Wear a red scarf, send colorful roses, light the candles on the birthday cake, and colorful balloons rise into the clear sky... Director Xie Jin's 100th birthday was a very lively one.
On November 20, 2023, the day before the centenary of the famous film director Xie Jin's birth, representatives from Shanghai's literary, artistic and film circles gathered at Shanghai Fushou Garden to "celebrate" director Xie Jin's birthday. Through the review and recollection of the past events of Xie Jin's friends during his lifetime, we express our deep remembrance of Director Xie Jin, who "worked for the people and the times" throughout his life.
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For the Chinese film industry, this year is truly the "Year of Xie Jin". Starting from the "Tribute to the Master" section of the 2023 Shanghai International Film Festival, national touring exhibitions of Xie Jin's classic films will be held in many places; in the film museum, the exhibition of precious objects themed on Xie Jin's films quietly tells the life details of this man who dedicated his life to movies; Recently, the high-quality version of the documentary "One Hundred Years of Xie Jin" has been released online. Filmmakers such as Jiang Wen, Liu Xiaoqing, Chen Sicheng, Zhu Xijuan, He Saifei, etc. all remember the master and talk about their memories in the film. On November 20, director Xie Jin's hometown of Shangyu, Zhejiang, also launched a series of activities to pay tribute to the master through youth festivals, expert symposiums and other activities.
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A detailed account of Xie Jin’s creative life in his works
“Women’s basketball players create the fifth ace
Lao Li understood the expectations of Big Li and Xiao Li
Yue Opera actors show their joys, sorrows and sorrows under the terrace
The Detachment of Women guards the sea of revolution
He traveled to the frontier where the Wranglers lived
Blowing away the mist surrounding the mountains
Water the flowers with warm blood
Beyond the romance of Furong Town
Reappearance of Tianyun Mountain’s life as dust
In Qingliang Temple, remembering the past
The sound of the bell awakens the helplessness of history
…”
A detailed account of Xie Jin’s creative life in his works
The beautiful verses cleverly connect the title and theme of Xie Jin's film. The expressive and emotional interpretations by Shanghai Film and Television actors such as Zhao Jing, Zhang Zhihua, Ma Guanying, and Chen Long present Xie Jin's ups and downs life and deeply rooted works in front of people's eyes.
At the event, many old artists who had worked closely with Xie Jin during his lifetime shared their exclusive memories of participating in Xie Jin's film creation.
Shi Xiaohua
Shi Xiaohua, a female disciple of Xie Jin and the director of films such as "Ah, Cradle" and "Spring Seedlings", recalled that Xie Jin "salvaged" her from the factory to make movies in special years, and reminded her with stern words: "The country did not train you to make you You are a worker and a record-keeper!" This kind of advice gave her a profound inspiration that will benefit her for life. Shi Xiaohua also recalled that Xie Jin opened Xie Jin Hengtong Star School in his later years and personally helped find a way out for the graduates and formed a team for filming. Due to lack of funds, Shi Xiaohua was ordered to accept the director's commission at the critical moment. When a young actor could not meet the director's requirements, she couldn't help but lose her temper. After Xie Jin heard about it, she taught Shi Xiaohua, "They are still children. You have to be patient with young people."
Shi Xiaohua lamented that Director Xie Jin has great love for actors, movies, and people. "His philanthropy has made him a great artist recognized at home and abroad. His love nourishes filmmakers like spring rain."
Lu Junfu
Cinematographer Lu Junfu, who has collaborated with director Xie Jin on many films including "Big Li, Xiao Li and Lao Li", "Furong Town", "The Last Noble", "The Bells of Qingliang Temple", etc., is now over 90 years old and talks about the first He still remembers the first time he joined a film crew to control the camera for Director Xie. He listed the long shot at the end of "Big Li, Xiao Li and Old Li", which involves passing through a bridge to reach a panoramic view, and seeing the excitement of people sweating on the sports field under the blue sky and white clouds. Judging from the storyboard, it is obvious that photography is needed. The artist can achieve this step by step using two lenses. When it comes to actual shooting, after several rehearsals, he needs to skillfully hold the camera, move from the steam wheel rail car to the elevator, and quickly and smoothly step onto the elevator to complete the shooting of the ascending shot. "Such a shooting technique seems not difficult to achieve today, but 60 years ago, the machines were large and heavy, and it was a very big challenge to complete such a schedule." Lu Junfu said, "Director Xie's excellence and thoughtfulness are the key to everything." Everyone who has worked with him has learned a lot from him.”
Xu Songzi
Xu Songzi, who became famous in 1985 as Li Guoxiang, director of the Commune Revolutionary Committee in "Furong Town", was actually a student who had just graduated from the Central Academy of Drama. Talking about being able to create a complex and quite different character in his debut movie, Xu Songzi dug out the diary he kept for the character when he was filming. Every article and scene in it were written by director Xie Jin. Annotated, "The red ones are what he thinks are good, and the blue ones are what he thinks there is room for improvement. In this continuous improvement, my first screen image, Li Guoxiang, was guided by Director Xie Jin step by step. La Fu Zhong is completed.”
Xu Songzi is now at the age when Xie Jin was filming "Furong Town", "What I'm thinking about now is how to retire, how to play, and how to maintain health. Director Xie Jin made such a great movie as "Furong Town" at that time, and After that, he made so many movies and made many pioneering projects, such as setting up film schools. For example, the first shovelful of soil in Hengdian Film and Television City was dug out for "The Opium War"..." Xu Songzi still remembers that before Xie Jin died, Not long after, he also talked to her about filming a story about a little girl fighting cancer. "He told me that the name of the movie was "I've Been Here, I'm Very Good." He said the story was great! (At the time) he was He’s over 80 years old and he’s still thinking he’s going to make movies.”
A hundredth birthday is both commemoration and inheritance
As the first generation director after the founding of the People's Republic of China, Xie Jin has been in the art industry for 60 years. He has directed 36 films and 5 TV series. He enjoys a high reputation at home and abroad, is deeply loved by hundreds of millions of viewers, and has made outstanding contributions to the Chinese film industry. With his contribution, he is a banner leader of Chinese films.
From the early "Women's Basketball Team No. 5" and "Red Detachment of Women" to the post-reform and opening-up "Legend of Tianyun Mountain", "Wrangler", "Furong Town", "Wreaths under the Mountains", "The Opium War" and other masterpieces that wrote about the times, Xie Jin used A film records China's history and social progress for more than half a century. Each of his films is a classic that is both ornamental, ideological and artistic. "Golden cups and silver cups are not as good as the reputation of ordinary people." It is this original intention of creation that comes from the heart, and it has also made people who have made and watched his movies remember him for a long time.
Filmmakers presented flowers to director Xie Jin
"Director Xie Jin's life was a life of adhering to his original intention, a life of ingenuity, and a life of openness and openness." Wang Jian'er, Secretary of the Party Committee and Chairman of Shanghai Film Group, said in his speech that looking back on Director Xie Jin's life happened to be a reflection of " Interpretation of "Shanghai Film Spirit".
In addition to reminiscing about the past, the birthday celebrations for Director Xie are also a kind of inheritance.
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As the junior of director Xie Jin, fifth-generation director Jiang Haiyang once asked Xie Jin for advice after joining Shanghai Film Studio, "What preparations need to be made at the beginning of making every movie?" Jiang Haiyang recalled, "He looked at me One glance and said, 'There is no preparation. Remember, I tell you two words before making every movie: stop thinking. You have to disconnect all thoughts that have nothing to do with this movie and devote yourself wholeheartedly.' After so many years I have always kept this sentence in mind, and it will be an honor for me to work with the master and to work with him throughout my life."
In order to inherit and carry forward the spirit of director Xie Jin, inspire new Chinese filmmakers, and promote new and excellent Chinese films, this year the China Film Association, the Shanghai Xie Jin Film Art Foundation, and the People's Government of Shangyu District, Shaoxing City officially launched the "Xie Jin Youth Film Support Plan." At the birthday party in Fushouyuan, film directors from different generations gathered around Director Xie’s birthday cake. The person who lit the candle was Huo Meng, the youngest director among them, who is the director of this year’s Xie Jin Youth Film Support Program. Inductees.
Young director Huo Meng lights birthday candles for Xie Jin
In the past, Xie Jin was busy preparing for the establishment of China's first international film festival, but during this year's Shanghai Film Festival, the brand-new Shanghai Cinema Young People used AI technology to "resurrection" director Xie Jin as the opening guest. In his speech, "AI Director Xie" expressed his hope that today's filmmakers should take another step towards technological innovation. "This is a new expression of Shanghai Film's cultural heritage, and it is also a way for young people to express their deep nostalgia for director Xie Jin." Wang Jian'er said.
