Home » 【Interview with Fang Fei】Interview with Li Yunxiang: The Voice of Breaking Through Silence | Live Picking | Documentary | Voice of Silence

【Interview with Fang Fei】Interview with Li Yunxiang: The Voice of Breaking Through Silence | Live Picking | Documentary | Voice of Silence

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[The Epoch Times, January 18, 2022]Hello, viewers, welcome to this issue of[Interview with Fang Fei]. Today’s show has a special guest, director Li Yunxiang. A few years ago, when Li Yunxiang’s documentary “Live Harvest” won the highest honor in the radio and television industry, the Peabody Award, I once invited him to appear on the show.

This year, he brought another masterpiece, “The Voice of Silence”. The film won the Audience Choice Award at this year’s Austin Film Festival and is set to open in 30 cities across the United States. Today we invite Li Yunxiang to share with us the touching story of the film’s behind-the-scenes production.

Hello Li Yunxiang, it’s a pleasure to interview you again.

Li Yunxiang:Hi Fang Fei.

host:Li Yunxiang would like to ask you to briefly introduce your new film. I heard that it is based on real characters, right? So what kind of story does it tell?

Li Yunxiang:The film “The Voice of Silence” tells the story of several students from Tsinghua University in mainland China, as well as an American journalist stationed in China, how they joined hands in a great persecution to take down some of the blocked ones. The truth can be told. It is based on true events.

host:Yes, I watched this film, and I think that although this story was shot twenty years ago, with that time as the background, there is actually a lot of this kind of correlation and connection with today. Before I ask you to say next, I want to put the trailer of this film first, so that our audience friends can have a more intuitive feeling.

The real experience of the top students of Tsinghua University touched me to make this film

host:So Li Yunxiang watched this film, and I remembered that I interviewed you a few years ago, because when I interviewed you in the documentary “Live Harvest”, I know that you have been honing a sword for 8 years in that documentary. a style. The film was about two Canadian lawyers who went to investigate the CCP’s crime of organ harvesting. I would like to ask you about this film, how many years have you been sharpening your sword?

Li Yunxiang:This movie also took a long time, because we only wrote the script for more than two years, and probably revised dozens of drafts. Then, there was about half a year of pre-production, and the actual shooting took two months. And then nearly a year later.

host:Then why, what inspired you to make such a film?

Li Yunxiang:When I was filming the last documentary, someone introduced me to a person who said he came out of mainland China and spent more than 8 years in prison, and he was Wang Weiyu. I was fortunate enough to meet him, and he told me his story one by one. When I heard it, I was very touched. Because many of us from mainland China know that Tsinghua University is one of the highest universities in China. He was at Tsinghua University at the time, about to get a Ph.D., and was a counselor at the school.

Therefore, it can be said that whether you want to enter politics, enter a big company, or start your own business, it can be said that the future is promising. Well, such a talented person, after the CCP started suppressing Falun Gong in 1999, seems to have become an enemy of the state overnight. So what kind of mental journey did he have when he faced this very practical choice that involved his entire life? Why did he make such a choice? How could he and his friends have the courage to speak their minds in such a high-pressure environment, so it was a big shock to me.

Well, since he believed in me and could tell me his story, I also thought that I should do my part to make his story into a movie. This is the original intention of the creation.

The efforts of people in the big era to tell the truth are the subject of classic movies

host:I think the subject matter you choose seems to be a lot that most people don’t touch on, right? Because although the subject of Falun Gong is preached, many of you are aware of the situation of Falun Gong, but it seems that you rarely see works like this.

Li Yunxiang:Yes, this is actually a very interesting thing, and many reporters have asked me this question, why do I want to shoot these subjects. But I want to ask the question, why aren’t more people shooting these stories? Don’t these stories just reflect the efforts of people to fight for their rights and to tell the truth in this big era? So what is the difference between it and many of those classic stories in history, who dared to speak up in the face of high pressure and danger? Why aren’t more people shooting these stories?

host:So why don’t you think more people are making these stories?

Li Yunxiang:In that respect, I think from a Hollywood perspective, from 1997, I remember that there were three films that seemed to be China-related films with a slightly more sensitive subject matter. Since then, more and more Western producers and production companies, in order to be able to enter the Chinese mainland market, have some self-censorship from the beginning, and now they are actively catering to them. So in order to enter China, the world‘s largest film market, many companies have made some compromises. On the other hand, for so long, the CCP authorities have also spread a lot of lies to various groups.

So some people may not know exactly what is going on, but in my opinion, the more topics that have not been paid attention to, the more time they should spend to understand, so that it is possible to make good works that really move people’s hearts.

Sometimes being silent is a lie

host:Yes, we have seen that over the years, the infiltration of the CCP and its pressure from various aspects has actually had a very large impact on Western society. So I think your question is a good one, but in fact there should be more people doing this kind of thing. Then I also want to ask you, it is the title of this movie. The English name of the film is “Unsilenced”, and then the Chinese translation is “Silent Voice”. In fact, these two do not mean exactly the same thing. Unsilenced means that it seems to be something that was originally silenced, so it is no longer silent, right? Why do you have such a name?

Li Yunxiang:Because now, of course, in mainland China for a long time, people’s voices are difficult to express. All media is controlled by this government, including on the Internet, and there is no real free environment. Therefore, the voices of many people are equivalent to being silenced, and it can even be said that the entire country has been silenced. So now in the Western world, in fact, we can all feel the same way. Sometimes it takes courage to tell the truth. We know that there is such a cancellation culture right now, so when many people have some opinions, they don’t dare to express them.

So I think the valuable thing about this story is that it is not just about a group of students in China, some of their choices, he showed this spirit in the face of adversity, in fact, for many people, including Western audiences, I think from the Also get some inspiration. So the title of the film was called Unsilenced. And I also have an idea that many times people will say that I did not deliberately cater to some lies, or that in the face of lies, I just kept silent. But sometimes keeping silent is itself a lie.

host:Yes. That’s why I feel that having the courage to tell such a story is itself breaking through that invisible barrier. The invisible people each set their own limits, or a powerful force has set you such a limit.

Faced with multiple pressures during the filming process, it is even more obvious that this should be done

Li Yunxiang:It is so. Then this film is in the process of planning to shooting, we can also say that we have experienced the feeling of the protagonist firsthand. Of course it’s not that serious, but in the actual shooting, in fact, before the shooting… When casting (casting), when choosing scenes, I also encountered a lot of these various pressures and obstacles. Of course, on the one hand, we feel a lot of pressure, on the other hand, maybe this proves the value of the story itself! If you’re going to make a simple romantic comedy, I don’t think there’s any resistance.

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host:So can you give some examples, what kind of pressure and resistance?

Li Yunxiang:right. Before the filming started, we had a production meeting. People within our team are discussing what to do? Then I will tell you, I said, we are going to make a film about China. First, we can’t use Chinese actors; second, we can’t use Chinese scenes. Let’s see what to do! It’s really difficult. Later, we went to Taiwan to shoot. At first, I thought that in a free and democratic environment like Taiwan, it should be much easier, but the actual difficulties encountered are still great.

Because in Taiwan, because of the long-term suppression by the CCP, the propaganda of lies, and the occasional intrusion. Then in…even in Taiwan, there are many cast members who are afraid or unwilling to participate in the shooting of such a film. Therefore, in all aspects of casting and scenes, we often encounter people who have already agreed and agreed to appear, and then decided not to participate not long before the filming started.

The reason seems to be from the family, or even from some bigwigs in the Taiwanese film and television industry, who put a lot of pressure on him. Then there are scenes. Our staff has already started to set the scene, and the shooting will take place the next day. Then we were notified that we cannot shoot. So it is equal to after 12 or 3 hours of shooting every day, we have to look for the scene to shoot the next day overnight, so the overall intensity is quite large.

host;Oh, is this also the case in Taiwan? It is my impression that the Taiwanese people, in general, should be more disgusted with the CCP. I didn’t expect to say that Taiwan’s showbiz… would be in such a place… under such a big influence. Are they worried that there will be problems in future development in China?

Li Yunxiang:I think a lot of people are. Because the film and television works published in Taiwan, the Taiwan market is relatively small. It is understandable that many people hope to sell their works to mainland China. Then mainland China is a market with many red lines and many landmines. It is not certain that one day it will be blacklisted, forced to apologize, or take some other measures. Therefore, people are deeply afraid of offending some people in mainland China. Even if they support such a work, they are sometimes reluctant to participate.

The script was revised dozens of times, trying to shock the audience

host:This is really the one who made such a film… It can be said that it is difficult. We’ll ask you later what kind of behind-the-scenes stuff you have to overcome during filming. But I want to ask you one thing first. You mentioned the script just now. You said that the script was changed dozens of times, and it took a long time to write it. Is this normal? Even in the industry, is it considered normal time, or is it considered a long time? Why change it so many times?

Li Yunxiang:Yes, the general script does have to be revised a lot. There is a saying that writing is rewriting, so it is basically polished. So when we create this story, on the one hand, we have to take into account that it is based on real events, so we actually have certain restrictions on some big time and big events; on the other hand, from my own Angle, because I really like some movies that are very shocking and touching after watching them, such as this “Shawshank Redemption”, “Schindler’s List”, and similar movies.

Then I also thought that when we create, can we learn more from others? Take a look at what elements and methods in their play and creation, which can bring such a huge shock to the audience after watching it. Then I remember, of course, this is a very classic film. I remember that after I watched it, after watching it for the first time, I was reminiscing about it for a long time, and I was reminiscing about these plots.

Therefore, in our films, we also learn more from these master-level works. How can we give the audience an unforgettable spiritual feeling in terms of laying out, in shaping the characters, and in terms of expressing themes? It’s what we hope to achieve!

host:Yes, I think it’s just some of the lines in the film, which make a deep impression on me and can be said to be very real. For example, the old professor, he would persuade his proud disciple not to participate in Falun Gong, he would cite his son as an example. He just said that his son 10 years ago… He said that my son is about the same age as you, and then he said two or three words later. That’s what he said, I think I’ve been through this in China…I don’t know if I can say it, will it be a spoiler? Or how?

Li Yunxiang:No problem, you can.

Disclosure for the first time: The June 4th dialogue comes from real life and touches people’s hearts

host:He just told the young man, what he meant was that he didn’t know that would happen, that his son would be shot to death in “June 4th”, what he meant was that if he knew, he would break his two legs and would rather spend his life To serve him, he will not let him go. Then I think that is very impressive, that is… and very real. Anyone who has experienced “June 4th” in mainland China, or who was in China at that time, feels that this is the voice of many parents.

Including the dialogue between his protagonist and the villain later, including what the villain said, he is not much, but he is very in place, and it feels very deep. I don’t know if you really put a lot of effort into this when you were creating?

Li Yunxiang:You have great insight. This is the first time I have spoken publicly. This is what the old professor told him, which I heard with my own ears. This is a person by my side, who told us his true feelings at that time. Exact words. That short passage was almost word for word, repeating what he said at the time. Because when I heard it, I was very shocked. One…Especially after I have a child later, who would be a parent who would say that I would rather break my child’s leg and raise him for the rest of his life?

What kind of remorse is this? When I said this, I remembered it at the time, because I think that many times in life, some materials you encounter are the most authentic inspiration for your creation. source. So I have a habit, when something touches me, I go back and write it down. So this is one of the places that really struck me.

host:Yes. And the other lines, I think it doesn’t seem to… It just gives me the feeling that you don’t want him to say a lot, but what you ask him to say is in that kind of situation, it just makes people feel very real… …those words. So I think this line means that you want to talk about “aftertaste”. Maybe this is part of what makes the audience… move the audience.

Li Yunxiang:Yes, of course I think the part of the lines is still in the process of learning. This is difficult to create, because on the one hand, it cannot be completely a language of life. After all, it is the lines in the movie, but it cannot be separated from life. So how to extract it in this life, a line in the movie, after listening to it, it is very crisp and powerful, but it feels very real, this is also where I have been trying to break through!

The actor’s attentiveness and tacit understanding with the director make the role outstanding

host:Yes. I think this is actually very important. Because of your first element, the audience must feel real when they see it. There is another one, because I have seen the film myself, and I am asking you some questions from the perspective of an audience. Another is that I think this acting is more impressive to me, and the other is the acting of the protagonist.

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Of course, I read the media report that the protagonists of your film are rookie actors from Taiwan, but I think that the protagonist’s acting skills are really mature, and especially in the part where he finally got out of prison, he was followed by two A policeman, I don’t know if he thought he was going to be executed at the time, or what. It’s the expression on his face, and when you look at it, you’ll think he has a lot of things. I don’t know if you had any of these things with the protagonist when you were in a play?

Li Yunxiang:Our protagonist, he is actually a rookie actor in Taiwan. After graduating from the acting department, he acted in some different and smaller works. Then we had a very in-depth communication with him when we were casting. The first time I saw him, my feeling was that his “focus” particularly touched me. Because actors, especially good actors, have concentration and imagination.

In fact, if the third point is life experience, they are all factors that play a crucial role in his performance. Our actor, he has a very strong concentration, to what extent? Even if he is simply looking at one thing, you just need to put the camera in front of him, and you want to know what he is looking at. So it’s great for him to play this role.

You said that in that scene, when he walked through the corridor of the long prison, we had a discussion at that time. He asked me, director, what do you think this scene requires and what are your thoughts? I said let’s give it a try, let’s say you take this short journey, that’s the journey of your entire life. He said yes, I understand, this actor has another characteristic, he is very spiritual, and he immediately understands when he talks about it.

He went back for this trip, and in his eyes, he could feel his reluctance to his parents, some nostalgia for his wife, his children, his colleagues and classmates. At the same time, he could also feel his firmness in this environment. So it’s a very layered performance. At the time, I remember we were very tight, because the prison gave us a very short time, and we had to finish filming immediately. So after we set up.

host:Really go to the prison to shoot.

Li Yunxiang:Yes, it was a real prison, and it took him down in a short time. So I personally feel very satisfied.

host:Yeah, so you’re talking about this on a lot of layers, so that’s why when I watch it, I think he has a lot of stuff, of course not fully aware of what it is, but he’s going to impress the audience. Another person who impressed me deeply was the role of the biggest villain, the secretary who played the villain. When I was watching it at the time, I was thinking, I said wow, I said that a Taiwanese actor can play the insidiousness of a person like the mainland’s Political and Legal Committee. in place.

Li Yunxiang:Yes, this actor is called Wang Ziqiang, and he is an actor I respect very much. He himself has a very legendary life experience. He was previously an instructor of the Taiwan Special Forces. Later, after being discharged from the army, he was responsible for their security work for many big bosses or celebrities. So he can say that on both sides of the Taiwan Strait and the three places, he has been in touch with a lot of high-level social aspects in very large scenes. So undoubtedly speaking, his observations and his experience, he should have seen everything.

On the other hand, he is very attentive. In this script, we did not give which government unit this person came from, but he did his own research after reading the script. As soon as he met me, he said that the director’s role was someone from the 610 Office. I was also surprised at the time, because he had done a lot of research, and at a glance I could see where this person came from.

When I work with him, I feel very hearty and can say. Because every play, some of his fresh ideas, and the collision of some of our ideas, there are always some very brilliant places. Some of his small actions, such as a scene, after he came out of an office, he inadvertently adjusted the party flag and national flag on the table a little, and then left. There are not many movements, and his expression is also controlled very accurately, but almost everyone told me after watching it, wow, this person is too scary, where did you find this actor?

Host: Yes, I also remember that scene, it was very impressive. Although his language and actions are actually calm, he actually has a lot of things behind him. His life experience and his understanding of this film and this story are all integrated, right?

Li Yunxiang:Yes, and this cooperation is not only about how to play these plays well, the actor has a very deep understanding of this role. Didn’t I say before that there was a scene that was canceled? That scene is Secretary Yang, the original office, we have a large office for him to film. After the cancellation, what do we want to do? It’s like turning this bad thing into a good thing. Let’s think about it like this. We have shown so many aspects of Secretary Yang, but we are missing a time of his own. He acts as a more human side.

So I replaced this scene with inside his apartment, inside his villa. He is taking good care of his watch. After the scene changed places, he was also very excited when he knew it himself. He said, “Oh, I’ve been thinking about how to make my character more full, closer to the audience, and more three-dimensional.” So it’s a coincidence. After the revision, his performance in that scene was also very exciting. I think, looking up at the critical moment during watch repair, it seems to be very impressive.

The three torture scenes were a challenge for both the crew and the actors

host:Yes, I remember that scene too. I think that is really good, and it feels like a Western blockbuster, using such a scene to express his character. Another thing, I have to say, is the torture scene in this film, there are three main ones. I thought it was very real and very scary. I basically don’t dare to watch it when I watch it, I have to turn off the sound. I think shooting such a torture scene is a big challenge for the film crew and actors, is it a difficult thing?

Li Yunxiang:There was a lot of thought on this part when writing the script and when preparing for the shoot. Because on the one hand, many Falun Gong practitioners I have interviewed in mainland China, and some people who have been oppressed in China for other reasons, the torture they have experienced and the actual situation they have experienced are actually very tragic. Far more than this scene in our movie.

But on the other hand, in the movie, if you act too much, the audience won’t dare to watch it, and it doesn’t seem to be what we want to achieve. So we basically didn’t go too far to present particularly bloody scenes. Many times it relies on a metaphor or a hint to let the audience make up their own minds. So now many people see it and think, oh, they are very touched, but not to the extent that they dare not watch it.

During the filming, for example, Guo Xia suffered some very inhuman tortures. I also have some good exchanges and communication with this actor, and she is also very brave, because you shoot such a scene, so many people are watching, in fact, it is a great challenge for the actor. At that time, we gathered everyone together and told you what was the real situation behind this torture? Why are we filming this torture? Unless it is particularly necessary, we will also clear the scene, leaving only a few people on the scene, so that the actors can concentrate on performing in a quieter environment.

host:Yes, I think it is exactly like what you said, but it cannot be completely true (the situation), because we have seen many reports, including the personal disclosure of Falun Gong practitioners. It’s a lot more brutal, a lot of the time, but it doesn’t show that in the film either. So I think that thing, but it is very realistic, this is actually quite an easy thing. During the shooting process, apart from what you just mentioned, from the very beginning of the casting process, there were still some difficulties encountered in some scenes. What other major difficulties did you encounter?

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Difficulty of scene restoration: both a sense of history and closeness to reality

Li Yunxiang:There are also some very interesting experiences. For example, when we were shooting a scene in downtown Taipei, two police cars whizzed by with the words “Public Security” on them. During the filming, many people in Taipei were very surprised after seeing it, and they picked up the phone and called the police. We had filed an application with the police station before, and the police station also knew that they were filming, but the people still felt worried. The next day we also covered the local newspaper. This shows that the long-term interference of the CCP’s military aircraft and various suppressions have actually caused some very bad shadows to the people of Taiwan.

host:Yes, you said that this is what I think is to present Beijing 20 years ago in Taiwan. This is not an easy task, is it?

Li Yunxiang:Is such that. Of course, if you go back to Beijing to shoot now, it would be difficult to shoot 20 years ago.

host:Yeah.

Li Yunxiang:It’s very difficult. Another advantage of Taiwan is that it is in Taipei, because they don’t have a kind of forced demolition, that is, many buildings are preserved. In fact, buildings and scenes from different periods can be found. Plus we have a very good art team who actually worked in China. So we are doing our best to restore some scenes in China. But including props, scenography, including costumes, we had a discussion at the time. That is, if you think about 1999 or 2000, the situation in mainland China is actually unrealistic, especially because our budget simply cannot do it.

For example, if you are shooting some exterior scenes on the street, you can’t possibly seal it up with a lot of traffic coming and going, right? So one of our goals later was to not care whether the thing itself was 100% accurate. We need to care about the feeling presented by this thing, whether this feeling has a sense of history, and at the same time can be close to the present. Why do we make such a choice? Because this is a historical event, but this event has not ended to this day.

That is almost a very important part of the political situation in China to this day. So we don’t want the audience to think after watching the movie, “Wow, this is the old almanac.” No, we hope it has a sense of history and at the same time can tell everyone that this persecution is still going on. Many people are still in mainland China, day and night, risking their lives to express their hearts.

host:One of the scenes is the gate of Tsinghua University, with the words Tsinghua University on the left. Where was that shot?

Li Yunxiang:It was also shot in Taiwan.

host:I know, look for a school door and put this plaque on it?

Li Yunxiang:Actually yes.

Working together to do the right thing

host:OK, OK. So share with us, are there any stories that made you feel particularly moved during the shooting process?

Li Yunxiang:The most touching thing is actually from the entire film crew. Because everyone was under so much pressure to finally choose to participate in this film, I think people can still agree with our philosophy. And knowing that this is a just thing, I am willing to contribute to this. Especially many of our actors, they are facing various pressures from all sides, they can calm down, do a lot of preparation work, and can understand these things thoroughly before presenting them.

This is an amazing thing. I think no matter what difficulties there are during filming, in the future, everyone will think that this matter was not done in vain.

I remember a scene where we were filming on the railway bridge, a very important scene for Guo Xia and Wang Boyu. We were shooting at night, and it was very cold. I was basically in front of the Monitor, and I kept shivering. It was very cold. At this time, we had an actor who gave me one of his heating pads and said, “Director, you are too cold, you can use it.”

Although this is a small heating treasure, I really feel very warm. So it means that everyone encourages each other and overcomes many difficulties together to make these scenes film.

It is quite rare for independent films to be released in theaters and needs everyone’s support

host:It’s really the feeling of everyone working together. Now, Yunxiang, your film is going to be staged in 30 cities in the United States on January 21. In fact, it can be staged in so many cities in the United States during the epidemic. I think for an independent film, this is not easy. matter.

Li Yunxiang:Yes, you are quite right. As an independent film, whether there is an epidemic, it is very difficult for you to have a relatively large-scale theatrical distribution. Then we should say that first of all, we won the “Audience Choice Award” for an audience-selected feature film at the Austin Film Festival.

So what does the Audience Choice Award mean? Show that the audience approves. This is sometimes more important than the film critic’s award, for the theater chain, he values ​​it more. The other thing is that there are many film pickers in this theater chain. After watching our film, they were also deeply moved by the story in it. Some people also said that they have not seen such a shocking film for a long time.

Of course, we know that, considering the market, Hollywood will shoot more sequel (series) and more films with some concepts that have been verified by the market. Then there are fewer and fewer original and original things. Then we can directly attack this sensitive issue, and we can take out and show the most cherished part of human nature, so I think many people will be very moved when they see it.

It is precisely because of this that they gave us such an opportunity. Of course, it is still very difficult during the epidemic, so I hope everyone can go to the theater to support our film if you have the conditions. Because when the film is being shot, of course, more consideration is given to the big screen, including its stereo effect, so it should be better than watching it at home in terms of audiovisual experience.

host:Which major cities are included in the 30 cities? Tell us a little bit.

Li Yunxiang:Yes, including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington DC, Houston, San Francisco and many other major cities. You can go to unsilentmovies.com, our website, which has a complete listing of the entire theater, as well as a link to book tickets.

host:OK, then I will also say a few words to our audience friends. Audience friends, this film starts on January 21st and will be shown in 30 cities across the United States, including New York, Los Angeles, Houston, and other big cities. Many places are performing for a week, so you can book tickets in advance on the ticketing website.

In fact, I think as the movie poster says, in a society without truth and justice, everyone is a victim. So in fact, I think the story told by this film is also closely related to each of us. The kind of society we want to live in may also depend on the actions of each of us.

Ok, thank you very much Li Yunxiang for sharing your behind-the-scenes story of this film with us today, and I wish you greater success in the future.

Li Yunxiang:Thank you Fang Fei.

host:Well, viewers, thank you for watching this episode of “Interview with Fang Fei”, see you next time.

Fangfei Talk Channel: https://bit.ly/fangfeitalk

“Interview with Fang Fei” Production Team

Responsible editor: Li Hao#

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