Jia Zhangke: "Jianghu" belongs to everyone

Text/He Xiaowei

Jia Zhangke sat on the sofa, very determined.

"In the troubled times in "Children of the Rivers and Lakes", the 'children' all uphold the same belief and principles of life, and they all have friendships. I feel that this 'The Children of the Rivers and Lakes' belongs to everyone."

"Finally shot"

"When I wrote the four words "Children of Jianghu", I seemed to have dived into the depths of my own emotions. In front of my eyes was the little thing and his The figure of the girlfriend riding a bicycle. They are committed to each other, so determined in this world." Jia Zhangke wrote in "Jiang Hu Begins" and said on Weibo at 19:09 pm on September 3: "Newly written. I wrote an article that may explain why I wanted to film "The Sons and Daughters of Jianghu"."

A few hours ago, we interviewed Jia Zhangke in a hotel in Shanghai. Jia Zhangke, wearing a black shirt, sat on the sofa in front of the promotional poster for "Children of Jianghu" and casually told us the story of Bin Ge and Qiaoqiao's "Jianghu" friendship in the 17 years from 2001 to 2018.

When talking about filming the film, Jia Zhangke was a little emotional, with a sense of relief and joy, "It was finally made." However, he immediately changed his tone, put away his smile slightly, and described the shooting as the first time he wrote a novel, "How do you put deep love and friendship in a novel-like structure and finally present it to the audience. I think it’s a brand new creative experience.”

Going back in time, back to August 16, 2017, when “The Sons and Daughters of Rivers and Lakes” was launched. Jia Zhangke posted a message on his WeChat Moments, "Liao Fan and Zhao Tao starred in "Children of Rivers and Lakes". Thank you for accompanying me on this journey of rivers and lakes." By implication, Liao Fan and Zhao Tao gave him the courage and confidence to shoot the film.

Jia Zhangke firmly stated that without Liao Fan and Zhao Tao, he would not have the courage or determination to film "Children of Jianghu", because if the actors do not perform well, the play will become a waste. Jia Zhangke said: "Zhao Tao's performance in "Old Friends in Mountains and Rivers" has been able to control characters with a wide age range. Liao Fan's performance can be a child, a young man, or a very vicissitudes of life. . I think they all have a secret code, which is very mysterious and powerful.”

In “The Sons of Jianghu”, Liao Fan and Zhao Tao Jia Zhangke brought many unexpected surprises. In the dance hall, Brother Bin and Qiaoqiao twisted their bodies unconsciously and danced as the YMCA music played. As they danced, Brother Bin and Qiaoqiao started to have passion and feelings.

Brother Bin accidentally touched the gun and dropped it to the ground, but Qiaoqiao complained about Brother Bin and showed a trace of disdain. Under the stimulation of music and the exaggeration of dance, Qiaoqiao slowly forgave Brother Bin and hugged each other.

Zhao Tao and Liao Fan completed this scene in one go, clearly explaining the love relationship between Brother Bin and Qiaoqiao without a single line of dialogue. Now, when talking about this scene, Jia Zhangke was a little excited, "I had a lot of fun watching it."

"Jianghu" is not far away

The span of 17 years of "Jianghu" is almost Jia Zhangke became a "nostalgic". He chose six different media, including film, DV, and digital, as image carriers, spanning more than 7,700 kilometers, from Datong Road in Shanxi to the Three Gorges and Xinjiang, recording different things and faces in different eras. "We will face that time again." When we are recreating a life, the first thing is the choice of details. If we want to fictionalize a movie and go back to the past, it must have the texture and atmosphere we shot at that time."

Therefore, he chose a song by his favorite singer Ye Qianwen and let it appear repeatedly in the film, which not only formed a historical memory but also expressed the friendship between "sons and daughters". Fans who are familiar with Jia Zhangke may know that he often posts on Weibo related to Cantonese songs, expressing the affection lingering in his songs. "Ye Qianwen's singing is more emotional, affectionate and meaningful."

During the conversation, Jia Zhangke also bluntly said, "Many details of the past ten years have actually been forgotten." In order to make up for the regrets caused by memory, he often looked through past photos alone in his bedroom. material. Looking at the people and scenes of yesterday, Jia Zhangke felt a little melancholy, as if his heart had been scratched by time, with a dull pain, "It really felt like a lifetime ago."

In fact, Jia Zhangke has a habit of taking pictures of people and scenery on the street with a camera. "In 2001, I got my first DV camera. From that time until 2010, I I just go out and shoot a little bit when I have nothing to do. I don’t know what I’m going to do. Anyway, it’s all documentaries.” During the filming process, Jia Zhangke gradually understood that making movies is about finding people who are interested in them. Presenting it perfectly in an unexpected way, "I enjoy the process of shooting very much, because with this kind of shooting you don't know what you will take, and then when you find someone you are interested in, you have to make a judgment. , you have to ask yourself how to express him. I think that’s called making a movie.”

So, in “Children of Jianghu”, Jia Zhangke found it in Liao Fan, Zhao Tao, Xu Zheng and others. They showed their interest and expressed their "jianghu" story in a affectionate and meaningful way.

What’s even more interesting is that Jia Zhangke actually directly appropriated a three-minute clip that he had previously shot on a public car and used it as the beginning of the film. In addition, he also cut out 6 minutes of past material and put it into the film as a historical image. Jia Zhangke poetically described these processed fragments as "the end of the past era."

So, what is the end of "Jianghu"?

Brother Bin and Qiaoqiao are both members of the "Jianghu". However, 17 years have passed and they have both come to an end. Just like at the end of the film, Brother Bin left his home and Qiaoqiao and headed for the "Jianghu". However, when we look back from the end of "Jianghu", we will find that there is too much friendship hidden in it. They love when they want to love, hate when they want to hate, and love and hate are clear.

Jia Zhangke also plunged into the "jianghu" world of Bin Ge and Qiaoqiao. He was struck by their on-and-off love, and a wave of sadness surged into his heart. He used mixed flavors to describe his feelings, saying that he felt love and hate, joy and pain in "Jianghu". "In fact, we don't have any feelings in our daily life. We all naturally accept the new things that life brings." Content, new changes. However, when you look back, you will find that people have been changed by society and time, and the impact has been huge. I also thought about how I evolved step by step from a young man in his 30s who just made movies. To get to this point. Having been through so much, I think it reminds people of moments of love and moments of sadness.”

In "Jianghu", he needs a legend and a "good screenwriter"; in "Children", he needs to be affectionate and righteous. He said: "The rivers and lakes belong to each of us, and we all seek love and survival in the 'jiangs and lakes'."