Florian Henckel vol Donnersmarck: tallest jury member "Chinese film not to be ignored"

　　Among the jury members of Beijing International Film Festival, Germany director Florian Henckel vol Donnersmarck, over two meters tall, attracted much attention for his “high altitude”. Knowing that he is right the director of The Lives of Others winning the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film, people turned to worship him from being amazed by his height. Donnersmarck responded with a charming smile and regretted that he couldn’t play basketball. “In Germany, basketball is not a popular sport.” He is tall, yet he is gentle. Whenever press photographers asked him for taking a photo, he would take concerted actions unconditionally, posing in front of the lens until they said, “Ok, OK.” He completed tasks earnestly, which revealed the amazing rigorous habits of German.

　　Getting acquainted with China on his first trip

　　Florian Henckel vol Donnersmarck has an incredible resume. Born in 1973, Cologne, Germany, he lived in New York, Brussels, Frankfurt, and West Berlin, can speak fluent English, French, German and Russian. He studied Russian language and Russian culture in Leningrad in 1991. Two years later, he graducated from St. Petersburg University, by the time, he had obtained the national accreditation for teaching Russian (as a foreign language). From 1993 to 1996, he engaged in curricula of politics, philosophy and economics at University of Oxford and obtained his diplomas. In his last semester in University of Oxford, he won an award for one of his papers and had an opportuity as an intern to be taught by famous British film director Richard Attenborough, who was shooting In Love and War after the personal experience of Ernest Hemingway. Donnersmarck decided to study fiction directing and went to study at the HFF Munich in 1996. In 1998, his student work Doberman Pinscher as writer and director, which was only four minutes in length and appeared at over 40 global film festivals, won him numerous awards, including the Max Ophüls Prize and the Shocking Shorts Award from Universal Studios.

　　In 2006, The Lives of Others, his first feature as writer and director was released. It won the German and European Film Awards and in 2007 the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film. In 2013 he was named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum. He serves on the Board of the American Academy in Berlin, and on the International Council at MoMA in New York. 2015 saw the publication of Kino!, a book of Florian’s writings on contemporary cinema.

　　Although having ever lived in many places with rich experience, Donnersmarck longed for China the most. He was pleased to come to Beijing to act as the jury member, where he can watch world’s fine film works, meet with old friends, feel Beijing and feel Beijingers. As a matter of fact, this is not his first time visiting Beijing. He was here in 2011. He told the media reporters as if he disclosed a “secret”, “Do you know that I was here two months ago, when I talked about my film project with some people?” “What is that?” “I can’t tell you. Maybe next time.”

　　Recalling his first trip to China in 2011, he disclosed, he came to China to promote his new film The Tourist, which was his first film shooting in Hollywood starring famous American superstars Angelina Jolie and Johnny Depp. That trip impressed him greatly. “Before that, I had watched films directed by Zhang Yimou and Chen Kaige, they’re great. They presented China to the rest of the world in a better way. I got acquainted with China quickly and made a lot of friends, several months after I went back to Germany, I came to Beijing again.” Donnersmarck visited Shanghai. “I have a cousin in Hong Kong. I am not strange to China.”

　　Donnersmarck highly praised the historical and cultural connotation of Beijing. He said he likes Beijing opera, though he can’t fully understand it. “Many people asked why I love to visit China, I think I would rather to say I prefer to understand Chinese people than to say that I hope Chinese people get to know me.”

　　Starting a company with Chinese filmmakers

　　Due to his love to China, Donnersmarck established a company in China. Although well-known global filmmakers are increasingly deepening cooperation with their Chinese counterparts, it is rare for foreign directors to start a company with Chinese filmmakers. At this Beijing International Film Festival, Donnersmarck and Sam Raimi, director of Spider-Man series, made an attempt at it.

　　On April 19, Sparkle Roll Culture & Entertainment Development LTD announced at the festival the establishment of Allegory Films, co-founded by Donnersmarck and Sam Raimi. Allegory Films will invest and produce 8-10 films with a budget of 30- 80 million US dollars within five years. Global (Greater China Region excluded) release of the films will be conducted by America's six major production companies. Release in Greater China Region will be conducted by Sparkle Roll Culture & Entertainment Development LTD. Allegory can also co-invest with the six production companies. Donnersmarck said it took five years to look for investment for excellent films like Gravity. "I hope there will be less such things." In his view, directors know about their peers best. He hopes to help Chinese directors with his experience, and do well in cost control and distribution for new directors.

　　Donnersmarck said that, with film as the language for communication, he isn't worried about communication barriers. He is looking forward to cooperating with Chinese film practitioners. He hopes everyone can find fun and resonance in films.

　　Won't shoot films that don't touch him

　　This year is the 10th anniversary of the screening of the film The Lives of Others. According to the profile of Donnersmarck, within these 10 years, he directed only two films: The Lives of Others and The Tourist. Why? Donnersmarck said that he has been looking for appropriate projects. He thinks one can't shoot films for the sake of shooting. "Films must touch me, and make me want to express. I will shoot after I have the inspiration." He said.

　　Donnersmarck said happily that he has three projects in preparation at hand, and asked the audience to wait patiently. He will soon have new works. China is one of the elements that can spark his inspiration, and that is why he has been to Beijing several times these years. Donnersmarck believes that there is a magic force behind China's rapid development. "I want to further perceive its existence. In China, there is always something interesting. Nobody can neglect China's film. Now the whole world knows it. I hope Chinese government can continue to invest in film industry. I think this is very important. We do the same in Germany, and in Europe. I hope China can carry forward input in film industry."

　　Films are greatly influenced by literary works

　　The Lives of Others and The Tourist are so different in style, but in Donnersmarck's opinion, there are only two kinds of films, good and bad. He shot The Lives of Others, but he also likes watching 007 series. He watches films directed by Ang Lee and Kar Wai Wong. He watches films directed by John Woo, Zhang Yimou, Feng Xiaogang and Lu Chuan too. He thinks there is no big difference between commercial films and literary films. The key is whether the film is the presentation of the creator's inner world. Then, will he consider box office when shooting films? Donnersmarck said frankly that he will consider the question if the film has large investment and a strong cast. But if it is a low-budget film, he will be freer. However, it is often hard to estimate the box office. He said, "When I shot The Lives of Others, no distributor wanted to release the film at the very beginning, but later it was considered as one of the most successful German films in history. So, you have no way to determine it."

　　In 1977, the four-year-old Donnersmarck was exposed to film for the first time. He can still remember clearly that the film planned to be shown was Dr. Dolittle, but Varieté, a German film, was shown. Donnersmarck realized the charm of film for the first time. What influence did his previous experience of learning politics, philosophy, and economics in Oxford University make on his films after he decided to work as a director? Donnersmarck said that it is hard to describe the influence, but it did influence him unconsciously. "First, films should not be as dull as papers. Second, the ultimate questions in philosophy are what I concern about in films. When shooting films, I'm used to using philosophical logic--raising questions and trying to give answers. For example, a serious film can show the dark side of humanity vividly. However, I think it is good to bring people some hope in films. Actually it is easy to write dark things. The difficulty is to try to provide solutions for those who are in darkness, even a hint."

　　When asked which director or film has influenced him most deeply, Donnersmarck said, personally, what has influenced him more are literary works rather than films. Writers who have influenced him a lot are Leo Tolstoy, Fyodor Dostoyevsky, and Ernest Hemingway. "Music has also influenced me. Once, I heard Beethoven's Piano Sonata No.23 in F Minor, I suddenly feel refreshed. I thought it was hard for someone to do something evil when hearing this wonderful music. I wondered whether the secret police of East Germany would open their closed heart when they heard the music. It is this idea that motivated me to shoot The Lives of Others."