The Cantonese Opera version of "Thirteenth Boy in the South China Sea" debuts well-known director Gao Zhisen to talk about the current situation and future of Hong Kong movies
[Reported by Du Yanan from China News] In 1997, the year of Hong Kong's return to the motherland, the classic film of Hong Kong's film history "Thirteenth Boys in the South China Sea" was released.
After a lapse of 25 years, "Thirteen Brothers of the South China Sea" was once again staged on the stage of Guangdong Cantonese opera in the form of opera.
The two editions of "The Thirteenth Man of the South China Sea" were born from the same guide, who is the famous Hong Kong director Gao Zhisen.
Whether it is Thirteenth Nanhai, who is embarrassed by the situation of Hong Kong's colonies, or the uncle Pyu, an ordinary citizen who is not a third-class citizen in "Rich and Noble", Gao Zhisen uses his characters to express his feelings for his home country.
"China News" recently talked to director Gao Zhisen.
This senior filmmaker who has come out of the golden age of Hong Kong films, on the one hand regrets that the experience of Hong Kong-produced films has not been properly summarized, on the other hand, he is also confident in the future "north" of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and the mainland's co-production road.
At the same time, as a literary and artistic person who loves the country and Hong Kong, he also has his own concerns and opinions on how to strengthen the national identity culturally in Hong Kong society after the "black violence".
The following is an excerpt from the interview.
[Going through the golden age, where is Hong Kong film going? 】
"China News": You have many roles as director, screenwriter, producer, etc. Are you a person who has dreamed of movies since you were a child?
Gao Zhisen:
I have been fond of movies since I was a child. I like to watch Shaw Brothers martial arts films. My favorite director is Zhang Che who filmed The King of the One-Armed Swordsman. He has to watch every film several times.
I find movies fascinating, they can make you cry, they can make you laugh, they can also make you excited and excited.
Entering the Hong Kong Art City Film Company at the age of 22 was a very big turning point in my life.
My job as a film director started there when Mr. Huang Baiming was one of the bosses and my master.
I am honored that when I was 25 years old, Art City gave me the opportunity to be a director for the first time and filmed the movie "Happy Ghost".
"China News": Comedy films are an important branch of Hong Kong-made genre films. Comedies are not easy to make, but your films such as "Happy Ghosts", "Chicken and Duck Talk", "Rich and Noble", and "Happy Events at Home" are well received and well-received. They are the representative works of Hong Kong's "civil comedy". What are the "secrets" of your creation?
Gao Zhisen:
On the first day I entered the company, the first homework assigned by the boss was to watch all the Chaplin comedies.
There are several characteristics of comedy production at Cinematheque that have influenced me to this day.
The first is to attach importance to the audience and the market. We will go to the theater to watch the newly released movies at the first time and study all the plots in it; second, the comedy is nothing more than "reasonable and unexpected". The audience is unexpected, this is a very important topic; third, we started watching Chaplin's silent films, so we attach great importance to visual effects, which is culturally different from that of more mainland comedies that focus on dialogue.
In addition, there is a life induction problem.
I think filming a comedy is like spraying perfume on the audience, and when the audience gets the fragrance, the person who sprinkles the perfume will always get a little bit of it.
If I'm too pessimistic, I can't do comedy either.
A very pessimistic person comes to make a comedy, everything seems to be gray, and finding these people to make a comedy is the biggest tragedy.
China News: Hong Kong and mainland movie fans miss the "golden age" of Hong Kong films. As one of the witnesses and creators, how do you evaluate the achievements and status quo of Hong Kong filmmakers?
Gao Zhisen:
In fact, the Hong Kong entertainment industry does not pay much attention to the summary of experience, so thank you for your question.
If there was ever a "golden age", I would briefly summarize that it has several characteristics.
First of all, Hong Kong filmmakers attach great importance to solving problems and do a good job of recombining elements; secondly, they attach great importance to cost. We have a saying that "the best bridge is the cheapest bridge", This made investors have the urge to invest in movies; third, the star investment generally did not exceed 1/3 of the production cost. If the proportion was lost, the whole thing would fall into a vicious circle; fourth, the overseas distribution of Hong Kong movies at that time did not exceed 1/3 of the production cost. Very well, as much as possible into the local culture.
In the early 1990s, a small Hong Kong could shoot more than 300 films a year. In recent years, the output was only about 1/10 of that at the time.
One is that Hong Kong films have not summed up the successful experience of the past, and the other is the problem of finding a market.
Hong Kong has a population of over 7.3 million, and the entire Greater Bay Area has a population of over 73 million. There are many opportunities, including movies.
So don't just look at Hong Kong, you should look at the Greater Bay Area (the market) which is 10 times that of Hong Kong.
Hong Kong films have the potential to transfer good shooting and creative experience to the Greater Bay Area, and artistically become a unique part of Chinese films.
[Beijing has a bright future and Hong Kong films should think more to achieve "the article is valuable"]
China News: Since the handover, the exchanges between Hong Kong and the mainland film industry have become increasingly close. How do you view the cooperation between filmmakers from the two places?
Gao Zhisen:
From the production point of view, Hong Kong filmmakers are going north, and the subject matter and shooting scenes are very broad. What they didn’t do well was the promotion and distribution.
Hong Kong filmmakers need to know more about the preferences of mainland audiences, which is an important issue in the future.
Movies should bloom, and Chinese movies can have a part of Hong Kong flavor and style.
It is hoped that in the production process of Chinese films, more consideration will be given to Hong Kong filmmakers.
They have experienced many battles and have very unique shooting methods and artistic expressions.
This year's Chinese film box office champion "Changjin Lake" is a successful case of cooperation between filmmakers from the two places.
China News: You can see more and more traditional cultural elements in your works in recent years. What inspiration and inspiration have the traditional Chinese culture and values brought to you?
Gao Zhisen:
In the past few years, most of my cooperation with the mainland has been opera stage plays.
Including "A Generation of Tianjiao", about the famous Cantonese opera actress Red Line Girl; "Little Star", about a very famous female star in the Guangdong and Hong Kong music circles in the 1940s.
There is also the recently completed Cantonese opera version of "The Thirteenth Man of the South China Sea".
This process is a learning experience for me.
For example, the Cantonese opera "Thirteenth Boy in the South China Sea" has the same theme. It has been a drama and a movie. It can also use another art form and perspective to discuss the script.
Cantonese opera is an intangible cultural heritage and a representative of Lingnan culture. For me, the artistic discussion is particularly rewarding.
Gao Zhisen (first from the right) and the actors of the Cantonese opera version of "Thirteenth Boys of the South China Sea".
(Photo courtesy of the respondent/Reported by China News)
"China News": The movie version of "Thirteenth Boys of the South China Sea" was released in 1997, and the drama version has been performed all the time. This year, the Cantonese opera version has also been put on the stage. Why do you have a soft spot for this subject? After decades of in-depth creation, what is your new understanding of the image of Thirteenth Nanhai?
Gao Zhisen:
The prototype of the protagonist of "Thirteen Men of the South China Sea" is Jiang Yuliu, a screenwriter of Guangdong Cantonese opera.
This is a story about "underappreciated talent". Thirteen Nanhai is already a top screenwriter before he is 30 years old, but all his good fortune will be finished before he is 30 years old, and then there will be all kinds of tests in life.
He sticks to his own creations and doesn't cater to the gimmicky world, which then abandons him.
Screenwriter Du Guowei has a very important dialogue in "The Thirteenth Lang of the South China Sea" - "The article has a price".
Who was the richest person in Hong Kong more than half a century ago?
You can't tell.
But the script created by a screenwriter in Hong Kong in the 1950s is still being performed by a troupe to this day.
As of the latest version of Cantonese opera, I still have a strong new understanding.
If it weren't for the "black violence" that happened in Hong Kong in the past few years, I still don't know where the key point of "underappreciating talent" is.
The tragedy of Thirteenth Nanhai's life is actually a small microcosm of the changes of the great times. He lived in the era of the Japanese invasion of China, and countless people's career prospects died due to the war. How talented a person is is useless.
Through this work, I want to inform the audience that the fate of an individual is closely related to the fate of the nation.
If the country is not as strong as it was in that era, how can the people live and work in peace and contentment?
A strong and prosperous country is the foundation for people to live and work in peace and contentment.
China News: You are also a member of the Hong Kong SAR Election Committee and other public positions. Previously, when Hong Kong encountered turmoil and difficulties, you always chose to stand up and speak out. Are you worried about being the target of attack?
Gao Zhisen:
Actually, we should talk more about this issue.
When the "black violence" occurred in Hong Kong, the police were on the front line to protect the citizens. I think it is necessary to express my support for the Hong Kong police.
Hong Kong has returned to the motherland and is no longer a colony.
As a Chinese Hong Konger, isn't it very logical to say what Chinese people should say in Chinese places?
So you said there is no worry, I don't think I should be worried.
The chaotic forces in Hong Kong have also caused great damage to the Hong Kong film industry.
This destructive force is not only the anti-China and chaotic Hong Kong films they made, but also the impact on the younger generation of Hong Kong. The problem will gradually emerge.
So we have a lot to do in the future.
But the National Security Law has been implemented in Hong Kong, and now Hong Kong is governed by patriots, and there is a perfect election system. I don't think Hong Kong people should lose confidence.
China News: This year marks the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland. The outline of the "14th Five-Year Plan" and the outline of the development plan for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area have placed Hong Kong's cultural development in an important position. What do you think Hong Kong filmmakers can do in the future to enhance the national identity of Hong Kong people?
Gao Zhisen:
Hong Kong is a part of Lingnan culture, and it has also received Western culture; it is not only a meeting point of Chinese and Western cultures, but also a meeting point of tradition and avant-garde.
Therefore, we have the conditions and competitiveness to give full play to our works.
We should have cultural self-confidence and full confidence in the country's development.
Regarding how to strengthen identification, I have personally summarized 6 stages: first contact, then know, understand after knowing, start respecting after understanding, and only after agreeing can you contribute.
In Hong Kong, many filmmakers, like me, have begun to understand, respect, and recognize, and hope to have the opportunity to contribute.
But we also have to face a reality: in the Hong Kong film industry and the public, some people are just starting to contact, some people are just getting to know each other, and many people have not yet started contacting.
So, this is a long road. As a film worker and a media person in Hong Kong, China, I am willing to do my best to talk about it in my works.
(Finish)