FILMING REALITY AND THE TRUTH Seventeen Years Zhang Yuan Director

"Seventeen Years" is a film depicting the human drama of a family in Beijing that "lost seventeen years" of their lives. The sixteen -year old girl in the family accidentally kills her step-sister in a fight and was sentenced to 17 years of prison for murder. After serving her sentence, she is released on probation so that she can celebrate the Chinese New Year's with her family. But the Beijing that presented itself before her eyes has transformed into a modern city after years of urbanization and to her dismay, her family home has been torn down and was no longer anywhere in sight... This film is directed by Zhang Yuan, a talented sixth generation director, known for his documentary and music video works, which capture the reality of modern China. The film is a simplistic story told through unpretentious and intricate camera work, the tragic characters in the film are enlivened by talented acting. The "seventeen years" between the murder that tore the family apart and the family reunion is not described in the film. "I got the idea for this film from watching a news brief on TV. It was a piece of news about people who have spent 17 years in prison and have been returned to their families for the Chinese New Year's. I was intrigued and approached the Ministry of Justice for permission to visit the prisons. I visited over 10 prisons in places like Shan Dong, Tien Jin and Beijing. In Tien Jin, I met an inmate who committed a crime at 17, and was released a few years later for a family reunion during the Chinese New Year's. This experience I had brought about the concept for this film. After watching the news on TV, I visited the prisons only out of my own personal interest, without having this film in mind. In the film, I chose not to describe the "seventeen years" in prison because I believe it is not difficult to imagine life in a prison. I think I have been able to write the story for this film in a calm manner, and it is reflected in the film." The first scene of this film shows a middle-aged couple riding a bicycle through a winding back lane called "Wu Tong", something once unique to Beijing. Seventeen years later, however, it is shocking to see in the latter part of the film, that the lanes have turned into heaps of rubble. "Personally, I think that changes in the city represent the slow disappearance of old traditions. This, to a lot of the ordinary folks, can mean improvement in living conditions. In the old days, there were no toilets in homes and everyone had to go to public toilets. There was also no water supply in homes. In the latter part of the film, the old couple moves into a modern apartment but realizes that people in the neighborhood no longer interact as closely as in the old days. I leave it to the audience to evaluate the changes that come with urbanization of the city." Needless to say, every film with a different theme calls for a different directorial approach. But there might still be a "spiritual" style that always prevails. "There's always an element of "documentary" in my films, because it is always important for me to be telling the truth and reality." The great wall that looms over a director like Zhang is China's unique censorship system. Zhang's previous works like "Beijing Bastards" and "East Palace West Palace" have been banned from screening, and" Seventeen Years" also met its challenges. "It took a whole year before the script was approved by the authorities, and we were kept on hold for 7 months after filming was complete. It is very difficult to be making films in China. China's censorship policy is very different from other countries and it is a big barrier in filmmaking. Authorities never tell you what is wrong with your film. They only give me ambiguous answers like " your film is tragic". I am not sure if the censorship issues in filmmaking will be resolved, but then again, it is not so important for me to worry about coming up with a solution to deal with the authorities. It is not easy to overcome censorship issues. As an artist facing the national authority, I feel as helpless as an infant." But Zhang Yuan is certainly not ready to give up on his policy in "focusing on reality" in his films. His determination could be felt throughout this interview. Director's Profile: Born in Nanjing in 1963. Graduated from the Beijing Film Academy. His debut film "Mama" (90) won the Audience Award at Nanto International Film Festival. Like his debut film, his second film, an independent production called "Beijing Bastards" (92), about the lives of Beijing's young generation, was banned from screening. "The Square" (94) is a documentary on the aftermath of the Tian An Men incident, "East Palace West Palace"(96) portrays the psychological conflicts between a young gay man and a police officer, "Crazy English" (99) is about a charismatic English teacher touring China. His works continue to be critically acclaimed all over the world.