Image Courtesy of 圖片提供 ｘ PYIFF 平遙國際電影展
Translated by 翻譯 ｘ Nicholas Anderson 尼古拉斯•安德森
Edited by 編輯 ｘ Michelle Yu 余小悦
Jia Zhang-ke is one of the most critically acclaimed filmmakers working in China. He is both an award-winning auteur film director and producers. His films have received critical praise and have been recognized internationally. His first feature film “Xiao Wu” （“The Pickpocket”, 1998）received a great success，winning both the Wolfgang Staudte Award and the NETPAC Award at the Berlin International Film Festival. His film “Still Life” won the Golden Lion Award in the Venice Film Festival in 2006 and his film “A Touch of Sin” selected in Competition at the Festival de Cannes 2013 won the Best Screenwriter Award. In 2010, Jia received Locarno’s Leopard of Honour, while in 2015, he was awarded the Carrosse d’Or prize at the Cannes Festival.
賈樟柯，中國著名導演、作家、制片人，其作品在國際上獲得很高聲譽。1998年，處女作《小武》獲柏林電影節青年論壇大獎。2006年，故事片《三峽好人》獲第63屆威尼斯國際電影節最佳影片金獅獎。2013年，故事片《天注定》獲第66屆戛納國際電影節最佳編劇獎。2010年，賈樟柯獲瑞士洛迦諾國際電影節榮譽金豹獎。2015年，獲戛納國際電影節導演雙周單元終身成就金馬車獎。
ART.ZIP: From the perspective of choosing the films for Pingyao International Film Festival, are there any unique ideas that separate this from other national or international film festivals?
JZK: I personally don’t specifically participate in the selection work. We have a team of 8 people, they take charge of the process of finding, watching and contacting various film teams. According to the year’s specific creative plan they will frame their viewpoint and understanding. Selecting films for a film festival is an abstract proposition and relies on the creative needs of the actual situation. For film selection teams, their main focus is to understand these films and to capture their creative aspects, as well as sorting a trend from them. All these finds will form a curatorial approach to inform the audience.
ART.ZIP: What is the ratio of Chinese and non-western films showing at this film festival?
JZK: We don’t have a set ratio. If a particular region’s films are especially prominent in the year, we will select more films from that region, it is not considered from a set ratio point of view.
ART.ZIP: These non-Chinese, non-western films all reflect different societies and contexts. For Chinese audiences there must be some difficulty in connecting with them?
JZK: From a personal point of view, I feel that non-western films can be understood by China because they are closer to Chinese society, the level of development is more similar. Of course, another important part of the film festival is the academic forum. Pingyao International Film Festival emphasizes academic discussion, we will gather world-class film historians, film critics and conduct multi-event symposiums and other academic activities.
ART.ZIP: If a prominent film reflects societal problems and differences to mainstream values, will they be included in your selection?
JZK: We only have one selection standard, an artistic standard. However we must also operate in accordance with the Chinese Film Act.
ART.ZIP: You mentioned Pingyao International Film Festival will establish a specific evaluation system, can you specifically talk about this?
JZK: The recognition and evaluation system of the artistry of film is based on the overall understanding of contemporary movies. For a variety of reasons, films made outside of China, Europe and America, cannot be fully understood, commented and discussed. There are areas that have for a long time been active components of film’s language, expanding the overall craft as well as being able to describe human life from different angles. Each nation’s respective industrial strengths and weaknesses affect the spread of the outstanding creative work and the understanding of their artistic value. In my experience of working in China, every year China has many young directors, but the number of people understanding of them is actually limited. Pingyao International Film Festival hopes to draw people attention to these overlooked films. We’d like to share these cultural achievements with more people. Using this film festival, we hope to establish a new vision and use the nature of a film festival to more effectively air these movies.
ART.ZIP: What kind of benefits do you expect this film festival to have on Chinese cinema?
JZK: I hope that the films shown at the film festival will inspire people working in the Chinese film industry, at the same time, I hope that through the film festival, it will encourage greater understanding and cooperation between Chinese filmmkers and the film industry all over the world.
ART.ZIP: To the winners or selected directors, what kind of follow up support will they get?
JZK: Pingyao International Film Festival is a young film festival, freshly conceived. We hope the first few years will allow people to understand this film festival, at the same time I also hope to organize more resources in the future, to allow the participating directors to benefit more.
ART.ZIP: Many film festivals, apart from featuring films also focus on networking, so with Pingyao International Film Festival what plans are there to develop business and industry connections?
JZK: We hope to gain more confidence in the film industry. So that they can more actively participate in the festival’s activities. But the festival is just a platform. We won’t specially intervene in the film industries work. Simply speaking the festival aims to pave the road for creative filmmakers.
ART.ZIP: What is the biggest challenge in creating this film festival?
JZK: Apart from the team selecting the films, our organization has a lack of experience. We hope through 3 years of hosting we will become an experienced and creative group.
ART.ZIP: Apart from Shanxi being your hometown, is there any other reason that you chose Pingyao to host the film festival?
JZK: Small cities are well suited to hosting film festivals. In relatively peaceful cities, it is easy to focus on the festival. In Pingyao we have an independent cinema, guest can easily meet and interact, undisturbed by the hustle and bustle of a big city.ART.ZIP: For people coming to Pingyao for the first time, how would you recommend they spend a day?
JZK: Apart from watching the movie, the audience’s attention can be drawn to the surroundings. I suggested everyone treats Pingyao as the centre, tracks connect Jinzhong to the surrounding counties. Because Jinzhong has a large number of cultural relics, the attractions are close to Pingyao and easy to access.
ART.ZIP：平遙國際電影展從選片的角度來說有沒有獨特的立意區別於其他國際性或國內的電影節？
JZK：我個人不參與具體的選片工作。我們有一個8人組成的選片團隊，他們會在觀看、接觸、尋找電影過程中，去根據當年度具體的創作情況，形成他們的觀點和認識。電影展的選片工作只有大的抽象性原則，而選片是要基於創作的實際情況進行的。對選片團隊來說，他們的核心工作是了解這些電影，捕捉這些電影中創新性的部分，以及梳理眾多電影中呈現出來的某種趨勢，將這些發現通過策展的方法，告訴觀眾與媒體。
ART.ZIP：此次電影展將會放映中國電影與非西方電影的比例是怎樣的？
JZK：我們沒有預設地區比例。如果某一個地區的電影在本年度特別突出，將會加大這個地區的選片量，不會從比例上考慮。
ART.ZIP：這些非中國、非西方的電影所反映的不同社會形態和上下文，對於中國觀眾來說接受起來會不會有一定難度？你們會舉辦怎樣相應的活動來進行深入探討呢？
JZK：從個人的角度，我覺得來自非西方國家的電影更能被中國理解，因為它們與中國的社會情況接近，發展階段相似。當然，影展另外一個重要的部分就是學術論壇，平遙國際電影展的節目策劃強調學術含量，我們會組織國際一流的電影歷史學家、電影評論家，進行多場次的專題討論論壇等學術活動。
ART.ZIP：如果參選所反映的社會問題與主流價值觀有差異的話，會被納入你們的選片範圍嗎？是否存在藝術以外的評價標準？
JZK：我們只有一個評價標準，就是藝術標準。但是我們也必須按照中國已頒布的電影法規定進行操作。
ART.ZIP：你們提到平遙國際電影展會樹立起一個專屬的評價體系，請問能具體談談是怎樣的嗎？
JZK：電影藝術的認識和評價體系，是建立在對當代電影整體了解、熟悉的基礎上的，因為各種各樣的原因，在中國，歐美之外的電影並不能夠得到充分的了解、評論和認識，而這些區域，長期活躍著對電影語言拓展性的工作，以及對人類生活多角度的描述。各自國家工業體系的強弱，影響了這些優秀創作的傳播，和人們對它們藝術價值的認知。就我在中國工作的經驗，中國每年有非常多的年輕導演，人們對他們的了解卻不多。平遙國際電影展希望讓人們關注到這些容易被忽視的影片，使得這些文化成果能夠被更多的人分享。通過電影展，我們希望建立起一種新的視野，並利用電影展的傳播能力，有效地為這些影片服務。
ART.ZIP：您期待這次電影展對於中國電影能起到怎樣的促進作用？
JZK：希望電影展展出的影片能夠對中國電影工作者有所啟發，同時也希望透過電影展，建立起各國電影工作者之間、電影工業之間相互更多的了解，促成更多的合作。
ART.ZIP：對於獲獎或參選的導演，他們會獲得怎樣的後續支持呢？
JZK：平遙國際電影展是一個年輕的電影展，它剛剛誕生。目前，我們希望通過前幾屆的舉辦讓人們了解這個電影展，同時也希望能盡快組織好更好的資源，讓參展導演更多地受益。
ART.ZIP：許多電影節除了精選影片放映以外也會注重產業對接，那麽平遙電影節在商業發展和產業對接上有怎樣的計劃呢？
JZK：我們希望能夠獲得電影產業界更多的信任，使他們積極參與電影展的活動。但電影展只是一個平臺，我們不會具體地介入到電影產業性的工作之中。簡單說，電影展就是修橋、鋪路。
ART.ZIP：創辦此次電影節最大的挑戰是什麽？
JZK：除了選片團隊，我們的組織經驗欠缺。我們希望通過三年的舉辦，形成一個具有經驗、具有創造力的組織團隊。
ART.ZIP：除了因為山西是您的故鄉以外，有沒有別的原因讓您選擇在平遙舉辦電影節？
JZK：小城市非常適合做電影節。相對平靜的城市氛圍，容易讓電影節形成聚焦效果。我們在平遙擁有獨立的電影宮，來賓容易聚合，方便互動，不被城市的喧囂幹擾。
ART.ZIP：對於第一次來平遙的友人，您會推薦他怎麽度過在平遙的一天？
JZK：在看電影之余，觀眾的關注點可以向周邊延伸。我建議大家以平遙為中心，足跡可以涉及晉中周邊各縣市。因為晉中有大量的文物古跡，這些景點距離平遙很近，交通非常方便。
