Golden Goblet Jury member Liu Jie:Working outside the Mainstream on Art Films

Liu Jie is also adept in the commercial film zone.Pic by Wu Kai

　　Liu Jie, 46, is an art film director whose movies Courthouse on Horseback, Judge, and Deep in the Clouds have won many prizes. But he is also adept in the commercial film zone. Last year, his Young Style movie was a box office hit and generated strong word-of-mouth popularity. In its wake he received more than 30 youth-oriented movie film scripts to consider. But he said he declined all of them. Liu Jie smiles and says:,“What I heard most is‘Let’s do Young Style II, quickly!’So I went out and shot an art film that has nothing to do with the commercial type of film.”

　　Daily News: In your previous two visits to Shanghai International Film Festival, you were here to get awards. This time you\'re a member of the jury panel. What’s the difference?

　　Liu Jie: In six days, I have to see the 15 films on the Golden Goblet shortlist! Before arriving in Shanghai, I planned to see more films besides those on the list. But after getting here I realized I don’t have time for that!

　　Daily News: What do you think of the 15 films in the shortlist?

　　Liu Jie: I have only been a jury member once before at Venice International Film Festival. Ms. Lone Scherfig has a lot of jury experience and she told me that she is very satisfied with the films. They are wonderful. Some friends from the media also think the films are very good.

　　Daily News: Jury chairperson Gong Li said the Golden Goblet competition films this year are not merely art films. They have very good commercial elements as well. Could you please talk about the judging standards of juries?

　　Liu Jie: Film festivals have a history of almost 80 years so a set of empirical rules has gradually formed. If we only chose films that the majority like, we could just check the box office. Why do we need film festivals? I think art films are supposed to stand against the mainstream. It’s fatal for films if all people are going in the same direction. It will cause in-breeding. The film festival is like a research organization. To keep the biodiversity, it needs to lead people to think: what is film primarily? what’s the essence of it? what possibilities does it have?

　　Daily News: What sort of interesting experiences do jury members have while watching the entries?

　　Liu Jie: It is really delightful that, although only Ms. Gong and I come from China and we major in different areas, all of our jury members share surprisingly similar values about the criteria for assessing films. We are all directors with international visions of literary films. It is especially the case for Ms. Gong, as her experience as a judge can\'t be matched by any other actress. Watching films exhausts us sometimes and makes us nervous but we always watch them through to the finish.

　　Daily News: As a former competitor and now a jury member, have you sensed any changes in SIFF in recent years?

　　Liu Jie: An international film festival requires tradition, steadiness and new ambition. In my opinion, SIFF serves as a grand party for movie makers each year in June! Its role is irreplaceable. A film festival which serves the film, the people and the audience is, in my mind, warm-hearted and thus worthy.

　　Daily News: Your movie Deep in the Clouds received many awards. How do you view it now?

　　Liu Jie: A young man, when he first starts a career, always looks forward to being recognized by his peers and a professional award can guarantee his smooth future development. However, as one progresses to the second stage, he may find the awards no big deal and that he values professional opinions more. Finally when he reaches the third stage, he will concentrate on himself regardless of others’comments.

Daily News: You were making art films before the success of Young Style. What genre will your creation focus on in the future?
Liu Jie: Literary films are preferable, but I won’t set limits on my work. I hope that I will produce tasteful and highly popular films. Young Style is not purely a commercial production. With the elements of types and also of anti-types, it is artistic and literary and therefore should not be categorized as merely commercial.

　　Daily News: After Young Style are you known as a "director of youth movies”?

　　Liu Jie: I received more than 30 commercial film scripts afterwards, most of them about youth topics. You will be seen as a weirdo if you only shoot art films. People will politely keep you at arm’s length. But when they found that my youth movie was quite interesting, they started coming to me. What I heard most is‘Let’s do Young Style II, quickly!’So I went out and shot an art film which has nothing to do with the commercial type of film. It is about the life of people in the mountains.”

　　Daily News: Could you explain what criteria you use when choosing scripts?

　　Liu Jie: I think commercial films are for the market, while art films are to express the ideas of the director. Youth movies now have sound box office returns and are greatly needed by the market. But I want to make movies that specifically express my own ideas and satisfy me. Well, I am lucky to be trusted with some money to do films that have not very much commercial value. Over the age of 40, you just have so many things to say. I want to express my feelings towards life and my attitude towards society.

　　Daily News: How do art films make money?

　　Liu Jie: It’s perfectly okay for a good art film to make money. Art films do not make money by winning awards. Money awards are offered only by small film festivals that intend to encourage new talents, not by big film festivals. With big film festivals, you can be honored and attract more attention. There are mature theatre chains for art films in Europe as well as Japan. TV stations all over the world also have some demand for art films and there is quite some money involved when they buy films from you.