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To Tell the True Beijing

“My dream to visit Beijing becomes a truth after so many years of delay. During these days, I experienced a lot of amazing and fresh events by myself, not through the fragmentary reports from the media.” Through an interpreter, a taciturn Leconte expressed his feelings about Beijing. “Actually, it’s much more than amazing!” His partner, Peroration, nodded in agreement.

Leconte is the fourth director to participate in the Vision Beijing film project, although his main assignment will be to focus on Beijing’s tourism in the run up to the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. His work under the project is sponsored by the Beijing Tourism Administration.

The Vision Beijing programme, primarily sponsored by the Information Office of the Beijing Municipal Government and the Beijing Foreign Cultural Exchanges Association and organized by the Beijing Foreign Cultural Exchanges Center, has mutated somewhat because of its increased recognition around the world and the needs of its sponsors.

Already, Italian director Giuseppe Tornatore and Iranian director Majid Majidi have completed their filming in Beijing. Daryl Goodrich and producer Caroline Rowland, who visited Beijing earlier in April, are expected to begin filming one short film in two versions under a special agreement with the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad soon. But the main mission of Vision Beijing, that five famous film-makers will make five short films about Beijing as it prepares to host the 2008 Olympic Games is on track. A fifth famed film director will be decided soon to share the director’s experiences and impressions about Beijing with the world via the short-film form.

Leconte was born on November 12, 1947. He decided to be a film-maker at a very young age, and went on to attend France's most prestigious film school, IDHEC. With such films as The Hairdresser's Husband, Ridicule, and The Widow of Saint-Pierre, he has built a reputation as one of France's most versatile directors, at ease tackling subjects ranging from mental illness and sexuality to canny deconstructions of wit and society.

As a native Parisian, he naturally compared the people and situations of the two capitals, Beijing and Paris. He said that Beijing’s modernization is much higher than his anticipated. He did not expect that Beijing to have so many cars and high-rises and the economy is much more flourishing and active than anticipated.

“Although I cannot reach a final conclusion about Beijing during this short experience, I have felt the adaptability and diligence of Chinese people in the reform and opening up,” he said. He said he can more easily understand the sense of crisis of some western people who realize the Chinese people are vigorously working to surpass the western economies, while other westerners indolently indulge in touting their past achievements.

After viewing Beijingers at work and play, such as at the Temple of Heaven on a weekend morning and the Beijing Planning Exhibition hall, the director expressed his admiration for Beijingers. He said he could sense the Beijingers’ happiness with their lives. The people here enjoy their relaxation and amusements. Maybe some of them are disabled or have bad economic conditions, but they still enjoy dancing freely regardless how skilled. They still laugh happily despite their past or present hardships.

Leconte said he has great expectations about the Vision Beijing and Beijing Tourism Administration film projects.

He said it was a good idea to call on some international directors to jointly make short-films to promote the 2008 Olympic Games, and they will be high quality films, because he said the project amounts to a kind of self-induced competition for the directors who will do what they can to showcase Beijing and to display their skills and sensitivities in doing it.

Vision Beijing is part of an unveiling of China’s capital city, a city with a history of more than 3,000 years, including 850 years as a significant world capital in ancient and modern times.

During their visit to Beijing, Leconte and Peroration visited some of the city’s world-famous cultural heritage sites, the Temple of Heaven, Forbidden City, the Summer Palace and Great Wall, but they also toured the Beijing Planning Exhibition Hall, Capital Museum and the city’s Olympic venues to get to know the city.

There was also some time for fun and relaxation as they dined on imperial cuisine at the Fangshan Restaurant, at Fried Bean Sauce Noodle of Old Beijing, Quanjude Roast Duck Restaurant and as they browsed the Panjiayuan Antiques Market, Shanghai Tang Chinese Style Fashion Shop at Oriental Plaza, pubs at Shichahai and the 798 Arts District, which reflect a more modern side of Beijing.

“I should tell other people about a true Beijing through my film, to let them no longer stop in the imagination, of course through an active and positive way, let them learn the passion and enthusiasm of Beijingers,” Leconte said. “I’ve had a lot of fun here; I should pass on my pleasure to more people.”

Leconte is notable for his refusal to be easily categorized as a film-maker during his long and productive career. He showed his nature again during his visit when he said he would accept no organized scenes and will instead try to capture the most lifelike images of the residents of this city and finish his creation with his assists and musicians.

In his collaboration, Peroration will make music before the filming and Leconte will film in tune with the rhythm of the music.

Peroration said, “We have experienced so many wonderful things, an idea has already come to me.”

The two have successfully collaborated before, creating many works this way, including Dogora and The Widow of St. Pierre.