Film: Where Has Time Gone? is a coproduction that consists of five short stories with each done in the local language, portraying BRICS countries’ unique culture.
A film being premiered next month gives the BRICS bloc a new dimension,
Xu Fan reports
If you know anything about the BRICS bloc and its activities, you may be under the impression that it’s all about dry economics and politics. Prepare then to be given a fascinating cultural insight into the five-nation grouping with a film that will present in selected cinemas in China next month.
The film Where Has Time Gone? is the first feature coproduced by the five countries, and after its test screening it will open across China later this year, says Jia Zhangke, the movie’s producer and co-director.
The film, a 110-minute anthology, comprises five short tales, directed by Jia, Alexey Fedorchenko of Russia, Madhur Bhandarkar of India, Walter Moreira Salles Jr. of Brazil and Jahmil X.T. Qubeka of South Africa.
“The world has undergone rapid social and economic change, and most people now lead incredibly fast-paced lives,” Jia says. “Time flies, and it is the theme of time that resonates with the five filmmakers from different countries.”
Jia, 47, says that acclaimed anthology movies such as Ten Minutes Older: The Trumpet (2002) and New York, I Love You (2008) inspired him.
The acclaimed arthouse director Jia has garnered a lot of attention in the West since the time of his directorial debut Xiao Wu, also known as The Pickpocket, which won several international awards in the late 1990s.
Most of his movies, such as Still Life (2006) and A Touch of Sin (2013), set emotional stories against a backdrop of the changes that are changing the face of China.
In Revive, the Chinese short story of Where Has Time Gone?, Jia again shows his stylish bent for depicting modern Chinese and the confused lives they lead.
The story, set in Pingyao, a town in Shanxi province, centers on a middle-aged couple who wrestle with the question of whether they should have a second child.
The story begins with a comedy scene in which a man brandishing a sword jumps off an ancient section of wall to fight against a group of “hunters” who are chasing him and want to capture him, but soon several tourists show up and use their smartphones to take photos. The couple and their neighbors are all live-action performers working and living in the town.
“I’ve always wanted to shoot a modern story that is set in an ancient town,” Jia says. “Pingyao has a history that goes back more than 3,000 years. It has been flooded by youngsters since it became a tourist attraction. To some extent, the newcomers have breathed life into the old town.”
In addition, he has long been fascinated by the topic of couples having a second child and going through middle-life crises.
“Since the country adopted the policy that allows families to have a second child, many couples have expressed the wish to do so. But they also encounter many problems, such as economic stress and gaining approval for their decision from the first child.
“I also wanted to shoot a story about a couple reigniting their enthusiasm for one another and for their own lives after being married for many years.”
Apart from serving as director, Jia talked with the other four directors about their scripts, bringing consistency in the way they filmed and helping bring all the material together.
Most of the members of the team spoke English or Chinese, but Jia reckons language and differences in time zones presented the biggest challenges.
“At one point we translated the dialogue of the Brazilian and Russian stories from English, but linguists told us that handling things that way resulted in the original flavor being lost, so we retranslated both versions from Portuguese and Russian.”
The Brazilian story, titled When the Earth Trembles, looks into the lives of survivors after a massive mudflow caused by a mine dam bursting struck Minas Gerais state on Nov 5, 2015, killing at least 17 people.
Some of the scenes use news photos to give a real touch, said the Brazilian producers during the 2017 Chengdu BRICS Film Festival held in Sichuan province from June 23 to 27.
In the Russian section of the film, titled Breathing, a man suspicious about his wife’s loyalty is accidentally injured, seriously, as they quarrel. To save her husband’s life the woman has to turn a broken accordion into an oxygen pump.
The director, Alexey Fedorchenko, said in Chengdu that he got the inspiration from a Chinese news report about such an unlikely use of the musical instrument.
Jia says that the story that surprised him most was the South African one, Stillborn, a sci-fi tale about a janitor who fights against her destiny, which is pre-programed in a futuristic world.
“It explores the recycling of life with a rich imagination,” Jia says.
For most Chinese viewers the Indian story Mumbai Mist may strike the most resonant chord. In the sprawling city a retired man drives away loneliness by befriending a street boy.
All five stories end in an old saying or a famous line about time to connect the following one.
Jia says: “Before Where Has Time Gone? I took part in similar projects (that brought filmmakers from multiple countries together) initiated by South Korea and Switzerland. I feel so proud that now I can join a Chinese-led project. The coproduction is making history by transforming BRICS from a political and economic concept into a cultural one.”
I’ve always wanted to shoot a modern story that is set in an ancient town . ... To some extent, the newcomers have breathed life into the old town.” Jia Zhangke, producer and co-director of Where Has Time Gone?