Question 1. “Chinese New Year’s Eve” is a film about the eponymous festival, which is also known as Spring Festival in China. Chinese New Year has often been described as the East Asian equivalent of Christmas. What’s the significance of Chinese New Year to Chinese people?
Answer: Chinese New Year is the most important festival for Chinese people over thousands of years. This tradition has lasted for 2000 years. On the Chinese New Year, all families will have reunion parties and all debts will be cleared. Then, it really means the new beginng. Everyone wishes that everything will go well in the New Year and everything will be different. Of course, it is a good wish. However, it is just a wish. Life is never like what we wish. All unsolved questiones in the previous year will still emerge in the new year. With the coming of the Internet era, people’s life is more and more fragmented. The Chinese New Year which had been celebrated for a month in the past is now shortened to half a month or just a week. For some people at present, it is just one day. So, we are telling a story which happens in one day. This story is somewhat like a Christmas. But there are many differences. Chinese New Year is less religious. But it has the intense atmosphere of “family belongingness”, which is at the peak in a year.
Question 2. The film focuses on a conflict between generations which is something which happens in all cultures around the world. What do you think are the main causes of generational conflict in China?
Answer: I think the main causes for Chinese generation conflicts are different lifestyles and communication ways. The way of communication and information exchange in the Internet era is different from that in the traditional agricultural society full of familiar people. That is why there is the gap of culture and tradition between generations.
Besides, two generations have many differences in terms of lifestyle and thought. The story is set in North China. It is a relatively recluse place where the male dominates in a family. In this story, the authority and position of the father cannot be challenged. However, the son with university education background and work experience in foreign companies obviously has conflict with the family culture that is based on clan culture.
I think the generation conflict not only exists in China but also exists in East Asia civilization because of the crash between modern civilization and agricultural civilization.
Question 3. Director Zhao Yuan has won many awards and accolades in his many years of film-making. Do you think these awards are important to film-makers? What affect does it have on a film-maker when they win awards?
Answer: It is a very happy thing to receive an award from a film festival, especially the first awards in my career. It would be a very memorable thing for me. I still remember the moment when I was nominated in a film festival for the first time. I was walking on the road then. I was worrying about all things needed for shooting several days later. My family called me and told me that I was nominated. The news was like a boost so that I felt there was no more difficulty for the coming shooting. I had enough courage to go on. A good film festival experience and award winning is like fireworks given to you by the audience and the professional jury. Look at the fireworks, then all joys will stay in your heart. Then you can have enough courage to carry out the next project and go further.
To win an award in a film festival is like finding an island and anchor point in the navigation. With the awards and good memories, the filmmaker will adjust his route and reach the final destination.
Question 4. As an experienced film-maker, what advice would you give to young film-makers who are starting out in this business?
Answer: In face of films, I always think I am just a pupil. I have no difference from the young filmmakers who just start up. I still have reverence for filmmaking. I even have the will to contribute all I can as I am touched by myself and the improvement of my works. If there were a Goddess of Film, I hope she would watch my works. I also want to ask her about her views and evaluation criteria for commercial films and art films.
All young filmmakers shall have confidence in themselves as in the world, what makes difference in each shot is yourself, your attitude and opinions on this story and how you resent your world of image. This is the most precious thing for a filmmaker. The merchants make commodities for the work while the artists connect the spiritual world with one’s soul through their works.
Question 5. What projects are you working on at the moment and what can we expect from you in the future?
A: Recently, I finished a film with typical elements of Chinese culture. It is a fashion show on the gate tower of one of the most famous advantageous strategic passes in China. You can imagine it is a Chinese costume show on the Great Wall. Of course, the fashion show is connected with the techniques of filmmaking. It took a lot of hard work to make the film. But we created an amazing work. After returning to the city from the shooting place, I am continuing other two works. One is the film on Chinese education. The other is a short video about the young people who are pursuing their dream in the era of fragmented life dominated by Tiktok. For me, the two works are of the same significance as the form of film and the way to watch a film may have dramatic changes for the young generation. I want to feel and embrace such changes.
I love films. I hope I can carry on the most enjoyable work.
Interviewed by: David James Bell Editted by: Li Yingdeng
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