China News Service, Beijing, March 27th: From the East to the West, how can the beauty of movies be shared?
——Exclusive interview with the famous Italian filmmaker Marco Muller
China News Service reporter Gao Kai
As one of the first batch of Italian students after the founding of New China, the famous Italian filmmaker Marco Muller watched many Chinese films while studying in China in the 1970s, met Xie Jin and other filmmakers, and developed a strong interest in Chinese films. After returning to Italy, Marco Muller actively organized Chinese film exhibitions in Europe, translated Chinese films, published articles, and published books to promote Chinese films and culture to the greatest extent.
Marco Muller has been at the helm of many international film festivals such as Venice, Rome, Pesaro, Rotterdam, and Locarno, and has promoted more Chinese films internationally as film festival director, film selector, and consultant.
Recently, Marco Müller accepted an exclusive interview with China News Service's "East-West Question" and shared his thoughts and opinions on topics such as his origins with Chinese films, the value of films in cultural exchanges, and the future development of Chinese films.
The interview transcript is summarized as follows:
China News Service reporter: What made you become interested in Chinese culture? How did you get involved with Chinese movies?
Marco Müller:
I studied anthropology as an undergraduate and came to China to study in the 1970s. By some chance, I entered Liaoning University to study popular literature. My teacher, Professor Wang Xiangfeng, gave me a lot of explanations about Chinese classical aesthetics. It was such a shock that I still remember it vividly. From the teacher, I first learned about the aesthetic ideas of "The Literary Mind and the Carving of Dragons", which opened up the "picture" of Chinese culture. Chinese classical aesthetics and aesthetic ideas gave me a lot of inspiration.
With the foundation of aesthetic appreciation, Chinese movies immediately attracted me. In 1977, I watched an outdoor movie, "The Red Detachment of Women" directed by Xie Jin, on an outdoor basketball court in Nanjing, and I became obsessed with director Xie Jin and Chinese movies. During that period, I also watched many old Chinese movies, such as "The Goddess", "Cross Street", "Street Angel", etc. I felt their unique aesthetic ideas and was deeply attracted to them.
In 1976, Marco Muller (front row, first from right) was at Liaoning University in Shenyang. Photo provided by interviewee
China News Service reporter: In your eyes, where does the appeal of Chinese movies come from? You have expressed your love for Xie Jin's works on many occasions. What do you think is special about Xie Jin's films?
Marco Muller:
What attracted me most to Chinese films at first was that their handling of emotions was very delicate and contagious, and the creator’s perception of subtle emotions was presented on the big screen. From my personal experience, Chinese movies do a very good job of communicating with the audience's emotions. Although the expression is implicit, the "breakthrough ability" to arouse the audience's empathy is very strong.
At the end of 1978, I got the opportunity to meet Director Xie Jin. We started talking about old movies when we first met. He was a mentor who helped me understand Chinese movies in depth, telling me which works from which era I must watch. I learned a lot from him over the years.
Xie Jin’s research on film is extensive and in-depth. He not only researched various film trends in the world at that time, but also presented his in-depth understanding of traditional Chinese opera, painting and other traditional arts in his film works, giving his works an "oriental romantic beauty".
In 1983, Marco Muller (right) and Xie Jin (left) at the French Three Continents Film Festival (Xie Jin’s first master class in Europe, with Muller serving as the host). Photo provided by interviewee
Reporter from China News Service: You have been at the helm of many international film festivals, bringing classic films such as "The Wilderness", "Yellow Earth" and "Raise the Red Lantern" and directors such as Zhang Yimou, Chen Kaige, Tian Zhuangzhuang and Jia Zhangke to the international stage. The biggest challenge is What?
Marco Muller:
When I first came into contact with Chinese films, I thought these films deserved to be seen by more people, because at that time the world’s understanding of Chinese films was almost zero. After returning to Italy in 1978, I began to organize Chinese film exhibitions in Europe, translate Chinese films, publish articles, publish books, etc., and made a lot of efforts.
In this process, the biggest problems are of course cultural differences and translation. For example, the movie "Early Spring in February" directed by Xie Tieli has very strong emotions and typical oriental beauty. However, if you don't understand the Chinese society and historical customs at the time, you will have a completely blank impression of the original novelist Rou Shi and the Chinese literature of the time. , there will be a big obstacle in understanding this movie.
Another example is the movie "Yellow Earth" directed by Chen Kaige. If you don't understand the historical background, you may not understand this movie. To this end, we need to provide as much relevant information as possible in film festivals for international audiences, such as specifically adding some elements in translation to help the audience understand the background of the film.
In recent years, a number of sales companies with roots in China and overseas markets have appeared in China, and they have made many useful attempts in cultural translation. In addition, another help is to hire more mature overseas editors to watch the final version of the film and provide comments. They can often not only understand the director's creative intentions, but also be familiar with more international picture expressions. In this sense, Editors are also "translators" who help global audiences understand movies.
Marco Müller (front row, right) and Chinese director Jia Zhangke (front row, left) at the Venice Film Festival in 2006. Jia Zhangke's "The Good Man" won the Golden Lion Award. Photo provided by interviewee
China News Service reporter: What are your evaluation criteria for good movies? Will different cultures cause barriers to movie appreciation? How do the beauty of Eastern and Western films have something in common?
Marco Muller:
In fact, like all viewers, I think a good movie can move me. It is undeniable that different cultures can cause obstacles in understanding the work, but I think it is by no means insurmountable. The part that really touches people in a good movie is that it is so penetrating that it can break through any barrier.
In a darkened theater, when the dark screen lights up, for about two hours, a good movie will make people forget who they are and which cultural circle they belong to. The audience can and is willing to see the world with another pair of eyes. , when looking at life, you don’t particularly care where your eyes belong. When the film ends and the world around them lights up again, it is difficult for the audience to escape emotionally for a while, and they will have a strong desire to understand the world on the screen. I think this is the most intuitive role of movies in communication between different cultures. It is very emotional and comes naturally.
In 2010, at the 67th Venice Film Festival, Mark Mueller (right), who serves as the festival director, and Chinese director John Woo (left), who won the "Golden Lion Award for Lifetime Achievement". Photo provided by interviewee
China News Service reporter: What kind of development pulse do you feel about Chinese films? What advice do you have for young Chinese filmmakers on the international stage?
Marco Muller:
Chinese films have developed rapidly and have gone through different stages. I very much admire the exploratory spirit of China’s fifth-generation filmmakers, who surprise people with their constantly innovative ways of expression. In my opinion, the current creations of Chinese filmmakers also have their own distinctive characteristics, such as the presentation of local culture and the good use of dialect narratives. These are more vivid expressions of Chinese culture.
In 2007, Marco Muller (right), then artistic director of the Venice Film Festival, and Chinese director Zhang Yimou (left), who served as chairman of the jury. Photo provided by interviewee
More and more young Chinese filmmakers are beginning to try commercial and popular films. What is valuable is that many of them pay great attention to personal style and artistry. My advice to them is that on the one hand, they should research and learn more about the needs and trends of the international film market, and understand the differences and commonalities between different cultures to better adapt to the needs of the international market; on the other hand, continue to explore different The creative direction of the film fully expresses the emotions of Chinese films towards the current era. (over)
Interviewee profile:
Marco Muller, artistic director of film festivals, international film scholar, and film producer, has been at the helm of many international film festivals such as Venice, Rome, Pesaro, Rotterdam, and Locarno. Over the years, Marco Muller As a film selector, producer, film festival director, etc., he promotes Chinese films in major film festivals around the world and continuously improves the visibility of Chinese films. He is known as the first person to promote Chinese films to the world.
As a filmmaker, his independently produced or co-produced works have won many awards, including the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film and top awards at the Cannes and Venice International Film Festivals.
He has published many books on world cinema. Since 2021, he has served as a distinguished professor of the Shanghai Film Academy and the artistic director of the Film Art Research Center at Shanghai University.