Planning | DOCO editorial department interviews and editors丨Guests from Yinxue丨Zhang Zhaowei
In recent years, with the rapid development of the Internet and the industrialization of content production, we have gained countless viewing possibilities in the field of documentary images. Our vision is no longer limited to documentaries, but exists in a wider world. Does the complicated information screening make you tangled with difficulty in choosing? The DOCO editorial department has newly launched the [DOCO Film Recommendations] section, which aims to allow practitioners of documentary images to select the most worth watching films for readers from a professional perspective, and reduce the tedious film selection process. We hope that the recommenders are not limited to documentary directors, but also include producers, curators and film critics, so as to capture high-quality images for everyone from more dimensions.
Featured in this issue
Director Zhang Zhaowei: Co-founder and production director of CNEX. He used to be the editor of Taiwan Break Weekly and the documentary director of Hong Kong Sunshine TV. In 2006, he participated in the founding of the CNEX documentary agency, which supports the creation and promotion of Chinese documentaries on both sides of the strait and three places. So far, he has supervised the production of hundreds of documentaries. The director's works include "Soaring to the Sky", "The True Color", the second season of "Heirloom", and the first and second seasons of "Nourishing All Things" .
The recommender's reason for the recommendation
This is a non-fictional drama film based on a true story and presented in dialogue. In fact, there are relatively few films in the current dialogue style, and most audiences will find it very boring. However, the earliest ideological works in the history of human civilization are all dialogues, whether it is the Analects of Confucius in China, the Bhagavad Gita in India, or the Utopia in ancient Greece. It was taught orally and later presented in writing. But to be a movie, it must not just be a quiz, otherwise it will become an interview TV show, rather than a relatively complete work.
CNEX made a documentary called "Happiness Freeze" two years ago, which was formed based on the dialogue between husband and wife. But this is not a simple question and answer, but a dialogue between the two sides evenly matched. In fact, it is difficult for the documentary to make the two sides of the dialogue willing to reveal all their inner feelings, but if a proper plot interpretation is added, it can touch the depths more deeply. At this level, the apparent real or fictional or not - is it fact? Is it reality? ——It is no longer the point. How to capture the authenticity of the soul is the question that must be answered. Therefore, although "The Pope's Inheritance" is based on real events, some of it is a further plot deduction, with non-documentary elements, which will make the dialogue and characters more three-dimensional and in-depth.
In this film, you can feel that each dialogue between the two characters is progressive, touching the core of many issues. The most superficial is: what method to take when a group, a society, and a country face a crisis Solve the crisis? Conservative or open? This cannot be accomplished through the operation of the superficial system. In fact, behind all social, political, and family conflicts, there will be private dialogues and expressions of positions. Just like in the film, two people sit down to drink and chat after dinner, which often happens in the field of diplomacy, but it is not a formal diplomatic vocabulary, but a process of soft sexual intercourse. Through these processes, the first and last two popes have made us understand that even within the same group, there will be different views and positions; even if there are collisions of different views and positions, a common way must be found in the end. This revelation is very important for how the human society seeks common ground while reserving differences, and how to harmonize with differences.
Because of the current epidemic, we can perceive that the world is undergoing great changes every day, and we will also receive various messages. Compared with before the epidemic, now we can see the richer appearance of ordinary people, and also have a deeper understanding of daily life and inner emotions in different regions. The window through which we looked at the world in the past is still the same window, but because the epidemic has penetrated many appearances, we can see another light. Although it is not very real, we will have a clearer understanding of the different cultures of the world. For our generation, this is a precious experience. Therefore, watching this film at this special moment, my heart will be very clear and clear. The future Pope in the film experienced very intense social, political and emotional conflicts when he was young. He has always carried this deep pain in his heart, but on the other hand, he is constantly looking for ways to face and deal with these pains. He is actually teaching the world how to deal with pain and conflict when we face it.
In terms of shooting techniques, this film uses a large number of handhelds to shoot front and back, which will give the audience a very special sense of intimacy, and the handheld will make the audience feel like they are in the scene of the dialogue, just like Normandy in "Saving Private Ryan" The landing battle. On the other hand, the two veteran actors are not just reciting their lines, they each have a lot of delicate movements and facial expressions, which may be unconscious or performed, but they will all be captured by the handheld camera. The editing method of the whole film is also superb. Generally speaking, the director, editing, script, and actors of the film here are very good, but I feel that it is a pity that I did not win the Oscar.
I have always felt that there are very few films about this kind of "heart". Heart-to-heart talk is not preaching (that would add unnecessary burdens), but moving towards mutual tolerance like a burden. The works that I value more, no matter what the subject matter, are all references to this spiritual aspect, rather than just the observation records and statements of superficial phenomena. This film is one of the few film and television works that is full of fullness from superficial phenomena to spiritual exploration. I am very satisfied with it. To be honest, it’s hard to have a film these days that makes me feel physically and mentally satisfied. I've watched it twice, and will continue to watch it again and again in the future.
Industry Expectations of Film Promoters Now some directors are dealing with film themes that are close to the spiritual level, and so am I. My experience is that only by taking pictures and approaching that spiritual level will I know where my limitations lie. To put it bluntly, where my current inner cultivation level is, the level of the film will be. I have been thinking about why many of today's films are not expressive enough? Is it because there are more and more people doing this business and more and more products? Is the commercial mechanism forcing everyone to go in one direction? Or is the preparation of our image workers and the depth of social support not enough? I'm curious, why is Netflix in the US investing in this film? Looking back at our society, what kind of films and works do we need? Are you willing to provide creators with corresponding opportunities and resources? Do creators have the ability to pursue such profound expressions? These are questions.
The society has been supporting young directors and giving them many fields to try. At the same time, this society should also be mature enough to actively give Mesozoic directors sufficient opportunities and resources to practice a common self and society through the creation of works. I look forward to the opportunity for Mesozoic directors to have this kind of profound cultivation, especially through public welfare projects. Because commercial projects are subject to market and time pressures, there are limits to the practice. While public welfare projects are usually for an ideal, the market and the cycle are less restricted. For mature directors with experience, the room for play will be very different, and the return to the society will be more profound. If our society wants to produce more works with spiritual aspects, it is a crucial process to take the initiative to open up such a cultivation space for the creators of the Mesozoic generation, rather than just regard them as hens who can win prizes and bring goods.
I hope that there will be more films that are not made for commercial purposes. These are exploring the homeland of history and culture, and promoting spiritual traditions and beliefs. Society itself needs to encourage projects like this for a higher level of spiritual refinement and to satisfy deeper physical and mental needs.
Finally, I would like to say: Documentary is not the only cultural form that carries reality, but it is where reality starts. Documentaries can open a window on the wall of everyday inertia for you to see the other side of the world. But as a creator, what I want to do is not just to open a window for you to look out of the window, I want to push you out of the window through my works, to touch these realities, to touch the heart - whether it is soaring , or fall to the ground, whether in pain or pleasure. Reality has power, and documentary must have the same power, so as to live up to the people and things that we have ingested in the film.
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