Q&A with - "Zhang Bin" director of: Shadow in the forgotten desert city

Career Overview:

Zhang Bin, Male, born on November, 1976.
He is a director and screenwriter, Associate Professor in Institute of New Media, Communication University of China, Ph.D., Master Tutor.

As a screenwriter and director in the film Shadow in The Forgotten City.
As a screenwriter and director in the film The Ferry of Life.
As a screenwriter and director in the film Drone Falll.
As a screenwriter and director in the film The Snail Traveler.

As a screenwriter in the stage play The Story of Beijing Youth Sports School.
As a director in the documentary See the Silk Road Again .

Awards:
Film The Snail Traveler won the “Maple Leaf Award” Best Cinematography of the 6th Vancouver Chinese Film.

Film Shadow in The Forgotten City won the “Maple Leaf Award” Best Experimental Short Film of the 9th Vancouver Chinese Film.

Question: 

“Shadow in the Forgotten Desert City” is about the ancient ruins of a lost city in China. What made you want to make a film about this subject and have you always been interested by history and archaeology?

 

Answer:

There are a lot of splendid treasures in Chinese culture in the history of over 5,000 years. Its charm won’t wear away even if thousands of years has passed. Xixia is a kingdom established on the Gobi desert, lasting three hundred years. However, it is not recorded in Chinese official history. This soil is full of legends, which not only adds a kind of mystery to it but also leave behind a spacious room for filmmakers to imagine. So, as the one who loves suspense themes, I also want to make such a film on this theme. I want to take this opportunity to present our interesting culture to more people. I am very interested in history and archeology indeed. I think history reveals the trace of how we are now while archeology is the decoding process to trace back the past and explore the clue. I enjoy this kind of feeling. 

 

Question:

In the film, there is a lost city belonging to a dynasty called ‘Xixia’. They were a ，real dynasty who ruled a huge part of Asia for a long time and yet most people outside of China have never heard of them. It can be daunting to learn about Chinese history because there is so much of it. How would you suggest someone who wants to learn about this subject should start? 

 

Answer:

As I mentioned just now, Xixia is not recorded in the 24 official history books of China. Compared to other dynasties, there is no complete book for us to learn about it systematically. I suggest that the one who is interested in this theme should watch documentaries about Xixia first, such as The Mysterious Xixia on CCTV. This documentary is based on historical records and archaeological findings. It demonstrates politics, culture, military affairs and other aspects of Xixia. It is both serious and easy to understand. It is a good popular science work

 

Question:

Zhang Bin, the director of “Shadow of the Forgotten Desert City” has experience working as a documentary maker. “Shadow in the Forgotten Desert City” blends documentary and drama to tell it’s story. Why did you use this style?

 

Answer:  

“Shadow of the Forgotten Desert City” is a film about the history of Xixia. Xixia Dynasty has existed in reality. The form of documentary feels more real. That is why I want to combine the documentary with a story line to make it more credible and profound. In this way, the watchers will not just take it as an invented story. They would believe that such an astonishing adventure did exist in the history.    

 

Question:

As a professor and film maker, what advice would you give to students who want to get into film-making?

 

Answer:

There is an old saying in Chinese -- “Knowledge and action should go hand in hand”. I believe it is also true for those students who want to get involved in film making. Film making demands rich storage of theoretical knowledge as well as practical experience. I suggest that the students who want to enter this industry should read the relevant books to enrich their knowledge in the school or even when they start working. Then, we will test the theoretical achievements in practice, which is complimentary to what they cannot learn from the books. The doctrine of “combining knowledge and action” is similarly applicable to any position in film making.

 

 Question:

 What future projects are you working on? When can we expect to see your next film?

 

Answer:

I am now preparing for a short film about memory, which involves the representation form of drama in drama and the new concept of digital art. For me, it is a new trial. If everything goes well, the new film may be screened in the beginning of the coming year. It is coming soon.

 

Editor: Tawhid RN
Associate: Sfilmmaker