Interview of Guo Jin, the director of “Spring Festival in the Ancient Village”

 

Director's Profile: 

Guo Jin, born in 1962, learned music since childhood. He served as the director of operations of the China National Traditional Orchestra and the Working Committee of Typecast Actors of the China Film Association.

Over the years, he has directed a few large-scale variety shows, stage plays and tourism performances.

He planned to film the five-episode documentary “Exceed Samsara” starting from 2013 and completed the filming in 2016. The film was shortlisted in the semi-final section of the 2017 Guangzhou International Documentary Festival, China.

The 100-episode documentary “Operas in China” planned since 2017 is being filmed.

The documentary “Spring Festival in the Ancient Village” planned since 2018 has been put on record by the China Film Administration and is being submitted for approval.

Question 1. “Spring Festival in the Ancient Village” (古堡里的年) is a slice-of-life documentary about the rural community for Xiaoyi in Shanxi Province. It’s a beautiful film about wonderful, real people and their unique culture. What made you want to make a film about them?

Answer: In the end of 2017, when I was choosing the locations for shooting the series documentary “Operas of China” , I discovered the old mountain village called “Xicuo Bao”. Although the buildings in this village look deserted, they keep their original features. Only some elders and children are living there. But they are simple and kind.  I was deeply touched by the preservation of their ancestral properties and their passion about love. I came up with an idea immediately. I should record these scenes with a camera so that the next generations and more people can get to know there is such a group of people with rich emotional life on the Loess Plateau even in the modern age with advanced developments in civilization.

Question 2: Guo Jin, the director of the film, is a musician and director of the Chinese National Traditional Orchestra. The film also features a lot of traditional Chinese music and performance. What role does traditional music and opera play in Chinese culture and history?

Answer: Chinese national music and local operas are rooted in all aspects of Chinese society over centuries. They are the major cultural and art forms for Chinese people, especially in the vast rural areas. The history of Chinese opera can be considered as a cultural history. Through the period of nearly a thousand years, Chinese operas demonstrate the mores and ideals of Chinese society very well on the stage or in the farmland. They represent people’s sincere feelings in diverse culture of the public. Chinese operas advocate traditional values like loyalty, filial piety, chastity and righteousness as well as senses of propriety, justice, honesty and honour. These traditional values have played an irreplaceable role in the cultural heritage over the long period of Chinese history.

Question 3: Do you worry that many younger people do not pay enough attention to their traditional culture? Do you think that these traditions will die out if the next generation do not take them up?

Answer: Objectively, with the continuous development of the society, many excellent cultural traditions have faded out of people’s horizon. If we don’t rescue them in time and let the young generation learn and know them, these intangible cultural heritage will surely die out. 

Question 4: International reception for “Spring Festival in the Ancient Village” has been very positive and the film is competing in festival competitions around the globe. What do the people of the village think about their lives being watched by audiences across the world?

Answer: I still remember clearly scenes and the people during the time we were shooting the documentary. I believe that the villager will have shy and joyful smiles if they know that the audience around the world are watching their life.

Question 5: You have already made many documentaries in the past, such as the series “Operas of China” and “Exceed Samsara”. What do you plan to do next?

Answer: I have already finished the earlier stage for the episode of “Shanxi” in  “Operas of China”. We are now doing the post production of this episode. Meanwhile, we are also preparing for the episode of “Shaanxi”.

“Exceed Samsara” is a biographical film. The first part has been completed. It is about the life of a Living Buddha in Tibetan Buddhism and his search for the reincarnated soul boy for over 8 years as well as the enthronement of the reincarnated soul boy and his life and study afterwards. We are now preparing for the second part, which is about the growth of the reincarnated soul boy.

Interviewed by: David James Bell  Edited by: Li Yingdeng