The World Brought by Ceylon's Small Town 8 2022-06-06

The World Brought by Ceylon's "Small Town" Movie 8

? This is an independent film made by Turkish director Ceylon in 1998, and it is the first feature film of this great director who later became famous in the world. This year, China director Jia's feature film debut "Xiao Wu" came out. One year earlier, 1997, the representative work "The Taste of Cherry" by Iranian master Abbas came out. In the history of independent films, this should be a coincidence.

(A) Introduction to "Small Town"

? Someone translated the film into The West Side of the Town. In China, there are still differences between small towns and small towns. No matter how small the county is, it can only be a town. Intuitively, the time in a small town is much more literary than that in a small town, but after watching the movie, I feel that the time in a small town is closer to Ceylon's original intention. The town is a small city, but it is closer to the countryside. In the film, the intersection of Woods and fields, the change of dawn and dusk, and the scattered houses are really not like a town, but more like a village.

? The pastoral mood and rural residential style in the film both reflect a strong local flavor. Combined with Ceylon's self-report, it is more appropriate to say a small town.

? From the perspective of two children, this film tells the family story of a small Turkish town in four paragraphs with the change of seasons.

? The first paragraph of the story is that in a family, 1 1 year-old daughter goes to primary school. She is not used to facing the ruthless social reality and the cruel harm brought to her by life, but she must learn to adapt.

? In the classroom, the late boy took off his socks wet with snow and hung them on the stove to dry. The falling water dripped on the hot iron plate, turned into steam and smelled it. The little girl was stabbed by her pride and secretly cried because of the bad smell of lunch. She noticed everything except the blackboard and the teacher, such as duck fluff flying about in the classroom. Personal subjective experience is gradually enlarged, which forms the effect of psychedelic freedom with childhood memories. The teacher asked different students to read the text aloud, and all the children listened carefully. Just that every word, faint. Middle-aged male teachers stop at the window from time to time and look at the snow on the opposite hillside through the glass. The zoom of the lens suddenly swept away the old illusion of Iranian children's movies. Compared with Iranians, Ceylon still has a personal aesthetic system. Excellent directors have a unique expressive force for the real distance and window frame composition, which is called great minds think alike. Several groups of shots separated by glass windows have performed well in films such as Far Away and Season of Parting.

? In the second paragraph, in spring, the girl and her brother, four years younger than him, went to the cornfield, where their families were waiting for them. When they crossed the cornfield, they seemed to realize the mystery of nature and wilderness.

? At this time, the wind blew in the forest, and a gust of wind blew and ran to the brother and sister. They are busy picking plums, and the sunlight through the branches casts a clear shadow on the ground, and the light and shade change back and forth. Time passed so slowly that no one around me noticed it. The whole scene scheduling and audio-visual language are excellent. The shouts on the playground, the high and low changes of music, are sometimes absent, like a dizzy person, and it is also the real experience of a bored person. In this passage, empty mirrors and close-ups were used many times, and flies violated the donkey's eyes; After a quarrel, grandpa's forehead wrinkles, ears under fire eyes, different expressions of dad and uncle, impatience or a little silence because of the quarrel.

? In the third paragraph, brother and sister witnessed more complexity and darkness in the adult world. In the forest, the family is sitting around the bonfire in the wild, and the flames are swaying at night, which is almost unimaginable. The bonfire, the wind at night, the words of adults, the cough and the barking of dogs later were all on me, and I found a chance to round my heart. Children spend their time on naughty things that they don't remember when they grow up, and always remember the madman who played tricks on them. Because of the bullying of human nature, the small animals they play tricks on sometimes become childhood nightmares.

? The film inserted two unrealistic scenes in this long paragraph. 1. The little boy fell asleep in grandpa's story about World War I, no matter where Iraq and India are. Once again, the voice of storytelling fluctuated, and the little boy had a nightmare that his mother fell from the windowsill. Uncle Tang used complaints to express his dissatisfaction and showed impatience with other people's speeches. He objected and talked about going to the army alone: the smell of pine trees on the roadside and the smell of loess road in front of him became real.

? The last paragraph happened at home, and dreams and reality were quietly intertwined. With the help of the stories of grandpa and others, the present time has been lengthened and entered another space that has gone through decades. The narrative time exceeds the time of the film, which occupies the longest film length, which is also Ceylon's unique memory when he was a child. The charm of Ceylon is that it does not hide its identity and belonging to the town, which contains the precious memory wealth brought to us by its father. What he holds is not only a kind of respect and care. The town has brought him too much joy, and its change and disappearance, in the eyes of an experiencer, will only drive him to remember it deeper. This is the accumulation of homesickness and the cultivation of sensibility. Although there was no outside intervention, Ceylon grew up and left the town. But the beauty of town life is accompanied by the boy's growth, urging him to regain and reproduce in the irreversible torrent of time.

? A dog foraging everywhere, an old man sitting on the side of the road, and some pictures, this is the town and hometown in Ceylon's memory. For many people, the characters in this scene are also close, and they appear in everyone's memory in a slightly different way, such as Dalmatians, old people who smoke and doze off or even become speechless. They are destined to appear in their proper position in the process of growth. You try your best to find those memories that should not be forgotten and missed, but you don't know that dogs and old people are actually a complete explanation.

(2) Director Ceylon

? Nuri bilge ceylan was born in Istanbul, Turkey on 19591October 26th, and grew up in Janis, Chanakale province, Turkey. After graduating from Istanbul Strait University majoring in electrical engineering, he spent two years studying film production at mimar sinan University of the Arts in Mimar. Then Ceylon went through a long and unsatisfactory stage before shooting. This is described in the appendix Ceylon's readme.

Ceylon film chronology:

From 65438 to 0995, he directed his first short story Cocoon and was nominated for the Palme d 'Or Award at the 48th Cannes International Film Festival.

1998 directed the feature film debut "Small Town" and won the Cariga Film Award at the 48th Berlin International Film Festival. 1 1 Silver Award for Youth Film in the main competition unit of Tokyo International Film Festival.

In 2000, he directed Blue Sky in May and was nominated for the Golden Bear Award in the main competition unit of the 50th Berlin International Film Festival.

In 2003, he directed Far Away, was nominated for the Palme d 'Or Award in the main competition unit of the 56th Cannes International Film Festival, and won the jury award in the main competition unit.

In 2006, he directed and performed The Season of Breaking Up, and was nominated for the Palme d 'Or Award in the main competition unit of the 59th Cannes International Film Festival.

In 2008, he directed Three Monkeys and was nominated for the Palme d 'Or Award in the main competition unit of 6 1 Cannes International Film Festival. Ceylon won the Best Director Award at the 6 1 Cannes Film Festival and the Best Director Award at the 2nd Asia-Pacific Film Awards for this film.

In 2009, he served as the judge of the main competition unit of the 62nd Cannes Film Festival.

20 1 1 directed Anatolia and was nominated for the Palme d 'Or Award, the main competition unit of the 59th Cannes International Film Festival, and the best director award of the 25th European Film Awards for this film.

Directed Hibernation in 20 14 and won the Palme d 'Or Award for Best Film in the 67th Cannes Film Festival. Ceylon was nominated for the best director in the 27th European Film Awards for this film.

In 20 18, he directed the drama "Wild Pear Tree" and was shortlisted for the Palme d 'Or Award at 7 1 Cannes International Film Festival and the Tiantan Award at the 9th Beijing International Film Festival.

2065438+In June 2009, Ceylon became the chairman of the jury of the Golden Goblet Awards main competition unit of the 22nd Shanghai International Film Festival.

③ Ceylon movies

? Among the Ceylon films listed above, Small Town, Blue Sky in May and Far Away are the trilogy of his hometown, and The Story of Small Town has been continued in Blue Sky in May and Far Away, which is a trilogy showing the urbanization of Turkey with time as a clue. Muzaffer ?zdemir, a professional actor, plays the director of "Small Town" in "Blue Sky in May" and the madman whose title is played by children in "Small Town". Amin toprak plays a young man who has never been to college and works in a factory, which is a clue throughout the trilogy. In Far Away, he came to Istanbul and stayed at the director's house played by Muzaffer ?zdemir. I think the blue sky in May is the best.

? Of all the films in Ceylon, Hibernation should be the best, and the Palme d 'Or award is not a hollow reputation. Besides, I like Anatolia, which is the first Ceylon movie I have ever seen, and it is a bit preconceived.

? I only say "Small Town" here because it is Ceylon's first feature film, similar to Jia's "Small Arms". A director's starting point film is often the most important.

? "Small Town" is based on the story of his father, Emin Ceylon, and adds his own childhood memories and family memories. The two children in the movie restored nuri bilge ceylan and his sister in childhood. Emin Ceylon and his wife played themselves in the film, and Ceylon finished the filming. This is a home-made film, like all Ceylon films, made by a minimalist team (often with friends and relatives).

? The beautiful black and white images in Small Town are amazing, which is due to Ceylon's own photography skills. Ceylon was a photographer before becoming a professional director. Therefore, it is not surprising that the pictures in "Small Town" are more static photography with independent aesthetic value than flowing images. At the same time, the extensive use of close-ups also reveals that Ceylon has no experience in formal film teaching, and few narrative paragraphs are completed with blunt montages. But Ceylon found a way to avoid shortcomings, that is, to enlarge the appeal of the image and reduce the narrative.

? If A Town glows with some kind of poetry, the reason lies not only in the poetic image itself, but also in the logical editing of the image and poetry. It is said that this was written by Andrei Tarfsky. The films referred to in Small Town are mainly Ivan's Childhood and Mirror. The former can be clearly felt in the children's world and the snow scene, while the latter is the natural scenery (snow, trees, flowers ...) and many hallucinations and dreams in the film. It can be said that "Town" is Ceylon's tribute to Tarkovsky's loyal fans.

? Many later styles of Ceylon can be found in the town. Family life is the theme portrayed in most Ceylon films, and "Small Town" has already been published. With the sudden appearance or disappearance of characters at close range, the focal length of the lens changes greatly. This kind of lens, which is full of visual impact and shows the tension between static characters and dynamic environment, will become the iconic lens of Ceylon films and will reach its peak in Far Away and Three Monkeys.

? Another idol of Ceylon must be Chekhov. Many people think Hibernation is a breakthrough for Ceylon, because he gave up his good image-building ability and tried to develop the literariness of the film. However, there are frequent dialogues in "Small Town", and the sincerity and dialogue of the family around the bonfire are all going on in a way similar to Chekhov. Ceylon wrote an inscription for Chekhov in Blue Sky in May, and it is well known that Hibernation was adapted from Chekhov's novel.

Appendix 1: Ceylon readme file

? On June 20th, 20 19, Ceylon took part in a two-hour dialogue and interactive activity while serving as the chairman of the jury of the Golden Goblet Awards main competition unit of the 22nd Shanghai International Film Festival. Ceylon opened her heart, told her tortuous experience on the film road, encouraged young people to engage in artistic creation, and shared her experience in filming with you without reservation.

? Ceylon is 60 years old and has few works. I made eight films: Small Town, Blue Sky in May, Far Away, Climate, Three Monkeys, Past in Asia Minor, Hibernation and Wild Pear Tree. His films have a unique style, and the audience is easily moved by the depth, melancholy and poetry of his films. Ceylon, who originally studied engineering, has a very tortuous road to film.

? "When I was a child, movies had a great influence. I usually watch a movie, no matter good or bad, and I will discuss it for at least three days. I like movies very much, but I studied engineering in college. In the third year of college, I found that I was not suitable to be an engineer, so I began to do photography. "

? But after graduating from college, Ceylon fell into a confused period.

? "Although I got an engineering degree, I was very confused. I don't know what to do in life and what to do next. In Turkey at that time, everyone thought that photography could not be eaten as a meal, but only as a hobby. "

? "I'll go to London to study first. My first job was as a waiter in a restaurant. I have little money. I often go to the supermarket to steal books and listen to classical music by stealing small tapes. But one day I was caught, and I stopped stealing. Because this sense of shame was very serious at that time. " Ceylon was arrested twice, once for stealing milk. He was caught by a child of 15 years old and then pushed out of the store. "I walked and suddenly saw a big mirror. I saw my face in the mirror, which was so different from the past. That experience taught me a lot. "

? "Shame and shame are good teachers in life." Ceylon said.

? Ceylon is a late bloomer. He didn't make his first film until he was 36.

? "Ten years before the age of 36, I was very confused. I live a wandering life. I don't know what to do in the future, and I have no goal. At that time, watching movies was just a pastime. When I was in London, I used to watch three movies a day, from 6 pm until midnight, but I didn't decide to become a director. "

? It was during his military service that he really decided to make a film.

? "I served in military service for about a year and a half, because I don't like socializing. Loneliness made me read a lot of books. These reading processes guide me and lead me to the road of movies. I find that photography alone is not enough. I need some media to better express the depth and complexity of human beings. I like literature very much, but I am not very good at literature, so I chose to be a director. "

? Ceylon admitted that Chekhov, the great Russian literary master, had a great influence on himself.

? "Chekhov taught me how to look at life and how to treat life. Basically, I have read all his stories, and many times. He has a unique perspective and way. For him, everyone has a story, which is different. In my movies, you can see Chekhov's shadow, which has some of his characteristics. The two short stories in Hibernation come from Chekhov's literature. "

? When encouraging young filmmakers, Ceylon said: "If you are afraid, it is normal, which will actually become a source of motivation, so fear is a good thing. Don't be defeated by fear, move on, even if you are lonely. If you don't feel lonely, then you don't want to make a movie, because making a movie is a way to kill loneliness. "

? Ceylon is slow in making movies. Many times, it takes three years to complete a movie.

? "I'm not in a hurry, and I'm not productive. I'm not the kind of director who makes a lot of movies in a short time. I didn't look for inspiration, but inspiration found me. I made a movie, which will affect me and change me. I'll wait until this movie is finished first. It changed me. Then, it will show me the direction and let me make another movie. If I started writing the second movie before the first movie was finished, maybe I didn't like the first movie I made so much. "

? How did the inspiration come from?

? "There is no formula for inspiration. Most of them are opportunities, random opportunities. Writing a script is like a montage, and many ideas come together. Starting point is the hardest, because you have to decide what to do. A movie takes three years, so you must be really excited and enthusiastic, otherwise you won't have the passion to start. "

? Ceylon, as a world-class art film director renowned at home and abroad, will shoot stories outside Turkey?

? "So far, there is no such idea. Because we don't know the details of the outside world, the details are the language we express to the director. For example, I saw a man from China, and I don't know where he came from in China. But if you are a China filmmaker, you can tell where this person comes from by his dialect, clothes and actions. These details are very important. I only know Turkish things. "

? Ceylon encourages young people to engage in artistic creation, which is also a kind of self-healing.

? "If you want to confess something, art is a good field. It's safe here. You can confess everything. Confession is also a kind of treatment. This is a healing process for the audience, artists and creators themselves, and I enjoy it very much. "

Appendix 2: Jia Tan Ceylon

Home far away —— Jia Tan Ceylon

? 1998, I took Xiao Wu to attend the Youth Forum of Berlin Film Festival. I was 28 years old that year. This is my first time to attend an international film festival and my first trip to Europe.

? A man took a Lufthansa flight from Beijing, and most passengers fell asleep shortly after take-off. The cabin was unusually quiet, but I refused to sleep with my eyes wide open. From time to time, my mind flashed through Berlin under the lens of fassbinder or Wenders. I meditated for nearly ten hours, one in Berlin, one in Beijing and one in Fenyang, my hometown.

? After many years, I think the reason why I still love all the long trips must be related to the closure of my hometown. And all the long-distance travel can finally let you know your hometown. Indeed, only when you leave your hometown can you get your hometown. ?

? At that time, less than eight years after the reunification of Germany, people used to call their destination "West Berlin". But I was very interested in "East Berlin", so I put down my luggage, took a hotel address card, and got on the bus in the twilight and set off.

? Every time I go to a strange place, I like wandering aimlessly like this. I like to meet a city by chance. The bus started from near the zoo and crossed the city eastward without saying a word to the locals. The building outside the window seems to tell me everything. The roads in the west are basically distributed radially, and the design of roadside buildings is also open. But as soon as I get to the east, the horizontal and vertical streets and flat office buildings are familiar, and the feeling of state-owned system is expressed unabashedly through architecture.

? I got off and looked in the direction of West Berlin. The advertisement of Mercedes-Benz in the distant building whirled and flashed in the night. At that time, a word came to mind: capitalist Berlin. Can the audience here understand the socialist Fenyang? I asked myself. Xiaowu was shot in Fenyang, my hometown, where the dust is flying and the military camp outside the city rings the bugle every day. The world of movies is really wonderful. In two days, I will show the scenic figures in my hometown to strangers. 1998 Berlin film festival also has a director who brought his hometown to Berlin with movies. The film is called "Small Town" and the director is Ceylon from Turkey. Ceylon was born in Istanbul on 1959. When he was a soldier, he read Polanski's autobiography and began to love movies. He often writes, directs and acts, and plays his own movies with his wife.

? Before watching "Small Town", I never had a chance to know what a small town in Turkey would be like or how people lived there. Sitting in the cinema, when the lights are dim and the screen is shining, I know that "Small Town" is a black and white movie. The film begins with a heavy snow. It turns out that children in small towns in Turkey are just like me. Only the change of the weather can bring freshness to the unchanging life. At this time, a child on the screen went to school over the mountains. He walked into the classroom, took off his shoes wet with snow and baked them on the fire. The stove is warm and the windows are cold. Isn't this the memory of my primary school in winter? Then the child took off his socks and hung them on the stove. The water drops on the socks fell on the stove, and the sound of "squeaking" evaporation dripped into his heart bit by bit. ?

? I don't like following the plot of a movie. My greatest pleasure in watching movies is to see the poetic atmosphere described by the director. A movie without poetry is a boring movie to me. Ceylon's "Town" is a film that transcends language with film language: you can understand the director's world only through the film picture without understanding the dialogue and subtitles.

? I remember that Hou Hsiao-hsien went to see director Kurosawa before his death. Kurosawa asked his assistant, Do you know why I like Hou Hsiao-hsien's movies? His assistant explained it with philosophical propositions. Akira Kurosawa shook his head and said, No, I can see dust in his movies.

? Where's director Ceylon? You can see the weather in his movies. The cold after the snow, the hot air from the children playing in the snow, the feet numbed by the snow, the water falling from the socks, and the steam coming out of the hot stove are all poems of this movie.

? Ceylon took many shots of the micro-world in "Small Town": small animals, details of every grass and tree, lines and textures. We have never gazed so intently and carefully at the life that exists with us in this world. Through Ceylon's lens, we see our inner roughness and our losing patience.

? The sound world created by Ceylon also fascinates me. He extracted some sounds that we are used to from the complex real world and exaggerated them, giving us a familiar strangeness. The sound of water droplets being baked and evaporated on the stove, the chirping of animals in nature, the faint shouts of people in the distance ... birds chirping and the wind thundering, which were originally ignored by us in our daily lives, were extracted from the film. They helped me open the door of memory and reminded me of the forgotten years.

? Through Ceylon's films, we will find that we still have a hometown far from home, which also answers my doubts: in capitalist Berlin, there must be people who understand my martial arts, and they can also encounter homesickness in my films. (The original text was published in China Weekly)