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Let a thousand film students compete
(The New York Times)
Updated: 2005-10-04 09:12 The talk of survival is driven by increasing competition not only from
foreign cinema, but also from other Chinese schools. Xie Fei, a directing
instructor whose own film, "Black Snow," will be screened in the "100 Years of
Chinese Cinema" series at Lincoln Center this fall, noted that China had only
one significant film school when he attended the academy in the 1960's. Now, he
estimates that there are 100. "Too many people, too many students and very
strong competition," he said.
In fact, the Beijing academy sends about 80 percent of its graduates on to
work not in features, but in television or commercials. And of those who hold
out for a career in features, not all are in tune with the call for a more
commercial sensibility.
"I don't mind, as long as some people like my films, that's enough," said
Ceng Jing, a 21-year-old directing major and Beijing native.
Xiao Xiao, her classmate, also 21, nodded in solidarity, but added that
compromises were sometimes necessary. (Though 60 percent of the academy's
enrollment is female, Ms. Ceng and Ms. Xiao are the only women among six members
of their graduating class in directing.)
"You do what you need to do," Ms. Xiao said. "Right now, we are students, and
we are making the films we want to make. We don't have that many worries, we
just put what we feel and think into these films."
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