Page 70 - Varsity Special Issue

68 / People / 69

“ Born in an impoverished family, ¥30,000 for one episode though. “Making documentaries is just my

I prefer not to dis- Jiang now has a family to take care of. “I can just live for money, but that job. The job is neither great nor trivial
The documentarian has two children, kind of life won’t make me happy,” Ji-
compared with other ones,” says Jiang.
honour myself (by with the older one just started prima- ang says. “On the other hand, I cannot Having witnessed suffering on
ry school this September.
live just for pursuing my ambition,” he the fringe of Chinese society, Jiang
Jiang now supports his filmmak-
asking censors for ing aspirations by making videos for adds. remains optimistic. “I will keep on
In his works, the documentarian expressing my thoughts as long as I
approval). weddings and commercial advertise- eschews epic documentaries of a so- haven’t lost hope in this society,” he
ments. Every dollar counts. Jiang re-
ciety in favour of sensitive examina-
says.
calls when shooting a wedding video tions of individuals. Jiang wishes to
in a village years ago, he tried every document a wrenching period in the
” means to get an extra RMB ¥50 when Chinese society. “Some people prefer
the family was only willing to pay him to use words to express themselves,
RMB ¥600. Producing commercial while some others prefer images. As
advertisements can help finance his for me, I use documentaries because
ambitions more that he can earn RMB it is more powerful,” he says.
f the film, Y
ring the shooting o
th actors du
u
Jiang Nengjie talks wi
Jiang Nengjie talks with actors during the shooting of the film, Yun Jie.
n Jie.
ou
Photo c
rtesy o
)
f Jiang Nengjie
(
(Photo courtesy of Jiang Nengjie)
tural landscape. “If you don’t advance, edits. “I prefer not to dishonour my-
you will retreat,” Jiang says. self (by asking censors for approval),”
Chinese authorities have been he says.
tightening the noose on independent Independent documentary direc-
films over the past decade. On Janu- tors in China have long understood
ary 9, the China Independent Film that, without a letter of approval of
Festival (CIFF) declared its indefinite public screening from censors which
suspension after 17 years, saying it has they call a “dragon seal”, their works
become “impossible” to undertake will only reach a handful of hardy
such an event amid the country’s cur- Chinese fans - perhaps via a semi-un-
rent political climate, and that it has derground film screening at a bar or
completed its “historic mission” of on college campuses. Losing money is
promoting “films for freedom”. inevitable.
The CIFF was regarded as one of Jiang notices that many people are
the largest platforms for Chinese in- reluctantly leaving the industry over
dependent works. Founded in the these years. “With channels of distri-
eastern city of Nanjing in 2003, the bution stunted by authorities, …no
event was staged 14 times, showing market can exist in the field,” he la-
around 1,000 films and documenta- ments. Documentary filmmakers like
ries with most of them touching on Jiang have no choice but to distribute
homosexuality and sensitive political their works privately, while audience
issues which are deemed inappropri- can choose to send them cash equiva-
ate or sensitive by authorities. lent of a cinema ticket via QR codes
Stepping on a censorship land- often seen attached under posters of
mine, Chinese independent film- films. “You can even watch my works
makers now find them left with little on pornography websites,” he adds.
choice: either altering their works to Jiang Nengjie has f ou nded 4 public reading rooms in Xinning, Hu nan. ( Photo c ou rtesy o f Jiang Nengjie )
Jiang Nengjie has founded 4 public reading rooms in Xinning, Hunan. (Photo courtesy of Jiang Nengjie)
secure a public release or staying as Discern reality from ambition
the embattled nonconformists. Jiang has his feet on the ground
Jiang did not bring his latest docu- despite his ambition in documentary.
mentary to censors for approval ap- “I am just a layman in daily life, occa- CIF F declared i ts defini te suspensi o n
CIFF declared its definite suspension
plication, knowing that they would sionally pretending to be morally lofty on January 9, 2020. (Source: official
an
uary 9,
o
n J
rce: o
fficial
2020. (
Sou
either say no or demand a long list of in my works,” Jiang says as he smiles. Wechat acc oun t o f CIF F)
Wechat account of CIFF)