People's City·Film and Television Appointment｜89-year-old movie fan's love for the film festival
Just after 2:30 p.m. on June 17, the screening of the film "Breathless" at the 26th Shanghai International Film Festival ended. The door of the Shanghai Cinema SHO 1,000-seat Hall opened and the crowd slowly walked out. The reporter from Jiefang Daily and Shangguan News saw that familiar figure again - Li Changnian, who played Su Hu in the 1990 version of "Investiture of the Gods". At the age of 89, he was the first audience member to pick up a ticket for this year's Shanghai Film Festival.
Being the "first person" to attend the Shanghai Film Festival is not just a matter of luck. Sitting in a cafe opposite the cinema, Li Changnian chatted with a reporter from Jiefang Daily and Shangguan News for more than two hours, smilingly telling the story of an ordinary yet extraordinary movie fan's inextricable connection with this city.
"I have participated in the Shanghai International Film Festival 26 times; movies have been with me throughout my life."
Li Changnian has been watching movies all his life. He has a habit of recording every time he watches a movie. The content of the record is also simple, usually "on a certain day of a certain month, I watched a certain movie"; just like this, he filled several notebooks.
He likes watching movies in the cinema and also at film festivals. He has attended all 26 Shanghai International Film Festivals.
Born and raised in Shanghai, the "City of Movies", Li Changnian has an indissoluble bond with movies. When he was a child, he often went with his father to the Paris Theater at the intersection of Chengdu South Road and Huaihai Road to watch cartoons and children's films. He watched the Hengshan Cinema being built bit by bit, and naturally fell in love with performing arts.
Many people in his family are artists. His uncle Huang Yijun was the first director of the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra after the founding of New China. "When I was a child, I watched him compose music at home. One day, I saw a notebook on the table with "Crows and Sparrows" written on it. I curiously asked my uncle if it was a mythological film. He said, no, it is a film about society."
75 years ago, Li Changnian witnessed the birth of "The Crow and the Sparrow", composed by Huang Yijun. This year, the new Shanghainese dubbing version of "The Crow and the Sparrow" premiered at this year's Shanghai Film Festival. This important work in the history of Chinese film has a new era of vitality and shows the unique Shanghai style to young audiences. "If my uncle can see it, he will be very happy."
As a teenager, Li Changnian entered the Shanghai People's Art Theater Actor Training School founded by Huang Zuolin, a drama and film artist. His classmates included Jiao Huang, Yang Zaibao, Liang Boluo, etc. "At that time, we learned basic skills such as drama performance, Kunqu opera, dance, and ballet. Huang Zuolin's wife Danny also came to teach us." The theater is located at No. 284 Anfu Road. When he was studying, Huang Zuolin's children would also come to play. Li Changnian remembers that Huang Zuolin's young daughter Huang Shuqin would show slides to them, the older children.
"Although I majored in acting, I didn't get involved in the film and television industry until I started working at Zhejiang Television Station in 1983." After finishing his studies at the academy, Li Changnian went to study at the Shanghai Theatre Academy, where he systematically studied acting with famous dramatists such as Xiong Fusi and Zhu Duanjun. After graduation, he worked at the Shanghai Youth Repertory Theatre, the Fujian Provincial Repertory Theatre and other units. When he started working at Zhejiang Television Station, "Little Li" had become "Old Li" in the eyes of his young colleagues.
At Zhejiang TV, Li Changnian directed and starred in the TV series "Hairstyle Forum", which was a realistic and pioneering work that was highly praised in the industry and earned him an olive branch from Shanghai TV at the age of 52. While working as the head of the Shanghai TV Actors Troupe, Li Changnian filmed TV series such as "Investiture of the Gods", "Shanghai Family", and "Family Spring and Autumn", and also played a cameo role in the movie "The Creation of the World" directed by Li Xiepu.
At this film festival, Li Changnian wants to watch many films such as "Metropolis", "Gaslight", "Breathless", "Three Nights in One House, Three Murders", etc. An expert knows the tricks, and he especially praised the performances of Joseph Cotten, Ingrid Bergman, Charles Boyer and others in "Gaslight". "That is the performance method of Hollywood in the 1930s and 1940s, speaking softly, even a murderer seems amiable." These reminded him of Huang Zuolin's teachings in the past, "acting is actually the art of control."
The opening film of this year's Shanghai International Film Festival is the dance drama film "The Eternal Wave", directed by Zheng Dasheng, the son of Huang Shuqin. The legend of this city has been told by generations of filmmakers, and it also witnessed the wonderful fate between this city and generations of filmmakers.
The main creators of the dance drama film "The Eternal Wave" appeared at the Golden Goblet Awards Ceremony. Photo by Lai Xinlin
On weekdays, Li Changnian is a frequent visitor to the cinema. Every two or three days, he would go to the Xingfanghui Cinema or Baiying Sanke Cinema, which is closest to his home, to watch a movie.
In Shanghai, seniors aged 60 and above can enjoy discounted movie tickets on weekdays. "There are three managers at Xingfanghui Cinema, and I am familiar with them all." What touched him most was that sometimes during the day on weekdays, when there were not many people in the cinema, the staff would show movies for him alone.
After the ticket sales for this year's film festival began, Li Changnian grabbed a ticket with the help of the cinema staff. Photo by Zhong Han
Li Changnian is not picky about movies. He will go to the cinema almost every time if it is the latest movie to be released. "I like to watch stories that are unique, unexpected, and unexpected to the audience." When talking about movies, he knows them all. He was impressed by "Stunt Maniac" and "Swimmer's Heart" that he watched recently; he also liked "The Third Brigade" and "Article 20" from earlier years. "Chinese movies have been getting better and better in the past two years. In some comedy movies in the past, the characters were very strange and the performances were even more exaggerated; but in the past two years, the actors' performances have become more realistic and the styles have become more lifelike."
Family members and relatives often advise the elderly Li Changnian not to go out to the movies alone, or to take a taxi instead of taking the bus. He always waves his hands and refuses. Li Changnian said that although he is old, he is still a person who refuses to rest. When watching movies in the cinema or at the Shanghai Film Festival, in addition to watching the plot, he also ponders the editing techniques, thinking about why the director did not leave a frontal shot here, and why he used this method there.
"Watching movies can give us a lot to think about. We can keep learning as long as we live." At home, he would use his computer to edit the videos he shot when he traveled to Ukraine, Moldova, Belarus and other countries in 2016, just like editing a movie. "I enjoy myself."
When he was working at Shanghai TV, Li Changnian liked to collect film materials. In the early years, each film festival would publish a thick collection of materials, which included detailed information such as stills, country, year, director, plot summary, etc. of all the films screened at that festival. Although the price was not cheap at the time, Li Changnian would always keep it in his pocket. "Later, such materials were no longer available, so I found a way myself." One year, he learned that there were two festival offices on the 13th floor of Shanghai TV, so he went to the office to ask the staff if he could buy the collection of materials. "Later, the staff introduced me to a Mr. Shen who was in charge of materials. Before and after the film and television festival, he would let me pick up the large brochures and small citizen manuals."
As a loyal movie fan, he hopes that the Shanghai International Film Festival will be better and better, and that more and more young people will go to the cinema. "Movies have been with me all my life. I have been exposed to and liked movies since I was a child. I watch movies when I am happy, and I also watch movies when I encounter difficulties and disappointments. Movies have simply become a means of regulating my life." Li Changnian said that there are more and more cinemas in Shanghai, providing people with a rich cultural and entertainment life. "The Shanghai International Film Festival can broaden our horizons, introduce movies from all over the world to China and Shanghai, and add a brilliant light to Shanghai, the 'City of Movies'."
After the interview, Li Changnian walked to the bus stop opposite Shanghai Film City. A bus can go to Jing'an Temple, and then take the subway to get to his doorstep. "The transportation is very convenient." He promised the reporter, "I will call you again when you come to the Shanghai Film Festival next year."
