2008/11/15
Margaret Mead Film &
Video Festival:Interview with Du Haibin
Du Haibin is one of China's growing number of independent and
industrious cinematic journalists who, since his graduation from
the Beijing Film Academy in 2000, has produced a steady and
impressive body of work.
His documentary subjects span China's disadvantaged, in films such
as ALONG THE RAILWAY (2000), BEAUTIFUL MEN (2005), and now UMBRELLA
(2007). In his latest, the umbrella—a ubiquitous device throughout
China's cities and countryside—tangibly and metaphorically links
the lives of factory workers, shopkeepers, urban students, army
recruits, and farmers. Their shared goal is to change the course of
their destinies through economic means. Du fixes a steady lens on
his subjects in alternating micro- and macroscopic fashion, and
lets his viewers conclude whether this goal appears within
reach.
Du belongs to the Sixth Generation of filmmakers, following the
famous Fifth Generation (including Zhang Yimou and Chen Kaige),
whose epic and lavish historical pieces helped legitimize Chinese
cinema internationally. The Sixth Generation, by contrast, is known
for its often controversial, gritty storylines and characters. Also
called the "Urban Generation," these new filmmakers are
characterized as being responsible for recording the lives of
ordinary Chinese at this time of great urbanization and economic
disparity. Other members of the Urban Generation include Jia
Zhangke (STILL LIFE,USELESS) and Wang Xiaoshuai (BEIJING BICYCLE,
FROZEN).
Du's new documentary is notable for its unobtrusive style—a
reflection of the means by which he remains largely under the radar
of government censors. Critics have called his films "startling"
and "powerful." Says Du, "I think as a human being, as a
documentary filmmaker, I have a responsibility and a conscience to
record what is really happening in China."
Eleise Jones:
In your new documentary, the umbrella is an economic thread (a
"shelter") that links the lives of ordinary Chinese in urban and
rural areas. You've captured the candid conversations and physical
exertions of assembly line workers, shoe shiners, umbrella shop
owners, young army soldiers in training, entry-level job seekers,
and family farm laborers. What inspired you to bring these groups
of people together in this film?
Du Haibin:
First of all, when bringing these seemingly unrelated groups of
people together, there was a need for a rational process of
observation. Through this process, it isn't difficult to see that
these groups are all linked to the present agricultural society and
so they have interlinked goals. Except for the old farmer who
remains with his land, the others are young people who've left
their villages to make a life in the city. Why did they want to
leave their hometowns? Because they possess a common aspiration: To
change the destiny of the country's peasantry, as well as their
own. China's workers, peasants, and soldiers are just learning that
life should entail fun. Since the early founding of China as a
socialist country—after a series of economic changes—today's social
strata is splitting up. What's emerging today is a class
differentiation. This is what inspires me.
EJ:
Your camera has captured many raw moments in UMBRELLA, and I'm
curious about the way you approached your subjects. How did you
explain your intentions, and what level of interest did your
subjects show in the narrative? Have any of them seen the final
cut?
DH:
Of course, I can't often be certain at the outset of filming what
the film's main significance will be. When we're filming, we're in
the moment and cannot interpret it right then and there. This has
been my past experience, as well. But actually, the shooting of
this film was different from the others. I roughly knew this film's
narrative direction. Even so, we had no way to interpret the
material on-site. At any rate, while on site, people were
concentrating on doing their own work. They didn't have the energy
to care about anything apart from their work, because for them,
time is money.Only a few have seen the final cut, and they are more
concerned about their own appearances in the film; they're not too
interested in the entire narrative. The documentary acts as an
intermediary for everyday circumstances. I've attempted to explain
to them my ideas, but our communication has not been very
effective.
EJ:
Were there other subjects or occupations that you filmed, that
didn't make the final cut?
DH:
In some rural areas there were people who wished to be filmed, and
we went to shoot them, but during the editing phase we ended up not
using them. There was also a real estate broker who insisted I
should not take his picture, and I couldn't finish filming him.
Then there were the shoe factory workers, but since we later
decided to use the umbrella as a narrative structure, we gave up
the shoe factory material. We also caught an unexpected shot of a
government motorcade along the Bund in Shanghai. I originally felt
that this portrayed our subject in a very authentic way, and it was
fascinating, but after editing I felt it was a little shallow. So,
I decided to abandon it.
EJ:
Your documentary subjects have been as varied as a trio of drag
queens/dancers, a group of railway vagabonds, and schoolchildren.
How do you decide on your subjects?
DH:
My choice is based on freedom of expression. In China we can see
that the mainstream media covers the "mainstream crowd," which does
not represent the living conditions of the people as a whole. But
they do exist. Because of this shortcoming in the mainstream media,
we have come to realize that freedom of expression is not fully
respected. The railway children, the migrant workers leaving their
homes, the performers in a bar, etc.—are all without status and are
disadvantaged groups. They and their families are in fact this
country's mainstream crowd, but in our society we seldom hear their
voices. And so, I chose these people.
EJ:
Considering that you are part of the so-called "Urban Generation"
of filmmakers, how do your goals as a documentary maker differ from
the goals of your peers and your predecessors?
DH: In fact, we're all more or less the same. Some filmmakers are
recording the changes happening in the cities and in urban life;
some are recording the social inequities. Many use their own
interests or sense of responsibility as their starting point. My
thinking is slightly different. I would like to use a more rational
means to observe the rural society, to discover the changes as well
as the whole story, because I think the rural community is where we
discover China's most important and fundamental issues.
EJ:
Does a documentary in China have a better chance at escaping
censorship or avoiding government attention than does a fictional
or commercial film?
DH:
In a sense, this is the case. This is because independent
documentary filmmakers have begun to give up any cooperation with
the government. Creation of these independent films are for the
most part low-profile, private, and non-commercial. Documentary
makers don't care so much about their financial return.
EJ:
You've produced a documentary almost every year since your
graduation from the Beijing Film Academy. What's next?
DH:
My next project is a documentary at the site of this year's major
earthquake in Sichuan Province. The earthquake is the film's
backdrop, and I'm using the ruins as well as what has emerged from
the ruins to reveal the Chinese people's awareness and concept of
natural world, so as to explore the relationship between people and
nature. At present, the film still in production.
UMBRELLA premiered at the 64th Venice International Film Festival
as part of the Horizons Documentary program, and it garnered
honorable mention at the 30th Cinéma du Réel Film Festival.
Umbrella will be shown Saturday November 15, at the 2008 Margaret
Mead Film & Video Festival.(By Eleise
Jones)