Movie Director Wang Xiaoshuai (second right) and the leading actress and actors in Wang's In Love We Trust, make their debut at this year's Berlin Film Festival

The experiences of internationally acclaimed movie director Wang Xiaoshuai reflect the evolution of China's movie industry

By Tang Yuankai

In Love We Trust, the movie that won Chinese Director Wang Xiaoshuai a Silver Bear for the best screenplay at this year's Berlin Film Festival, premiered in China on April 1.

The movie was originally slated for March 8, International Women's Festival, but the production company of the movie received an emergency notice from the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television to cancel the planned premiere. Although Wang has won several awards at international movie festivals, many of his works have never been shown in China.

However, Wang said after the premiere that the version being shown in Chinese cinemas is exactly the same as the version shown at the Berlin Film Festival. "Not one scene less, not one scene more," he said.

The award at the February Berlin Film Festival was Wang's second Silver Bear. Wang won the Grand Jury Silver Bear Award at the 2001 Berlin Film Festival for his film, Beijing Bicycle, seven years after his first movie, The Days, was shown at the same movie festival.

Shanghai Dreams, written and directed by Wang, won the Prix du Jury at Cannes in 2005 on his 39th birthday.

Yet Wang said the significance of the Silver Bear for the low-budget In Love We Trust, was that it cost just 4 million yuan ($571,000) to make. "This prize will get mainland cinema lines and distribution companies to realize the value of movies and boost Chinese audience's confidence in local movies," said Wang.

Talking about his new work, Wang said he had created it out of his "trust in love and trust in Chinese movies." He said, "Our trust in Chinese movies has to re-ignite Chinese audience's trust in local movies."

Like all movie directors, Wang had to take both artistic value and the box office into consideration. He said the production of In Love We Trust was longer than he had expected. He spent one year on post-production, watching his movie more than 100 times. "The top priority is not to cater to international film festivals, but to cater to the audience," Wang said.

The failure in the domestic box office of Cannes-crowned Shanghai Dreams was a blow to Wang. The experience has taught him to maintain his artistic style while considering the market response. "This time I focused on telling a story, a good story," he said.

In Love We Trust tells of how a middle-aged divorced couple, both remarried and living a peaceful life, try to save their young daughter, who suffers from leukemia, by having another child to act as a bone marrow donor. After in vitro fertilization has failed three times, the desperate parents have to make love. After a painful struggle over whether to tell their spouses the truth, they do so, causing upheavals in their families. But their spouses finally forgive them out of their "trust in love."

While in Berlin, a French journalist questioned Wang about the reaction of Chinese audiences. Wang replied that he had fully considered Chinese audience's thoughts on the issue and had given the couple a sound reason to sleep together so that ordinary people could accept the story.

Marketing

Wang devoted himself to marketing In Love We Trust. He appeared at the premieres for the movie in many cities; publicized his cell phone number to listen to audience complaints on the screening arrangements; and got involved in screening arrangements in some cities.

Huang Bin, producer of the movie, said the distribution budget only covers the cost of making copies of the film and so there is no money to spend on posters and advertising. To get more publicity for the film, Wang used his personal friendship with renowned movie directors John Woo Yu-Sen and Feng Xiaogang and rock superstar Cui Jian who attended the premiere in Beijing.