April12,2018:DirectorWenMuyeattendsthepremiereofDyingtoSurviveinBeijing.ICManyhavesaidthatWenMuyewasborntobeadirector.
OnJuly5,2018,theChinesecomedyfilmDyingtoSurvivehitcinemasacrossChina,makingitsdirectorWenMuyeahouseholdname.
DespitethefactthatDyingtoSurviveisWen’sdebutfeature,notraceofinexperiencecanbefoundinhissophisticatedandfluentpresentation.Theactingisexcellent,andthetightlycraftedplotfocusesonbothentertainmentandphilosophy.
However,thepreviouscreationsinhiscareerasadirectorareonlyahandfulofshortfilms.
DirectingwithCourageandInsight
AcclaimedChinesedirectorJiaZhangkeopinedthatadirectormusthonestlyandsolemnlycaptureandpresenttheupsanddownshappeningonthelandtheyliveaswellasthepeople’sdailyworries.
Wenhasalwaysbeenfascinatedbyrealisticthemesandstories.Mostoftheshortfilmsheshotduringhisearlydaysinuniversitydepictdeeprealisticandhumanisticconcerns.FamousfilmcriticHuangShixiancommentedthatittakescourageandinsighttocreatesuchworks.
NingHao,theproducerofDyingtoSurvive,saidthatbywatchingWen’sshortfilmshedeterminedthatthedirectorexcellentlydepictedmarginalizedpeoplewithhumanistvalues,soherecruitedhimtodirectthefeaturefilm.
ThefilmisbasedonthetruestoryofLuYong,aleukemiapatientfromChina’seasternJiangsuProvince,whoneedsGleevec,aSwissmedication,tosurvive.Thepatentedmedicinecostshimnearly300,000yuanayear,whichhecan’thopetoafford.DirectorWenMuyeandactorZhangYuinteractwithfansduringaroadshowofDyingtoSurviveinJinan,capitalofShandongProvince.VCGEventuallyLudiscoversIndiangenericsthatcostonlyone-twentiethofthepriceofthename-branddrug.Afterusingit,herecommendsthealternativetoothercancerpatients.However,becausetheIndiangenericdrugshavenotreceivedofficialapprovalinChina,theyaredeemedfakemedicine—areal-worldparadox.
Ittookatotaloftwoyearsjusttoreviseandadjustthescript.Duringthattime,Wenenduredalotof“self-struggle.”Hecontinuouslyeditedthescriptoverandoveragaintobalancecommercialinterests,entertainmentvalueandrealism.
“Toensurethattherealisticfilmisinterestingratherthanboringandsad,wehavetoaddcommercialelementsintotherealisticthemewithoutdamagingitscore,”heexplained.
Wenhopesmorepeoplewatchthefilmandconnectwiththehumanityinthestory.“Ihavealwaysremaineddedicatedtomakingwarmandtouchingfilmswithasincereattitude,sothatwhenthespectatorsstepoutofthetheater,theyarefilledwithhopeandcouragetofacethedifficultiesinlife,”hebeamed.DespitethefactthatDyingtoSurviveisWenMuye’sdebutfeature,thefilmearnedrevenuesofnearly3billionyuaninitsfirst25daysofrelease.“JustKeepShooting”
WenstillremembersstandingbeforetheentrancetoBeijingFilmAcademyasapostgraduatestudentwhocametoregisterforenrollment.Theyoungmanwasshakingwithexcitement.“Forme,theacademywasthePromisedLand,”Wenrecalls.Hispassionforfilmblossomedasafreshmaninuniversityafterhelearnedthat“shootingearneddignity.”
Intheearly21stcentury,manyChineseuniversitiesbeganlaunchingradioandTVeditinganddirectingdepartments.Wenwasamongthefirst120undergraduatestudentstomajorinthefieldatNortheastNormalUniversityin2004.Theylackedseasonedupperclassmenandexperiencedteachers,havingonlysomeequipmentattheirdisposal.
DuringhisfouryearsatNortheastNormalUniversity,Wenshotfiveshortfilms.Infouryearsfollowinggraduation,heshotthreemore.Later,duringpostgraduatestudiesatBeijingFilmAcademy,Wenmadetwomoreshorts.“SincethedayIfirstarrivedatuniversity,mylifehasbeenfilm-centered,”henotes.“Iwroteascriptandturneditintoafilm.ThenIwroteanotherscriptandmadeitafilm.Mylifecontinuestorepeatthiscycletothisday.Mostrecently,Iwroteafeature-lengthscreenplayandshotafeaturefilm.Thewholetime,Ihavefullyutilizedeveryminuteofmylife,seamlesslytransitingfromonefilmprojecttoanother.”
Toalargeextent,continuousandtirelesscreationmakesWenthepersonheistoday.
Everytimehefinishedashortfilm,Wensearchedonlineforrelevantcontestsinwhichhecouldparticipate.Eventually,twoofhisshortfilmswoninternationalawardsandattractedmassivedomesticattention.“Attendinginternationalfilmfestivalsisthefastestwaytobenoticed.”
AttheFIRSTInternationalFilmFestival,heldannuallyinXiningCity,QinghaiProvince,WenoncerevealedthathedreamedofwinninganOscar.“WhenIlookbackonthatgoaltoday,IprefertoseeChina’sown‘Oscar’emergeinmylifetime,”hesays.“Chinashouldconstructasystemtoexportitscorecultureandvalues.IfeelagreatersenseofresponsibilitytomycountrymenandnationasaChinesefilmmaker.”
Evenifhehadn’tbeenadmittedtoBeijingFilmAcademy,Wenbelieveshewouldstillbeshootingfilmstoday.“Youjustkeepshootingandneverstop,”hestresses.“Itisthemostimportantwaytohoneyourabilitiesinselfexpressionandcommunicationwhileestablishingyourownstyle.”
“Clear”IsKey
“Clear”hasbeenanespeciallyimportantwordforWenduringhisevolutionasadirector.Fromsettingthegoalofbecomingadirectortoreleasinghisfirstfeature,Wenhasremainedclearonhisintentionstheentiretime.
Wenensuresthesetisexquisitelydesignedbeforefilmingalmosteveryscene.Hisdirectionsforactorsarequiteclear:“Slowthewholetempodownalittlebit,andyoucanbealittlebitmoreexaggeratedwhenslumpingdowntothefloor.”
TanZhuo,anactressinDyingtoSurvive,wasimpressed,declaring,“Weweresurprisedthedirectorwassoprepared.”
Wenhaseverythinghecouldpossiblyneedathisfingertipsduringwork,duetohisthoroughpreparation.Longbeforeshootingstarted,theactorsgatheredatleastfourtimestoreadthroughthescript.Twoweeksbeforeshooting,everyactorwascalledforrehearsalsofeveryscenefromfirsttolast.
“Iaskeverythingtobeclear,whichIbelieveisthenormalprocessforshootingamovie,”Wenexplains.“Ifyoudon’tknowwhattodoonset,you’reinthewrongplace.Allproblemsthatemergeduringshootingaretheresultofinadequateearlypreparation.That’sforsure.”
Wenbelievesthatthebiggestobstacleimpedingthedevelopmentofyoungdirectorsislackofself-knowledge.Manyyoungdirectorsdon’thaveaclearunderstandingoftheirstrengthsandweaknessesorwhatstepstheyneedtotake.
“Peopleinanyeramayfacethesameobjectiveproblemsofthatspecificera,”Wenargues.“Howtohandlenewproblemsisanimportantissue.Youngdirectorsshouldfirstbeclearaboutwhatkindofdirectortheywanttobeorwhichroadsuitsthem.Thesecondthingismethods,whichishowtoproceedonthatroad.Afterthesethingsareclear,theroadaheadwillbecomesmoother.”