's discovery, recommendation and vigorous support for me, she changed the trajectory of my life, is my life path of Bole.
Yu Lan and Song Chong. This image is provided by Song Chong
Like all the audiences of our generation, I grew up watching Mr. Yu Lan's films, "Cuigang Red Flag" won the Best Actress Award at the Montreal Film Festival, the revolutionary mother in "Revolutionary Family", the martyr Jiang Jie in "Eternal Life in the Fire" made me unforgettable, and Teacher Yu Lan is an older generation of revolutionary artists and performing artists I admire.
Stills from "Eternal Life in Flames"
I first met Teacher Lan when I attended the National Literary Congress. Teacher Yu Lan, whom I had never met before, actually went to the hotel room where we were staying to find me for a long talk.
At that time, after the "Cultural Revolution", the chaos was rectified, and the central government Deng Yingchao, Kang Keqing, and Chen Muhua actively advocated, and the Politburo of the Central Committee decided to set up the Beijing Children's Film Studio to professionally shoot children's films, serve 400 million children and children, and carry out international children's film exchanges.
But at that time, Mr. Yu Lan had passed the retirement age, and because of several major surgeries, he felt deeply physically weak, and was determined to choose a person who loved children, loved the children's film industry, had a sense of responsibility and dedication, understood the film business, had leadership skills, and was young and powerful, and was a successor.
She personally mobilized me and talked to me about the tasks and responsibilities of the central authorities for children's film factories, about the ardent expectations of 400 million children for spiritual food, and about the hardships of setting up factories and starting a business. I was touched by her sincerity, the Chinese literati, who have always "died for those who know themselves", and the grace of knowing the encounter should be repaid by the spring. Immediately, I agreed to join their team and work together to start a business.
But for the sake of prudence, she insisted that I go to the factory to see first, understand the real situation, and then make a final decision.
Yu Lan and Song Chong participated in the Bulgarian International Children's Day. This image is provided by Song Chong
In the summer of 1986, I went to beijing children's film factory to investigate, and my mood suddenly tensed up - compared with the old factory with a long history of Shanghai Film Studio, it is really a world of difference, completely different.
At that time, the children's film factory was called "son factory" by the people of the north film factory, just on the south wall of the north film factory, a few board rooms were built, and it was not as good as the social factory. Asking for money without money, asking for no one, and having no equipment was the norm for children's film studios at that time. But Teacher Yu Lan never cried bitterly, learning the iron spirit of Daqing Wang Iron Man, always saying "there are conditions to go up, and there are no conditions to create conditions to go up."
Teacher Yu Lan and several old ladies ran around to build the factory, begging grandpa to tell grandma, which can be described as "running and breaking legs, grinding mouths, tears and sweat." "Starting from scratch, difficult to run the factory, the conditions are poor, but Yu Lan's entrepreneurial spirit and dedication of "everything for children" deeply touched me, and at the same time I also felt the great responsibility, the more arduous the more forward, I am determined to learn from Mr. Yu Lan, when the director of the children's film studio can only do better things and strive for the cause of children's films.
I have made a lot of children's films, and I am also a "big child" in my heart, and the children's film career has made me feel full of enthusiasm and ambition. Teacher Yu Lan has always remembered and appreciated my kindness to me. However, for some time afterwards, I actually had a question, Teacher Yu Lan and I had never met, how did she find me? Teacher Yu Lan later answered a reporter's question and talked about this question before answering my question.
At that time, Yu Lan, who was not in good health, wanted to find his successor, first selected from the choreographers who had experience in children's film creation. She took the initiative to ask the opinions of the young and children's audience, and she asked the children, "Have you seen 'The Shining Ball'?" ”
The children jumped up excitedly and cheered: "I have seen it, I have seen it!" ”
Poster of "Shining Balls of Color"
In fact, at that time, the attempt at children's films was an unintentional move in the creation of many subjects. And she thought from the children's feedback that this director must be a director who is well versed in children's psychology, and only directors who are familiar with children's life are so popular with children.
The name Song Chong entered her vision, but she was not familiar with me after all. So she went to Shanghai to find the old sisters of the film industry, Qin Yi, Teacher Zhang Ruifang, etc., to inquire about my situation, and these big sisters also said a lot of good things about me.
At that time, Shanghai considered my identity as a "cadre's son", plus I made some films with good response, planning to let me continue to focus on creation, not to "become an official", after Teacher Yu Lan heard about it, he said, "Song Chong, you don't need it in Shanghai, we want it!" "The film studio was reluctant to release people, and Teacher Yu Lan did the work up and down, and finally issued an order.
In this way, in 1987, he took office in Erying. For a family to relocate from Shanghai to Beijing, it is a very complex and trivial event. In this process, I once again experienced that Teacher Yu Lan was attentive and thoughtful to others. Hukou, housing, family transfers, work arrangements, children transferring to schools and studying, etc., Teacher Yu Lan personally did their own work and properly solved them one by one. My lover is a Shanghainese, the homeland is difficult to leave, not accustomed to northern life, Teacher Yu Lan often cares about her life, kindly persuades, and helps implement new units and new jobs. As the saying goes: live and work in peace. Teacher Yu Lan took great care of me and made me worry-free.
In my career as a director, I have made many children's films, and I am often invited to talk about children's films and their careers. In the subsequent growth, Yu Lan worked hard to develop the children's film career, searched up and down, and worked hard, until the last moment of my life, every bit inspired me.
Yu Lan. Yi Xiaowei Tu
Now that Teacher Yu Lan has passed away for a year, this year is also the day of her 100th birth, and I often think of her. Her voice and smile often appear in front of my eyes, her concern for the film industry still echoes in my ears, and the classic image she has created and her noble character are deeply engraved in the hearts of every generation.
She not only created the first peak of the children's film industry in New China, but also laid a solid foundation for the prosperity of the children's film industry in the new era. I, and all the kids, miss her.
(The author Song Chongzhi is a national first-class director, who was the director of China Children's Film Studio and the director of Beijing Film Studio, and has filmed children's films such as "Thunderbolt Beibei", "Shining Color Ball", "Sanmao Saving Orphans" and so on)
Editor-in-Charge: Zhang Zhe
Proofreader: Zhang Liangliang