Future in the East Exclusive Interview with Russian Director Nikita Mikhalkov

by+Wang+Fang

Early in March 2015， spring had already arrived in Beijing. At the August First Film Studio in the western part of the city， renowned Russian director Nikita Mikhalkov and his Chinese colleagues were editing a film tentatively titled The Last Battle， the first film co-produced by China and Russia about the World Anti-fascist War. It has been cited by Chinese authorities as a key film to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese Peoples War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and World War II. It will be screened during commemorative events held by Russia and China in May and September， respectively.

On September 12， 1945， 28 days after Japan surrendered， a group of 300-plus Japanese militants in a border town in Heilongjiang Province attacked local villagers and the Soviet Union army. A total of 124 Soviet soldiers were killed in the battle. Eventually， the Soviet Union army and Chinese troops eliminated the Japanese militants. Set in that period， The Last Battle recounts a love story between a Soviet scout and a Chinese girl who dreams of becoming a ballet dancer. August First Film Studio， one of the films producers， was founded on August 1， 1952. As Chinas only military film studio， its expertise in making war films is unparalleled. However， The Last Battle focuses more on a love story than battle scenes.

Dubbed “Russias Spielberg，” Mikhalkov is a co-director of the film. In 1995， his film Burnt by the Sun won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.

In 2014， Mikhalkov agreed to direct The Last Battle as soon as he read the screenplay. According to the contract， he would visit China three times to complete the project. His first visit commenced in September 2014， when the film began shooting. Then， he spent three days shooting on location. In March 2015， he returned to China for post production， and spent five days editing a rough cut by his Chinese colleagues at August First Film Studio. In September 2015， he will visit China for the third time for the films premiere in China.

The films Chinese co-director， Dong Yachun， speaks highly of Mikhalkovs work. “He is a very devoted， professional director，” remarks Dong. “He shows great enthusiasm for film and has made considerable contributions to production. I learned a great deal from him.” Of course， Chinese and Russian filmmakers did disagree on some points. Dong gave an example： To showcase the panicked atmosphere that Japanese invaders created in northeastern China， the films Chinese screenwriters designed a plotline portraying how the Japanese began locking up local residents. Mikhalkov insisted that in that case， the film would need to show what happened to the captives. “The way in which Mikhalkov tells stories differs from ours，” opines Dong. “We focus on creating a certain atmosphere， but he pays more attention to plot rationality.”

China Pictorial （CP）： You served as chairman of the jury at the 2013 Beijing International Film Festival. How do you feel about the Chinese film market？

Mikhalkov： The Last Battle is a sort of nationalist film， a genre which has become much less ideological in favor of inspiring the audience to ponder big questions. I believe such a film will definitely be welcomed in China. Although Chinese people can now watch films from many other countries， they still need domestic productions.

During my 2013 trip to China， I realized that only when filmmakers truly care about real peoples lives and personto-person relations can any innovation， experiment or exploration in the realm of film be meaningful. This is because what moviegoers， as well as me， care about are real people.

CP： You shot Urga in China during the 1990s. Was that your first visit to China？ What impressed you most during that trip？

Mikhalkov： No， it wasnt my first visit to China， but my first time working in China. After I finished my job and returned to Moscow， I wrote a letter to then Russian Prime Minister Ivan Silayev， in which I predicted that the future of the world would lie in the East and suggested Russia should shift its focus from the West to China for development. Of course， he didnt accept my suggestion. Two decades have passed， and the facts speak clearly.

CP： What do you think about China this trip？

Mikhalkov： China is a great nation that persistently moves forwards to reach its goals. Respecting the past， facing mistakes made， and embracing the future –this is what makes a great nation. China is an expert in reform. It doesnt give up its traditions and never stops social transformation. For this reason， China shows remarkable wisdom， flexibility and vision in its development.

CP： How was your experience filming The Last Battle together with Chinese colleagues？

Mikhalkov： I only assisted my Chinese colleagues on the project. Even so， I did my best. Strictly speaking， Im not the creator of the film， but closer to a partner and consultant. The job was a lot of fun. Despite the differences in working mechanisms and methods between China and Russia， we did everything we could to adapt and understand each other. Thank- fully， it was usually easy for my Chinese colleagues and I to reach consensus. Im glad I had the chance to work with them. They showed great professionalism and worked very efficiently. It would have been better if we cut the meeting before every filming session. My Chinese colleagues also impressed me with their professional preparatory work. All units， including cameramen， photographers， and sound recorders， were always well prepared.

CP： Today， Hollywood blockbusters occupy the majority of both Chinese and Russian film markets. In your opinion， how should Chinese and Russian filmmakers compete with their Hollywood counterparts？

Mikhalkov： Every filmmaker finds his or her own solutions. In my opinion， we should help the audience broaden their vision. Russia moviegoers have access not only to American and Russian films in cinemas， but also to films from countries including China， India， South Korea， and Mexico， which give the audience more options. It is ridiculous to only look at Hollywood.

CP： Against a backdrop of ChinaRussia relations becoming increasingly close， what does this cooperative project mean for filmmaking？

Mikhalkov： The film was shot to commemorate the 70th anniversary of victory in the World Anti-fascist War， which has particularly significant meaning. I believe filmmaking cooperation is only the beginning. China and Russia share thousands of kilometers of borders， and they dont contain nor threaten each other. If possible， Id like to continue cooperating with Chinese filmmakers. I even want to make a Chinese film with a solely Chinese cast. I met so many excellent Chinese actors and actresses working on The Last Battle， and I would love for a chance to work with more.