Director of Photography Department of Huayu

Chapter 576 Passing on the Torch, Life Never Ends

The lights in the auditorium slowly dimmed, and a solemn countdown was projected onto the huge screen. The 60th anniversary celebration of the Beijing Film Academy officially began.

The scene was solemn and dignified, filled with a profound sense of history.

A series of hurried footsteps sounded from the side of the door.
Guo Fan and Lu Yang slipped in just in time and quietly took their seats following the signs.

Park Song-il, Xiang Zhuo, Chu Tian-shu, and the others also arrived late. They pulled up their chairs one by one, bowing slightly as they apologized, saying "Excuse me, excuse me" all the way, before casually finding seats in the photography department to sit down.
After a series of speeches by leaders and senior professors, the highlight of the anniversary celebration—a short film themed "Echoes of Sixty Years"—began to be shown.

Sixty years of light and shadow unfold slowly on the giant silver screen.

First, there are black and white images: Wu Yinxian wading through the mud with a news camera, and Chen Boer directing a play under a dim light bulb;

Then colors flooded the screen.
In Xie Fei's lens, the light in northern winters is like a knife;
In the film "The Fragrant Soul Woman", the firelight flickers in the sesame oil mill;

The courtyard in Tian Zhuangzhuang's "Spring in a Small Town" is as gentle as spring breeze;
Zheng Dongtian, Zhang Yimou, Chen Kaige, Gu Changwei, Wang Xiaoshuai, Jia Zhangke, Li Shaohong
Names floated up one after another and then faded away.

The directors who emerged from here and their works that have been recorded in the history of Chinese cinema drew rounds of applause from the audience.

Zhang Yimou's representative works range from the overwhelming red of "Red Sorghum" to the oppressive intensity of "Ju Dou," and then flash to the pure and innocent "Under the Hawthorn Tree" in his latest film. He is prolific and stylistically diverse.
Even Liu Yifei, sitting in the performance department, couldn't help but exclaim softly, "Wow, Director Zhang has filmed so many movies!"

She glanced around and noticed that several teachers, including Wang Jinsong, couldn't help but slightly touch their foreheads, looking a little embarrassed.

"Yifei, look closely, there are almost no people from our department in the main cast!" Huang Bo lowered his voice and muttered to himself.

Liu Yifei then realized what was going on.

Thinking back on the films directed by so many different directors, it's no wonder that most of them didn't have the most exciting scenes. It turns out that the lead actors weren't alumni of the school, so the editing was selective, focusing on supporting roles played by alumni.
Chen Kaige's chapters followed one after another.
In "Yellow Earth," the wind blows across the loess ridges; in "Farewell My Concubine," the line "We promised, for a lifetime" echoes.

The crowd applauded repeatedly.

Finally, it's almost time for the new generation of directors to make short films.

Lu Xun stood ramrod straight, his head held high with anticipation.

After the iconic scene from "Kekexili" flashed by, the screen immediately switched to Ning Hao's "Incense" and "Crazy Stone".
Lu Xun lowered his head awkwardly, his face turning ashen.

Wait a minute, where's my copy of "Looking for a Gun"?

Where is my copy of "Nanjing! Nanjing!"?

That's fucking outrageous!

Finally, after Ning Hao, the scene cut to Wu Chen.

The acting professors had all unanimously lowered their hands from their foreheads.

Compared to most directors, Ning Hao and Wu Chen's domestic films feature a majority of actors who graduated from the Beijing Film Academy, and the short films finally have enough excellent performance segments.

The large screen first showed a black screen with a beam of light.

The title card "Starting from the Dark Side" flashes by, followed by the broken eyes in the shadows of "Black Peony" and the messenger running in the pseudo-one-shot of "1939".

The period also includes a montage of several co-productions and foreign films.
Liu Yifei's performance of several Kunqu Opera excerpts from "Black Peony" won enthusiastic applause from the audience.

However, in the back row of the acting department, many young actors looked at each other with a mix of complex emotions and envy.

"I really envy Senior Sister Yifei," Kan Qingzi clapped her hands and whispered to Jing Tian beside her, "By the way, Tian Tian, ​​how's your blockbuster 'The Warring States' coming along?"

"It feels pretty good."

Jing Tian hesitated for a moment, but decided to stick to reporting only good news and not bad.

But she always felt that something was off about the movie, though she couldn't quite put her finger on it.

After the short film ended, it was finally time for the awards ceremony. The "New China Film Pioneer Award" and the "Outstanding Contribution Award for Film Education" were not given to Wu Chen and his team.

Before presenting the "Outstanding Graduate Award," the host invited two representatives to speak.

Chen Kaige, as a representative of the "Class of '78" alumni;

Wu Chen, on the other hand, represents the new generation of graduates.

The two then stood up.

Chen Kaige's speech began with reminiscing about the past.

"We, along with the seniors and juniors present here, spent unforgettable years at the Film Academy. Back then, the school was located in a place called Zhuxinzhuang in Changping. I have a deep affection for Zhuxinzhuang."

Wu Chen went on stage after Chen Kaige. To the side and back of the stage, this year's freshmen Zhang Yishan, Yang Zi, Li Xian, Li Gan and others were holding flowers, preparing for the awards ceremony later.

As Wu Chen walked by, he smiled and nodded at Li Gan, who became very excited.

Zhang Yishan and Yang Zi exchanged a glance, both looking somewhat envious.

Although they achieved fame at a young age, their achievements are still far less significant than those of the lead actor in a Golden Bear-winning film.

Wu Chen didn't talk about anything technical, after all, it was a school anniversary celebration, not a lecture, and then picked up where Chen Kai left off:
"Thank you everyone. Just now, listening to Director Chen reminisce about Zhuxinzhuang, I was thinking, when we, the new generation, get old, what will we remember about the film academy?"

He turned his gaze towards the photography department where Mu Deyuan was located and smiled:
"I might recall my teacher, Professor Mu Deyuan, telling us in our first photography class: 'The lens itself has no warmth, but the person behind the lens must.'"

I might also recall discussing with my roommates whether cameras were our second life, and whether we should buy a Nikon F80 or try to find a used Minolta X-700.

The audience, especially the photography students and teachers, smiled knowingly.

"Haha, this kid," Mu Deyuan said, his face full of pride.

Throughout his many years of teaching, Wu Chen has been his most outstanding student, without exception.

The photography professors standing nearby looked at Mu Deyuan with envy in their eyes.

Teachers often brag about this in private, and they've been unable to win the bragging contest for years, which is really frustrating.

Park Song-il, Xiang Zhuo, Chu Tian-shu, and the others chuckled, as if they had instantly returned to that winter of 2003.

Meanwhile, the directing students were a little envious.

The photography department is full of talented people, but the directing department is experiencing a talent shortage. In recent years, there haven't been many new talents winning awards, and even fewer making it to the box office.
"I wonder if Lu Yang can carry the torch later on," Tian Zhuangzhuang thought to himself.

At this moment, Wu Chen paused, then turned his gaze to Ning Hao's direction:

"I also remember that afternoon when I was having hot pot with my teacher and roommates, and I saw Senior Sister Xing Aina shouting at Senior Brother Ning Hao outside the 'Old Beijing Lamb Hot Pot' restaurant: 'Ning Hao, you will definitely succeed!'"

"Shh!"

All eyes in the room immediately focused on Ning Hao and Xing Aina.

"Why did I just blurt it out?" Ning Hao muttered to himself.

Xing Aina glared at him fiercely, as if to say: What's the problem?

Wu Chen's voice rang out again, gentle yet powerful:
"I think the most valuable thing that our predecessors and teachers left us, and what our alma mater taught us, is not a particular technique or a particular theory, but a kind of 'love'."

I sincerely hope that this passion can be passed down from generation to generation, and continue to thrive. Thank you everyone.”

(End of this chapter)