From North Macedonia to China: Films as mirrors of society

[00:00:00]Jiajangku >> We we love. We love Jiajangku. [music] >> Of course, yeah. I do also. What was the name?

[00:00:06]Life Still?

[00:00:07]>> [music] >> Still Life? Extraordinary.

[00:00:10]It has a unique approach, I would say.

[00:00:13]I think that we could easily find good way [music] to collaborate.

[00:00:22]>> [music] >> I can ask, it's great to see you again in Beijing. But we last spoke at Shanghai International Film Festival about 3 years ago. What does it mean to you seeing the first of its kind of in terms of North Macedonian cinema reaching Chinese audiences?

[00:00:40]>> Thank you for the invitation. It's exactly 3 years actually. Um 3 wonderful years spent in Shanghai. And I'm very happy to see this bunch of other films uh done by my colleagues, by my friends, by my uh relatives. Uh so, it's a unique uh opportunity the Chinese audience will have chance to see some of Macedonian films. And they're extraordinary films, by the way.

[00:01:06]And I believe they will find them completely interesting and different than what usually Chinese audiences used to watch.

[00:01:14]>> And I've noticed that uh you had such a in-depth and very interesting um Q&A session after the screening last night.

[00:01:24]Tell us about it.

[00:01:25]>> Yes, to be honest, yesterday I had uh also some unique questions that we never got it before.

[00:01:33]So, it means that uh the film still works on a different layers, different levels.

[00:01:38]And uh Chinese audience is recognizing it.

[00:01:41]>> Why do you think in the Chinese audiences can connect so much?

[00:01:46]>> Um it's a universal story on the end.

[00:01:48]You're talking about balance and uh Chinese audience should be they should know about balance best, actually. That this is part of the culture. It's uh yang. So, we are talking about balance in the nature, balance in the humanity.

[00:02:03]And uh it was quite successful.

[00:02:06]>> It's important to take such a moment, right, in life to go to the cinema, sitting in the dark. Yes, and you know >> Yeah, of course. Yeah, I compare it um more or less it's like a collective experience. It's uh similar to watching football match or a big stadium. It's different when you watch it at home alone.

[00:02:28]And uh when you go out there, when everybody's screaming and shouting and crying, it's a unique experience. It's the same as with cinema.

[00:02:37]And we should somehow fight to revive the cinemas because we are slowly disappearing watching films on our phones. Documentaries are always unique because they deal with real people, with real circumstances, with real uh um situations. And uh the impact is always uh stronger than watching a fiction. Of course, fiction has its own capabilities, but uh documentaries are always, I would say, they have this strong and unique uh approach to all the audiences.

[00:03:17]And probably that's the best way how to connect different cultures.

[00:03:22]Documentaries, honest documentaries, can really bring people together or separate them.

[00:03:30]It's also part of the how you see the film and which uh point of view you are showing.

[00:03:36]So, they can be very powerful, too.

[00:03:39]>> That's the true charm of documentaries.

[00:03:42]And um what are some of the um unique characteristics of uh North Macedonian cinema in general?

[00:03:50]>> Well, it's really a small country and we can't compete with the big studios with blockbusters with big countries that has a lot of big money for productions.

[00:04:04]But what we have are stories unique stories that we can tell them in a unique way and I believe there is a new generation coming that they have their own point of view and own perspective and it's already visible. I think this is already visible. We are present every year. We have at least one film on a big festival which is discussed which is which is traveling around the world. So it shows that you know we not important how big you are but how interesting we can tell the stories and as a European filmmaker. What do you think is the most compelling aspect of Chinese cinema in your eyes? I had this extraordinary chance to watch many films because I served as a jury on few festivals and it's a bunch of films at very short time and it was something that I wouldn't expect it. I thought that I understand Chinese cinema but also Asian cinema but I found that actually there are so many other films there that you know still needs to be explored and then discussed and experienced. I'm always challenged and motivated to work with uh people that don't are not afraid to experiment and to search for new forms new languages. Films are mirrors from the society and you know more authentic you are I mean more easily you're presenting it from you from out of from yourself it's probably it's much easier to spread the message around.

[00:05:54]>> Great. I'm going to see you again in Shanghai, right? During the Shanghai Film International Film Festival.

[00:06:00]>> Thank you.

[00:06:01]>> Thank you so much for your time, Yorgos Lanthimos.