Filming as a Redemption in the Absence of Expression-北京大学国际合作部

Filming as a Redemption in the Absence of Expression

2014-07-08 00:32:24

This article is based on an interview with Niu Qiankun, the founder of Motion Picture Creation and Production Association (MCPA) at Peking University. From an amateur who started screenwriting, directing, filming and editing all by himself, to the president of MCPA where high-quality micro-films are being produced on campus, Niu Qiankun shared his story with us.

One Hundred Years In Waiting, an upcoming motion picture created and produced by MCPA has become a representative work in the history of PKU’s student-made films. It depicts the story of two PKU students looking for the truth of a mystery about May Fourth Movement in 1919 with clues from the notes they accidentally found on a book in the library. It is exactly the seeking for PKU spirits and the resonance of campus life among all PKUers that distinguishes the work of MCPA from others.

Why do PKUers value and cherish the May Fourth Spirit so much that they continuously write stories and produce films about it? During that time, PKU had a great impact on society as college students were seen as leaders of thought and social movements. Compared with the information age we live in today, there was barely any media to spread information other than magazines and newspapers. Many outspoken PKU students were very active contributors to these newspapers, writing editorial and reviews to promote the idea of science and democracy.

However, people today seldom read newspapers and find it increasingly hard to express their ideas. This is one of the reasons why PKUers constantly reminisce about the May Fourth Era. According to Niu Qiankun, that is also the reason he loves making films. To him, films are a way of redemption in the absence of expression. While literature “tells” people things, films “show” people things. Therefore, an incisive article posted online might be clicked and shared thousands of times, but soon vanishes out of people’s horizon, while an impressive film can linger in the viewer’s mind for a long time.

“Motion picture can preserve emotions.” Said Qiankun, “Even after 20 years, I can still recall the sentiment in the film the moment I see The Next Station.”The Next Station is his first successful work, a love story between two young people falling in love in high school and encountering a series of real life problems as they make the transition from high school to college as well as from a teenager to an adult. It resonated with students at PKU and enjoyed a small following even in China. On Youku website (a popular Chinese video website), this video has gained more than 1.1million views.

The production process was never easy. As a math student from Yuanpei College, without any experience related to motion picture production, Qiankun learned everything from scratch by reading books on filming, scriptwriting, scenes designing and film editing. The touching film that brought many people to tears resulted from constant correction to the script for more than 30 times, his endeavor of editing the film for entirely 2 months with 10 hours staring at the computer screen every day, and most importantly, his passion of making a film to provoke people’s contemplation.

Admittedly, there are a lot of successful and popular micro-films online produced by college students, most of which feature funny stories and dramatic performances. “These films make you laugh, but they can only make you laugh. I want people to think.” said Qiankun. What he aims to achieve when making films is to produce meaningful pieces of work for viewers.

“Creating is addictive.” Qiankun’s eyes sparkled when he said this. The firm faith of expressing sincere thoughts and the unstoppable desire of creation drive him and MCPA to continuously produce inspiring motion picture that captures people’s eyes and hearts.

Written By:Li Feiyue

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Filming as a Redemption in the Absence of Expression