(East-West Question) Marco Müller: How did those Chinese films shine in the West?

　　China News Agency, Taiyuan, January 18th: Why did those Chinese films shine in the West?

　　—Interview with film historian and filmmaker Marco Mueller

　　China News Agency reporter Hu Jian

　　In 1981, the Italian Marco Muller, who was the Asian film consultant of the Venice International Film Festival, brought the film "The Wilderness" to Venice, opening the international road for Chinese films.

During the 40 years at the helm of international film festivals such as Pesaro, Rotterdam, Locarno, Venice, Rome, etc., Marco Müller brought Chinese directors such as Chen Kaige, Tian Zhuangzhuang, Zhang Yimou, Jia Zhangke to the international stage, and is known as "The The first person to push the film to the world".

　　Why are these Chinese films able to shine on the Western screen and become famous internationally?

As a "China Hand" who has lived in China for more than 40 years, how do you view the cultural differences between China and Italy?

How do you view the development of Chinese films when the Chinese box office exceeds 40 billion yuan a year?

During the Pingyao International Film Festival, China News Agency's "East and West Questions" column conducted an exclusive interview with film historian, film producer, and chief consultant of the Pingyao International Film Festival, Marco Muller.

The following is a summary of the interview transcript:

China News Service reporter: What prompted you to travel thousands of miles to study in China more than 40 years ago?

Marco Müller:

I started learning Chinese at the age of 16 (1969) and went to the evening school run by the Italian China Friendship Association.

With the establishment of diplomatic relations between Italy and China in 1970, the two countries began to exchange students. I became the first group of Italian students after the founding of the People's Republic of China and studied popular literature at Liaoning University.

During that time, I watched a lot of Chinese model drama films and films made by socialist countries such as Albania and Romania, which gave me a strong interest in Chinese films.

People waiting for admission in front of Wang Su Cinema in Heihe City in 1979.

Photo by Qiu Qilong issued by China News Agency

　　After the Spring Festival in 1977, a large number of old movies hit the screen. At that time, I found that Chinese movies have a long history and are very diverse.

In about a year, I watched more than 150 Chinese movies.

One evening in the summer of 1977, I watched Xie Jin's "The Red Detachment of Women" at a stadium in Nanjing, and was attracted by his unique film style.

Two years later, I became Xie Jin's "apprentice", and it was then that I began to study Chinese films in the 1930s and 1940s.

I felt that Chinese films needed more overseas audiences, so at the beginning of 1982, I decided to do a large-scale retrospective of Chinese films in Europe (Turin, Italy), which screened 135 Chinese films.

In 1998, the National Ballet of China performed "The Red Detachment of Women" in Hong Kong, which attracted media attention.

Photo by Yang Zuohuan issued by China News Agency

China News Service: In 1980, you sent Chinese director Ling Zi's film "The Wilderness" to the Venice International Film Festival, becoming "the first person to bring Chinese films to the world".

What do you think these "going out" Chinese films have in common?

Marco Muller:

China resumed the college entrance examination in 1977. After the school started in 1978, a group of newcomers appeared at the Beijing Film Academy, and they had many new ideas for movies.

At that time, the films I watched were all made by Tian Zhuangzhuang, Zhang Yimou, and Chen Kaige.

After watching the short film "Our Corner" by director Tian Zhuangzhuang, screenwriter Chen Kaige, and filmed by Zhang Yimou, I told them, "In the future, when you make a feature film, I will definitely find a way to bring it to Venice and Europe."

　　Later, like Zhang Yimou's "Red Sorghum", it brought that very strong local culture to Europe.

Jiang Wen and Gong Li showed foreign audiences a different performance style from the previous Chinese actors in the movie, as if they suddenly opened a window to understand China.

Another example is Chen Kaige's "Yellow Earth" after it was screened at the Hong Kong International Film Festival. I sent it to the Locarno International Film Festival for the first time it was screened in non-Chinese speaking regions. Chen Kaige didn't have a passport at that time.

I took the stage to introduce the film and said, "This is an important inspiration for new Chinese films."

In August 2003, the 9th Huabiao Awards for Chinese Films was announced in Beijing. "Hero" directed by Zhang Yimou won two awards: Special Contribution Award and Outstanding Foreign Co-production Film.

The picture shows Chen Kaige presenting the Special Contribution Award to Zhang Yimou.

Photo by Wu Zhonglin issued by China News Agency

　　At that time, Western media began to discover that popular Chinese films also had unique styles. Although there were great cultural differences between China and Europe, these directors did not make cross-cultural films, but focused on China’s local culture. Let more foreign audiences begin to love Chinese culture.

　　One of the important reasons why these directors can succeed in international film festivals is the vigorous development of Chinese literature. Many films are adapted from literary works, and those works have a profound understanding of contemporary Chinese society.

In addition, the exchanges between China and European countries have never stopped. Writers, artists and filmmakers often come to Europe for exchanges. Chinese contemporary literature has begun to be translated into many languages, and Chinese culture has gradually become an indispensable part of Western daily culture. part.

In May 2014, at the 67th Cannes International Film Festival, the premiere of Zhang Yimou's new work "Return", which participated in the special screening, was held. Director Zhang Yimou and starring Gong Li, Chen Daoming and Zhang Huiwen walked on the red carpet.

Photo by China News Agency reporter Long Jianwu

China News Service reporter: After more than 40 years of life observation, what do you think are the differences between Chinese and Italian cultures?

Marco Müller:

Actually what I do is to make more people realize that we (Italy and China) are not that different.

Looking back, the work I have done is divided into two stages. The first stage is to introduce China through movies. The second stage is to let every ordinary overseas audience watch Chinese movies with Chinese eyes. to see the world.

By the mid-1990s, Chinese films began to be slowly accepted by the Western world and were no longer "mysterious culture from the East".

China News Service reporter: In 2021, the total box office of Chinese films has exceeded 40 billion yuan, ranking first in the world. What do you think of the development trend of Chinese films?

Marco Muller:

There has been a debate in the past two years, "Should Chinese films continue to maintain their own unique cultural style, or should they learn from Hollywood to shoot super blockbusters?" In these arguments, we must not forget that Chinese films are The audience in China is very diverse, and the audience in China is also very diverse. For the audience of Wenqing, China is 10 times or even 20 times more than Italy.

For example: In Shanghai, I often go to the Daguang Cinema to watch movies. The largest cinema there can accommodate more than 1,000 spectators. It is often overcrowded, and even tickets cannot be bought. This shows that the audience’s demand for movies is still very strong, including literary and artistic movies. , I think the future of Chinese films will definitely develop towards this kind of diversification.

In February 2021, people in Taiyuan, Shanxi Province watched a movie in a theater.

Photo by China News Agency reporter Zhang Yun

China News Service: As the chairman of many international film festivals, how do you view the significance of Chinese film festivals in the development of global culture?

Marco Muller:

I think the most important significance and role is to discover new Chinese filmmakers, especially the Pingyao International Film Festival, which focuses on new global directors. We have been introducing new directors to domestic and foreign audiences and media. It is precisely Because of their youth and their observation of contemporary society, they will bring some new thinking to global culture.

(Finish)

Interviewee Profile:

　　Marco Muller, film historian, film producer, chief consultant of Pingyao International Film Festival, artistic director of Shanghai University Film Art Center, and distinguished professor of Shanghai Film Academy.