Chinese poetry gets movie treatment

As part of the Shanghai International Film Festival,108 macro films of Tang Dynasty poetry were released on Sunday.

The Shanghai International Film Festival is now in full swing. The festival features an eclectic programme this year, one of which has a poetic flavour. Many people believe that China's rich poetic history peaked during the Tang Dynasty, over a thousand years ago.

These great poems were recorded and have passed through the generations. Now, in addition to reading them on paper, people can discover these classics on screen.

As part of the Shanghai International Film Festival, 108 macro films of Tang Dynasty poetry were released on Sunday. Co-produced by China's Central New Film Philharmonic Group and CCTV, the films combine modern technology with traditional Chinese painting and calligraphy, to give people a better understanding of Chinese poetry.

Gao Feng, deputy director of CCTV, said, "Tang Dynasty poetry does not just belong to that time period. It is an important part of Chinese culture and people's lives. In my opinion, these macro films should respect history and culture, but at the same time, there should be creative ideas. Only in this way can these films be accepted by audiences."

The 108 macro films are divided into three parts, split according to three periods during the Tang Dynasty. The films were directed by nearly 100 directors, and each film has its own theme song.

Kang Honglei, the director, said, "It's very challenging to express the meaning of classical Chinese poems in the form of film accurately. But as a director, I like this kind of challenge. It's fascinating to interpret Tang Dynasty poetry on the big screen."

The macro films will be broadcast on CCTV at the end of 2013. Different activities will also be held all over China along with the broadcast, to spread the word of classical Chinese poetry and culture.