When cinema imitates life

Critically-acclaimed Chinese filmmaker Jia Zhangke will discover India and experiment with virtual reality in his upcoming projects

October 26, 2016 12:00 am | Updated December 02, 2016 11:48 am IST

Boundless:A sense of universality makes Jia Zhangke’s films leap beyond geographical boundaries and cultures.— Photo: Rajneesh Londhe

Boundless:A sense of universality makes Jia Zhangke’s films leap beyond geographical boundaries and cultures.— Photo: Rajneesh Londhe

About five feet four inches tall, dressed in black and sporting a gentle smile, Jia Zhangke comes across as timid and soft- spoken at first glance. The critically-acclaimed director also radiates an inexplicable sense of enigma. As he speaks, the mystery begins to unravel and as you watch his movies, you are filled with a sense of awe

Known famously as the leading figure among sixth generation Chinese filmmakers, Zhangke is fascinated with realism and individualistic struggles. What is most striking about the filmmaker is his simplicity, a quality that trickles down to his films and makes them relatable the world over.

It is with good reason then that Zhangke has been honoured with the ‘Excellence in Cinema’ award at the Jio MAMI 18th Mumbai Film Festival with Star. His two films, Unknown Pleasures (2002) and A Touch of Sin (2013), are being screened at the festival. The filmmaker also addressed a packed auditorium at a master class moderated by Chaitanya Tamhane, the director of Court (2014).

Exposure to cinema

The 46-year-old filmmaker’s understanding of issues concerning the working class stems from his life experiences. Raised in Shanxi province in north China, Zhangke witnessed widespread poverty, hunger and China’s cultural revolution during his formative years. But after 1978, the filmmaker noticed that the socio-economic situation in his region changed for the better. Hunger was no longer a malaise, and that also changed people’s priorities.

As the cultural floodgates opened, Zhangke and his friends were acquainted with world cinema and music for the first time. He fondly recalls watching the Raj Kapoor film Awaara (1951). “That was one of the first foreign films to be shown,” says Zhange, and hums a song from the classic. He points out that the leading characters in Awaara and his directorial debut, The Pickpocket (1997), were both petty thieves.

It was Taiwanese pop singer Teresa Teng’s music that exposed Zhangke to a school of thought that deeply permeated his cinema: individualism. Most songs that Zhangke learnt in his childhood had the word “we” in it, but Teng’s music acquainted him with the idea of “me”.

From his earlier works to his recent films like A Touch of Sin (2013), Zhangke has liberally explored the personal struggles and egocentric approach to life of his protagonists.

The three philosophies

While growing up, two incidents had a profound impact on Zhangke: the death of his friend in a bike accident and the demise of his classmate’s mother in a wall collapse. Zhangke says he often wonders whether the two accidents were destined and inevitable. “What if the woman hadn’t climbed that wall or if the truck that hit the boy was late by five minutes?” asks Zhangke, who is fascinated by the concept of timing. He is curious about time and the way it changes people; a theme he has often explored in his works.

In his late teens, Zhangke was in search of an art form that would help him explore three ideas he was preoccupied with: death, destiny and timing. He first dabbled in poetry and fiction writing. But when he watched the Chinese classic drama Yellow Earth (1984), Zhangke realised the potential of cinema and chose it as his medium of expression.

Shadowboxing the state

Distinctive of a sixth generation filmmaker, Zhangke’s films brought to the fore lesser explored documentary aesthetics and the notions of truth and reality. Addressing social inequities and the struggle for validity, Zhangke made his films ‘underground’, without the patronage of the Chinese government. The filmmaker has a word of advice: if you are determined to make good art, then you must persevere against all odds. Initially, universities and coffee shops were the only platforms to showcase his films. So Zhangke began to look beyond borders and collaborated with foreign financers to jump aboard the global boom of indie cinema.

After less than a decade of striving, Zhangke received state approval with his film The World (2004). “Earlier the government used to tell you if you could release your film or not, but now there’s room for discussion,” says Zhangke, who firmly believes a filmmaker must not compromise on his vision.

Harbinger of change

Having stood his ground through turbulent times, Zhangke says filmmakers who stay true to their vision can make a dent in the system over a period of time. The most notable change for Zhangke is the acceptance of regional dialects in Chinese cinema. “The government wanted all actors to speak in accepted Mandarin,” says Zhangke. But he believed in retaining the authenticity of characters who grew up in rural pockets of China by making them speak in their dialects. After years of rebellion, Zhangke managed to convince the government. “You must never forget where you’re from,” he says.

The neighbour’s knock

Zhangke says Indian audiences not just watch but also understand his films. He is positive about a rise in Indian-Chinese collaborations after signing a co-production treaty in 2014. Focusing on the ancient links between India and China, Zhangke will produce Journey to The West , a film based on the classic 16th century Chinese novel of the same name by Wu Cheng’en, where ‘west’ stands for India. The novel follows the journey of a seventh century Buddhist monk, Xuanzang, who travels to India and other regions of central Asia.

Zhangke, however, clarifies that he won’t be directing the film but will be producing it under his Fabula Entertainment banner along with the Shanghai Film Corporation. He is also exploring the possibility of a financial co-production with India.

Zhangke says that often the only Indian films people in his country watch are mainstream Hindi films like 3 Idiots (2009). To make independent films from India and other countries accessible to the Chinese audience, Zhangke plans to launch an online video platform called Jia Screen.

Toying with technology

Once fascinated by the documentary format, Zhangke today upholds digital content available online. Along with his team, Zhangke will be curating short films by independent filmmakers from across the globe and showcase it on Jia Screen with an aim to explore new talent and vocalise micro narratives. So far, around 20 short films have been selected and the team is in the process of collecting more. Zhangke says the intention is to curate and recommend films to an otherwise confused audience online. “It’s like an online film festival,” he says.

Taking further his fascination with technology, Zhangke plans to make a romance in virtual reality. He says the project will revolve around the idea of love among youngsters in China, and what better way than virtual reality to explore the changing times.

But does he fear losing control over his audience in the vast world of virtual reality? “The entire world of VR is a framework of a director.” He says the audience is free to make decisions in the medium, but the world ultimately belongs to the maker. Owing to the nascent stage of virtual reality, Zhangke is taking the project slow, but is confident about the medium. “When movies were first being made, it was all about playing around with a camera.”

Exploring new avenues

Zhangke is also planning a martial arts movie. It is rather evident that he is exploring newer avenues, but at the core of his appeal still lies a sense of universality that makes his films leap beyond geographical boundaries and cultures.

If you are determined to make good art, then you must persevere against

all odds

0 / 0
Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.