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Cities empower cinema, and cinema, in turn, nourishes cities. Shanghai's regional culture has endowed B FOR BUSY with a unique urban character, and the film's success provides an optimal example of Shanghai's integration of culture, business, and tourism. Real-life cases from the streets of Shanghai set the tone for SHE'S GOT NO NAME, which was shot on Zhapu Road, infusing the city's culture with new interpretations and understandings.
On the afternoon of June 18, a forum themed "Fusion and Symbiosis: Cinema and the City" was hosted by the 26th 赌博app. The forum, moderated by documentary filmmaker and writer Zhou Yijun, brought together renowned filmmakers, writers, and artists to discuss the relationship between cities and cinema. Participants delved into urban elements in artistic works, analyzed how urban landscapes are portrayed in films, and explored how film festivals and cities can mutually enhance each other's stature.
Cameron Bailey
CEO of the Toronto International Film Festival
Shanghai represents the past, present, and future. It's a magnificent "City of Films" where diverse cultures converge. Cinema, a unique art form, tells the stories of cities, while reflecting and envisioning urban life. There is a symbiotic relationship between film and city; cities create films, and films, in turn, recreate cities.
Film festivals like the Berlin International Film Festival, Cannes Film Festival, Venice Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival, and Shanghai International Film Festival are all named after cities. Initially, the Toronto International Film Festival aimed to adopt the perspectives of other cities. We sought to capture the cinematic spirit of various cities and present it in a condensed form. For instance, selecting ten films from each city to showcase at the Toronto festival allows audiences to quickly grasp the essence of each city.
The film festivals of different cities are irreplaceable; some festivals need to take place in major cities to reflect the culture of the city through cinema. Hosting film festivals allows major cities to shed their "commercial exteriors" and reveal their authentic character. On the other hand, smaller city film festivals like the Pingyao Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon International Film Festival and the Shanghai International Film Festival have different focuses. Yet, both bring out the unique charms of their cities.
Having served as the head of the Toronto International Film Festival for many years, I see film festivals as "concentrated" cities. They bring together strangers who find joy in the shared experience of watching films, resonating with the stories and characters on screen, and witnessing significant moments together. This is the allure of film festivals.
At the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival, we screened 12 YEARS A SLAVE, directed by Steve McQueen, at the IMAX theatre built in 1971. The film recounts a harrowing chapter of American slavery history. During the screening, the theatre was completely silent, with everyone feeling as if they were witnessing a pivotal historical moment. In 2014, the film won the Academy Award for Best Picture, and Toronto's audience shared in this honor, albeit remotely.
Chen Danyan
Novelist, Documentary Filmmaker
From "Shanghai's Memorabilia" and "The Streets that Never Widen" to my latest oral history, "Living in the Wukang Building", I have never stopped "writing" about Shanghai. I spent eight years traveling between Serbia and Shanghai to create a "writer's film" about a city—the documentary feature THE STORAGE.
When you stand in different places and look at the same history or the same photos, what you see varies, and this isn't due to the images themselves but rather your perspective and your knowledge. This film uses historical facts to express my inner world. There's a segment in the film lasting less than a minute where I am filmed in front of a mirror, watching the news. When you look in the mirror, the news in each country is at 7 o'clock, but in the mirror, it runs backward because the mirror reverses everything. This was a huge revelation for me—between 6:55 and 7:00, you can see a completely different image. As a non-fiction writer, my approach to images is not to replicate but to reinterpret and recreate, which reflects my stance in capturing this story. Shanghai itself is like a city in a mirror, blending the past and present, a city moving forward, albeit complex, but offering ample space for creativity.
Speaking of the relationship between film festivals and cities, I really appreciate the audience at the Shanghai International Film Festival because they show great respect for films. For example, usually, when the credits roll at the end of a movie, everyone can't wait for them to finish. But what moved me the most during the Shanghai International Film Festival was the last five minutes. In the dark theater, everyone watches the credits quietly. Even without a post-screening interaction, people spontaneously applaud. The Shanghai International Film Festival cultivates an audience's respect for filmmakers, and their applause also honors the crew behind the scenes. I truly cherish this atmosphere.
Luo Dong
Director
Shanghai is a city rich in inclusivity and diversity, which naturally breeds a multitude of stories. This city has inspired films in many ways, opening up various possibilities for cinema. I have always used films as a lens to understand a city, and since Shanghai is where I live and grew up, I naturally observe life around me through a "cinematic lens".
Some works visually showcase the city, while others start from the characters themselves to explore the relationship between people and the city. Walking through the streets and alleys of Shanghai, you can see many details of life unfold within just ten to thirty minutes. As you follow people into restaurants or parks, the stories behind these figures begin to emerge. This is what inspired me to document these individuals and create the documentary MAY.
In this film, you'll notice details that are often overlooked in everyday work or life. For example, Shanghai's numerous driverless subways hint at the city’s high-tech nature. Yet, coexisting with this advanced technology, are older generations born in the 1940s and 1950s who, amidst the fast-paced urban life, seem to live in a parallel timeline. In a city like Shanghai, it is these collisions of time and space that enrich film creativity and offer filmmakers a broad canvas to work on.
The Shanghai International Film Festival is a celebration for cinema enthusiasts, and as a filmmaker, it's a joy to participate in. I've experienced the atmosphere of film festivals in various cities and visited cinemas that range from church-like sanctuaries to multiplexes located high in skyscrapers. Shanghai's cinemas are top-notch, yet you can still watch contemporary films in historic theaters like the Majestic Theatre and the Grand Theatre, which adds a unique charm to viewing experiences during the festival.
Sha Dan
China Film Archive Program Planner
Cities and films define each other in a continuous interplay. Shanghai itself has nurtured its cinema, which has almost become synonymous with Chinese cinema. We can identify many places related to Shanghai cinema, and these films provide ample imagination to envision the city's past, present, and future.
The temporal scope of Shanghai as a city is finite, yet the exploration it inspires in the world of cinema is boundless. From the first Chinese film shown at Shanghai's Xu Garden over a century ago to Luo Dong's recent MAY, these films have depicted stories from different eras of Shanghai, all of which are fascinating. A crucial value of cinema is its ability to preserve memories of the nation, culture, and ethnicity within the urban context, making it an immortal art form.
Be it Beijing or Shanghai, both are highly cinematic cities. You see these cities in films, and then, walking through them, you recognize familiar places, experiencing a fluid connection between the screen and reality. This dynamic is what makes the relationship between film and cities so enchanting. For example, Mr. Luo Dong captures the most charming and humane moments of the city, selecting characters like elderly women who embody the warmth of the urban community. Films serve as a significant cultural emblem of the city, with outstanding works fostering respect for the city. Good films allow the charm of the city to flow, spreading its allure globally.
Personally, my work involves researching and curating films related to Shanghai, showcasing them in a way that allows young audiences to appreciate these significant works. At this year's Shanghai International Film Festival, we screened the 90-year-old film THE GODDESS, which extensively portrays the urban landscape of Shanghai at that time. The latest restoration, PRINCESS IRON FAN, filmed by Shanghai's Xinhua United Film Company, had its world premiere at the festival. This screening was like the film "coming home".
Yang Fudong
Director, Artist
The SPARROW ON THE SEA displayed on the M+ Screen Wall at MPlus Museum was a commissioned project by M+ and Art Basel. Each year, they commission an artist to create a work for the museum's exterior façade, which spans 110 meters wide and 70 meters high. When I first received the invitation, my initial thought was to shoot in Hong Kong or to create something that connects with the local context. Initially planned as a short film of about fifteen minutes, it eventually expanded into a 60-minute piece, available in both a sound version and a silent version for outdoor display.
SPARROW ON THE SEA is not a standard sound film; it functions more like a "public movie", where the sea sounds, ambient noises, and the hustle and bustle of the city outside the visuals become part of its soundtrack. Every evening from 7 to 9 PM, SPARROW ON THE SEA quietly plays, intertwining images of seaside villages and nighttime city streets in black and white. Sometimes, you might see it while on a ferry or catch a glimpse as you rush by on the street. Whether you're feeling down or joyful, all emotions are drawn into the narrative at that moment. There's no need to compel viewers to watch intentionally; it has a "public" quality, like a cellular molecule within the city, blending and coexisting with Hong Kong.
I've always been an enthusiast for the Shanghai International Film Festival. That’s why I watched LA STRADA at the Grand Theatre on the evening of the 17th. Among 1200 seats in the theater, I estimate about 1100 were filled. Some laughed during the screening, while others cried, and at the end, the audience gave a collective applause. In that moment, you feel the true essence of cinema life.