BEIJING, May 9, 2024
/PRNewswire/ -- Although Serbia and China are geographically thousands of miles
apart, the distance between the hearts of the two peoples is
close.
Chinese President Xi Jinping said the Chinese people have always
cherished a special bond of friendship with Serbia, when attending
a welcome banquet held by Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic in Belgrade, Serbia, on Wednesday, noting that
Serbian athletes Novak Djokovic and
Nikola Jokic, and movie director
Emir Kusturica are household names
in China.
Although films like The Bridge, Walter Defends Sarajevo,
and Underground are beloved by Chinese audiences, who
draw inspiration and spiritual strength from them, for Kusturica,
affectionately known as "Uncle Ku" by Chinese movie fans, his
connection with China goes beyond
the passion for and emotion evoked by movies themselves.
In June 2016, the internationally
recognized film director appeared in China as the Jury President for the Golden
Goblet Award's main competition at the 19th Shanghai International Film Festival,
coinciding with President Xi's historic visit to his homeland. In
2024, before Xi's second visit to Serbia, Kusturica returned to
China as the Jury President for
the Tiantan Award at the 14th Beijing International Film Festival
(BJIFF).
In a recent exclusive interview with the Global Times, Kusturica
expressed his firm belief in the friendship between China and Serbia.
"I think President Xi's visit will bring us more opportunity to
develop cooperation between the two countries... I hope that this
brotherhood friendship will continue," he told the Global
Times.
Bright future
Kusturica has always been pleased that the movie Walter
Defends Sarajevo, in which he made his debut on the big screen when
he was just 18 years old, "had been seen by almost all
Chinese people."
Born in 1954 in Sarajevo,
former Yugoslavia, Kusturica has
witnessed significant historical events such as the fall of the
Berlin Wall and the breakup of Yugoslavia. Known for his films' revelry,
absurdity, and dark humor, Kusturica incorporates carnival-style
performances and vibrant colors that evoke nostalgia. His works,
offering a balm for emotional wounds and sparking contemplation on
Serbia's grounding, also make him one of the few cinematic masters
to have won awards at all of Europe's three top events - the Venice Film Festival, the Berlin International Film Festival, and the
Cannes Film Festival.
He believes that the "Slavs seal" on his movies serves to make
difficult subjects more poetic and humorous than in other
meticulously crafted films.
And when discussing crafted movies with the Global Times,
Kusturica also openly expressed his confidence in Chinese cinema,
praising the quality and popularity of Chinese films and foreseeing
a bright future for the industry.
Kusturica has also visited local film schools and witnessed the
abundance of talented filmmakers and well-equipped facilities.
"I believe that in China, you
will have a chance to develop your stories with these talented
people," he said.
"The civilization of China is
different from Europe, but it has
a lot in common with other civilizations," Kusturica said, noting
that "seeking common ground while preserving differences" has been
well represented by China's film
industry,
According to his observation, in China, people are increasingly realizing that
culture is actually at the forefront of civilization, and Chinese
films have successfully defended their own culture.
"It is very wise to tell Chinese people's own story, and develop
China's own film industry, rather
than blindly imitating Europe and
America," Kusturica said.
Against the backdrop of a tumultuous history and a reality
intertwined with joy and sorrow, Kusturica has always used
movies to contemplate grander themes such as politics, war,
nationality, and history.
Solidarity in new 'bombardment'
In Kusturica's view, China can
present the world with different philosophical reflections.
Making a movie is not like making an atomic bomb and then
throwing it into the world causing harm to many people, but it is
about observing people's behavior and caring for the public,
Kusturica said at the film master class held at the BJIFF on April
24.
"Currently, China's development scale is huge and has
gained discourse power in many fields. Some countries try to
suppress China's development.
However, in this context, I still see China persisting in defending its cultural
traditions and see Chinese movies expressing the cultural
perseverance and spiritual outlook of the Chinese
people," Kusturica emphasized.
Kusturica believes that China's
economic scale and soft power are the country's most powerful
defenses, and are continuously demonstrating positivity on the
global stage.
During the master class, Kusturica said he saw Chinese people
traveling around the world, and "they did not bring gunfire and
bullets; they brought peace, and brought a continuous potential for
development to other countries."
In 1999, the relations between
China and Serbia continued to move
forward due to the deep intersection and resonance of historical
destiny, political ideals, and national emotions.
Twenty five years later, Kusturica believes that the friendship
between China and Serbia can still
bravely bear a new form of "bombardment" together.
Kusturica said he hopes China
will get stronger, noting that Serbia "could certainly be closer to
you" than it is now.
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content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/global-times-chinas-cultural-resilience-spiritual-outlook-inspire-serbia-to-firmly-choose-closer-ties-director-emir-kusturica-302141381.html
SOURCE Global Times