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Strike a Chord with Investors Using a Good Story | An Exclusive Interview with Director Buyankhishig Enkhjargal of Black boy, a Shortlisted Film Project of Beijing International Film Festival

  "The story of mine is about a horse's journey and also a life journey," commended Director Buyankhishig Enkhjargal on his film project Black boy. In the decade of preparing the project, Buyankhishig Enkhjargal thought many investors did not understand Black boy. After the project was shortlisted as Top 20 projects at the Project Pitches of Beijing International Film Festival (BJIFF), he thanked the platform for its encouragement and also became more determined to complete the film. According to Buyankhishig Enkhjargal, the film Black boy has entered the final cut stage and is expected to be completed in August 2019.

  Born into a Mongolian herdsman family, Buyankhishig Enkhjargal has grown a deep love for horses. In 2009, touched by a true story about a horse traveling home, he began to write a script with a horse as the protagonist. In 2011, Buyankhishig Enkhjargal selected a newborn black pony called Black boy and started to train this "actor" for his film. During his advanced studies in the Department of Directing, Beijing Film Academy, Gexige Baoyin started to film Black boy and made a 20-minute-or-so self-titled short film.

  The living experience on the prairie is the most precious treasury to Buyankhishig Enkhjargal. He has not only created vivid characters in films like Wolf Totem, Norjmaa and Ten Soldiers of Chinggis Khaan, but also served as an equestrian director in films including Wolf Totem, Mojin: The Lost Legend, Genghis Khan and The Horse Trainer. Familiar with horses, Buyankhishig Enkhjargal had the capability to "help directors come up with scenes" and designed key scenes such as collision of war horses, chases between horses and wolves and horse neighing. Because of constant film contracts, before 2018, Buyankhishig Enkhjargal had no time or energy to do his own project. He didn't dive into the script of Black boy and put the shooting of the film on the agenda till he withdrew from the work of the film Recounting of Immortals because of illness.

  In early 2018, Buyankhishig Enkhjargal visited his teacher Xue Yun with the script of Black boy at Beijing Film Academy. One of the suggestions he received from his teacher was to sign up for the 8th BJIFF Film Market Project Pitches. The BJIFF Project Pitches platform had recruited and selected film projects that had the potential to be shown in China, had great market potential and had commercial or artistic value for seven consecutive years, and it has no restrictions on the genre, subject or country or region of origin of the projects. However, as for the question whether anyone would like his project, Buyankhishig Enkhjargal had no answer. Then he signed up for the BJIFF Project Pitches.

  Finally, Black boy, as the only animal film of the Top 20 Projects at the BJIFF Project Pitches, became the most characteristic project. Three second-round selection judges of the Project Pitches expressed their love for the script as well as their hope to see such a work that shows the emotional bond between people and horses be made into a film. To Buyankhishig Enkhjargal, such encouragement is very important.

  During the negotiation of the project, Buyankhishig Enkhjargal was faced with doubts from some investors who questioned his ability to direct “horses to act” and thought the project was not a commercial film they expected. But Buyankhishig Enkhjargal wanted to produce a good film, and thought that a good film is a good film, no matter it is an art film or a commercial film. He even directly objected to investors' suggestions of changing the script during negotiation. "Changing script is not about changing some words. If a scene is changed, I will need one or two years training the horse," said he.

  Buyankhishig Enkhjargal didn't use his experience in participating in a number of blockbusters to "apple-polish" investors. Instead, with a good story and professional ability, he got investment from a company in Shanghai. When talking about the expectations for his directorial debut, Buyankhishig Enkhjargal thought that unlike other films, Black boy truly centers on horses and shows the emotions of horses. He hoped that viewers can see not only the external beauty of horses but also their noble character and their emotional bond with people through the film.

  According to Buyankhishig Enkhjargal, Black boy has entered the final cut stage. Seeing Black boy's performances of joy, anger, sorrow and happiness in the rush, Buyankhishig Enkhjargal made no secret of his delight and praised that the horse actor was amazing. To let viewers see the film Black boy as early as possible, after the Spring Festival of 2019, Buyankhishig Enkhjargal rushed to Russia, getting busy for the background music of the film.

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