Slow down, said Taiwan director Ang Lee at a panel discussion that, ironically, was titled When Will China Replace the U.S. as the Largest Box-Office Market?
The forum sought how to improve Chinese films and how to help the nation's young filmmakers grow faster, especially in light of the industry's rise.
The domestic film market saw a 50 percent increase last year to grab 44 billion yuan ($6.68 billion). It is expected to reach 60 billion yuan this year.
The industry cheers at the possibility of exceeding the U.S. box office ($11 billion in 2015) this or next year, and wonders aloud where China needs to catch up to make that prosperity sustainable.
Lee compared the industry's pursuit of speed to turning a Shanghai slow stew into instant noodles, noting a tendency of recycling, namely putting ready-made, convenient materials into a Chinese package.
"But the expressions and logic of the Orient have not become an international cinematic language. Instead of approaching filmmaking as a way of plundering the market, we ought to think about what we can offer to the world," Lee said.
When it comes to the matter of culture, he stressed, it is important to take some time and have a natural environment.
Lee, who made his debut Pushing Hands in his late 30s, called himself a late bloomer, and said he is grateful about that.
"Growth needs time, and young filmmakers need to allow themselves that time. For a film to stand and to move people, it is natural force at work. It cannot happen overnight. There are a lot of temptations, but I hope young people would not rush for quick interests," Lee said.
Timely warnings
Lee said the current Chinese film industry feels like "a competition to rob money off the audience," which is a negative influence on emerging filmmakers.
He said the industry ought to avoid an increasing dependence on stars. It is a mechanism that both Hong Kong and Taiwan went through, and brought a vicious circle as filmmakers fight over the limited resources of stars.
The case with Chinese mainland might be even more appalling. As pointed out by local actor and director Xu Zheng (who was also a panel speaker, apparently nervous sitting next to his role model Lee), the most sought-after actors today are in fact singers and entertainers who enjoy an enormous fan base but zero acting background. And they are no geniuses, either.
Lee added that he advises actors and actresses on his film to take themselves less seriously, "as long as they are not too A-list."
"I told them, you are not important, you can never act as well as the audience expects you to. They are not coming to see you perform, but to see that performance taking place in their own minds," Lee said.
Lee also warned against following popular genres or models, despite that being the norm in Chinese cinema.
Repetitious stories about high school or university romances continue to find way into cinemas over the last few years, and few would forget how many Chinese auteurs turned to martial arts after Lee's Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000).
Taking technology seriously
Lee applauded the American film industry's professionalism, as he recalled how he had to take care of every aspect of filmmaking on a Chinese production.
"Whereas with a U.S. production, every detail can be a pleasure and a learning experience. Every tiny sector has its own talents. Be it sound mixing or light adjustment, the experience and the taste they show enables me to enjoy filmmaking," Lee said.
He noted that a film industry would go through ups and downs, but that professionalism would sustain the industry even through low tides. Or, it might bubble, then burst.
"There is nothing despicable about technology. Please do take this professional foundation seriously, and do something for the future generations to come," Lee said.
Lee also offered a counterpoint on one of the most clichéd sayings in Chinese film industry, which the panel discussion's moderator repeated over the course, that storytelling is the core of a film and that it is where Chinese films lag behind.
He calls story a medium and just another part of the filmmaking work. As in Life of Pi (2012), he said, the story is the structure of imagination.
"The story is an illusion, and the most important thing is how to meet the minds of the audience and take them on an emotional journey through pictures, plot, music and even a sense of poetry. The utmost sincerity lies in doing a silent communication with people in a dark cinema through that illusion," Lee said.
