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Vision Beijing Concludes, Fieve Works Premiere

After more than 600 days of planning, filming and post production work, the VISION BEIJING film project held its global premiere on February 24, 2008, in Beijing. The works of five world-famed directors who participated the project were shown to the public, serving as an audio-video record of the rich connotations of Beijing's “People's Olympics.” Meanwhile, this event will provide the world with some insights into Beijing's history and culture in an engrossing and entertaining way.

The VISION BEIJING project is sponsored by the Information Office of the Beijing Municipal Government, the Beijing Foreign Cultural Exchanges Association and the Beijing Tourism Administration. It was organized by the Beijing Foreign Exchanges Center and Beijing This Month Publications.

Five of the world's best film directors, Giuseppe Tornatore (Italy), Majid Majidi (Iran), Patrice Leconte (France), Daryl Goodrich (Great Britain) and Andrew Lau Wai-Keung (Hong Kong), were invited to make a short film each about Beijing and its people’s preparations for the 2008 Olympic Games. Following their own styles, these five directors told five stories of Beijing in their own ways. These passionate and inspirational films portray the beauty and charm of this ancient yet rapidly modernizing international metropolis and the host of the 2008 Olympics.

VISION BEIJING gave Italian director Giuseppe Tornatore the inspiration he needed to come to China for the first time. He said he was strongly attracted to Beijing: “Shooting this short film was an important experience in my life, as I have loved this city for a long time. I could see the expectations and confidence in the future in the young people's eyes. I’m touched by the Beijingers’ faith in the future while respecting their traditions and their passion towards life,” said Tornatore. Inspired by this “faith in the future while respecting the traditions,” he made Reunion, which tells a touching story of teacher-students reunion after decades of separation.

It was also the first time for Iranian director Majid Majidi to visit and work in China. After visiting Beijing’s World Cultural Heritage sites, the Beijing Urban Planning Exhibition Hall, the Beijing Shichahai Sports School and the Beijing Beihai Kindergarten, he said: “This was my first chance to experience Beijing, but I feel very warm here, as our cultures are connected. China is a mysterious and wonderful place, and the Chinese people make this place mysterious and wonderful.”

Children are typically Majidi’s favourite film actors and subjects. He is always inclined to portray the real lives of common people. In his short film, Majidi captures a group of ordinary Beijing students in yellow, blue, green, purple and red clothes on a morning in Beijing. The students are shown riding their bicycles as they bear their colourful wish-filled balloons through crowds, parks, streets, office buildings and public squares. On various plazas around the city, the students let fly their balloons which attract the attention of people in the area. The balloons soar before coalescing into beautiful Olympic rings. The final scene caused thunders of applause at the premiere.

Patrice Leconte had also never been to Beijing before he joined the VISION BEIJING project, but his wit and charm are evident in photos taken of him during his introduction to Beijing.

“I have long wanted to visit Beijing. I wondered many times how it would feel to stand on the Great Wall one day. Beijing’s romance is never less than that of Paris, so my film, like Monet’s Impressionism, will not focus on details but will treat the imagination. This unique style will inspire the desire of people to come to Beijing.” To achieve his effect, Leconte shot his Monet-style Beijing—A Film Impressionistic, with the Great Wall stretching before us in space and time, the solemn Temple of Heaven, the Summer Palace, kites, modern structures, busy city streets and a quiet park. All these images drift along on a grand musical cloud.

Retired as an athlete, British director Daryl Goodrich found his career in a combination of sport and film-making. He is famous for his successful promotional film in support of London's bid for the 2012 Olympic Games. Moved by the expectation and enthusiasm of Beijingers for the Olympic Games, he said, “Beijing is really a wonderful city with its blend of the classical and modern. I can sense its Olympic inspiration, and I can see people's enthusiasm for sport.” He said he enjoyed his time in Beijing and the people involved in the VISION BEIJING. “I’ve learned a lot more about you, and I hope you’ve learned more about me.” Sports are loaded with passion and excitement, just like Beijing.” His five-minute film about Beijing, Belief, focused on athletes pursuing their Olympic and sports dreams, whether as Olympians or as ordinary people engaged in non-competitive sport in a city park. He emphasized the hard work and especially the belief in self he feels is needed to enjoy the thrill of athletic competition and the Olympic spirit. At the same time, the film records Beijing's efforts to build a greener, healthier and more harmonious Beijing in tune with the needs of people and nature. Along the way, Goodrich features former Olympic champions such as Deng Yaping, Dong Jiong and Yang Bo, whose hard work, persistence and belief in themselves, their coaches and their teams resulted in them achieving their Olympic dreams, not only in their own careers, but in pursuing the 2008 Olympics for Beijing, realizing China’s 100-year-old Olympic dream, the theme of Goodrich’s work.

Hong Kong director Andrew Lau Wai-Keung, who is also a cinematographer was the only Chinese director chosen to participate in VISION BEIJING. But Lau is also a gourmet. In his eyes, nothing is more attractive to visitors to Beijing than the city's food. “My deepest impression about Beijing is its grandness. I can see and feel its long-historical culture, and I’m proud of it. Beijing’s food, like Beijing’s culture, represents a distillation of the best the world has to offer; it is really worthy of appreciation and respect. I hope to share these cuisines with my audiences through my film, to let people experience Beijing’s grand and marvellous catering culture and the Chinese spirit.” So he expressed his love in his Colour, Fragrance, Taste Beijing.

Allowing people around the world to experience Beijing through the lenses of foreign film directors was the original motive of VISION BEIJING. International film directors from different cultural backgrounds will bring the various aspects` of Beijing to a worldwide audience: as such, it represents a new approach in promoting Beijing. The five films will serve as authentic and realistic portrayals of Beijing before and during the 2008 Olympic Games.

During the project, many embassies in China and film-making agencies lent their support to VISION BEIJING. More than 30 of the world’s best film directors received invitations to consider participating in this project, and more than 500 letters were exchanged as the programme was discussed. Through these cordial letters, the directors could sense the sincerity, kindness and enthusiasm of the VISION BEIJING Organizing Committee and the people of Beijing, impressing many directors and drawing warm comments and suggestions, even though only a few could participate. Others expressed the hope of filming in Beijing in the future.

The Organizing Committee also enjoyed the support of society. More than 10 cultural celebrities served as advisors to the project, such as Xu Zhihong, Liu Huan and Ma Wei; many famous actors participated, such as Zhang Yang, Tian Zhuangzhuang and Jiang Wenli. More than 100 sites were used as shooting scenes. Nearly 300 film-makers and more than 1,500 working staff, nearly 30 famous actors and sports stars and more than 2,800 extras were involved in this project.

After the premiere ceremony, these five films will be shown via CCTV, Beijing TV, the national TV stations of Italy, France and Iran, on flights of Air France, Air China, in cinemas in Beijing, via Beijing’s city TVs, mobile TVs, subway TVs, city big-screen TVs and during other cultural exchange occasions.