"The Flowers of War" director Zhang Yimou says China's rapidly growing film market will necessitate bringing more foreign films into the country and, he hopes, more actors from the United States. Could Tom Hanks be one of them?
《金陵十三钗》的导演张艺谋说,中国电影市场发展迅速,引进更多外国影片将成为一种需要。他同时还希望引进更多美国演员。汤姆.汉克斯会成为其中之一吗?

In an interview on the set of "The Flowers of War" — which stars Christian Bale as a heroic figure during the 1937 Japanese occupation of Nanjing — Zhang told The Times' David Pierson that China's film market will soon be the world's second-largest. Because Chinese filmmakers cannot meet the increasing demand, Zhang expects the country's quota system — which officially limits the number of foreign-made films to about 20 per year — to be softened.
《金陵十三钗》以1937年的南京大屠杀为背景,由克里斯蒂安.贝尔主演,他在剧中扮演了一位英雄。在拍摄现场,张艺谋接受《泰晤士报》记者大 卫.皮尔森的采访时说,中国电影市场将很快上升到世界第二位。因为中国电影人不能满足观众日益增长的需求,张希望国家放松影片限额制度,目前国家规定年外来影片数量不超过20部。

"I think the quota will be relaxed and the number will be increased, definitely," Zhang said while on location in Lishui County, southeast of Nanjing, in June. "Because the audience and the number of cinemas are increasing, the market is increasing rapidly, so we need lots of good films. I personally believe that the Chinese cannot make that many good films within such a short period of time."
“我想,影片限额一定会放松,引进影片数量也会相应增加,”今年6月,张在南京西南的溧水县拍摄现场接受采访时说,“因为观众和电影院的数量在增加,电影市场迅速扩大,所以我们需要大量的优秀影片。我个人认为,中国电影人在这样短的时间内不可能拍出许多优秀作品。”

In addition, after his experience working with the Welsh-born Bale, Zhang hopes that more Western actors come to China. "Many of them are my idols," Zhang said. "I really like their work."
另外,在与威尔士人贝尔合作后,张希望更多的西方演员来中国发展。“他们中很多人是我的偶像,”张说,“我真的很喜欢他们的作品。”

Apparently among them: Tom Hanks, to whom Zhang said he told the "Flowers of War" story. "But unfortunately his schedule didn’t fit," Zhang said.
很显然,张对汤姆.汉克斯情有独钟。张曾经邀请汤姆.汉克斯参加《金陵十三钗》的拍摄。“但遗憾的是,他档期已满。”张说。

For more of Zhang's interview about "The Flowers of War" — which opened Dec. 23 and is China's entry in the foreign-language Oscar race — read the transcript below. Or watch the video above, with Zhang speaking in Mandarin (and with English interpretation provided by Nicole Liu of The Times' Beijing bureau).
这部影片12月23日在美国上映,并参加奥斯卡最佳外语片角逐。下面是对张艺谋进行的有关《金陵十三钗》的采访记录。也可观看采访张的普通话版视频(附带《泰晤士报》北京办事处妮可刘的英语口译)

Q:Are you optimistic that one day Chinese films will rival Hollywood films on the international market?
中国影片将有一天在国际市场上与好莱坞影片较量,你对此持乐观态度吗?

Truthfully, I think that day is still very far off. We often hear that the Chinese market will quickly approach the size of the U.S. market and become the second-largest market. It is concluded from calculating the number of new screens and cinemas per year. But it will still take a long time for a Chinese film to create international influence. First of all, you're speaking in Chinese, not English; therefore, Chinese films won’t have a big international market or a strong influence. I still don’t know if Chinese films can have a strong impact on ordinary young audiences the way U.S. films do. I don’t know if the Chinese language will become so popular that people from all over the world will want to watch films with dialogue in Chinese.
事实上,我认为这一天还很遥远。我们经常听人这样说,中国电影市场在规模上迅速向美国电影市场靠近,将很快成为世界第二大电影市场。这个结论是通过计算每年新增屏幕和影院的数量而推断出的。但是,中国电影产生国际影响仍然需要很长时间。首先,你说的是汉语,不是英语。所以,中国电影不会有很大的国际市场或强大的国际影响力。中国电影能否像美国电影一样对普通的年轻观众产生强烈的冲击,这一点我还不确定。我不知道汉语是否会在国际上非常盛行,吸引全世界的人观看汉语对白的影片。

Q:Having the film ["The Flowers of War"] 40% in English — was it clever marketing too?
这部影片(《金陵十三钗》)穿插了40%的英语对白,这也是一种聪明的营销手段吗?

No, it’s based on the story, because the story needs it. Sometimes I myself was so curious after watching the edited film clips. I often asked the editor, "Did I shoot this film? It looks like a foreign film!"
不,这是故事的需要。有时,观看剪辑过的电影片段,我自己都感到奇怪,我常问剪辑师,“是我拍的电影吗?怎么看起来像一部外国片!”

Q:Do you expect that any time in the near future the foreign film quota will change?
你认为在不久的将来外国影片配额制度会发生变化吗?

I think the quota will be relaxed and the number will be increased, definitely. Because the audience and the number of cinemas are increasing, the market is increasing rapidly, so we need lots of good films.
我想配额制度一定会放松的,引进影片数量会相应增加。因为观众和电影院的数量在增加,电影市场发展迅猛,所以,我们需要大量的优秀影片。

I personally believe that the Chinese cannot make that many good films within such a short period of time. The market is definitely growing faster than movie quality is and faster than a good director is able to grow. So we need to have foreign films to satisfy the demand, to enhance exchange with others and to learn from them too. So I think it will be relaxed.
我个人认为,中国电影人在这样短的时间内拍不出很多优秀作品。市场发展速度比影片质量提高速度快,也比优秀导演制作影片的速度快。所以,我们需要进口外国影片来满足日益增长的需求,同时增进与其他国家的交流,向他们学习。所以,我认为配额制度将会放松。

Q:What are the Hollywood stars you would like to work with?
你愿意与哪些好莱坞影星合作?

Many! I met Tom Hanks for this film. I like him very much, and I told him about this story. But unfortunately his schedule didn’t fit.
很多!因为这部电影我拜访了汤姆.汉克斯。我非常喜欢他,给他讲了剧情。但是,很遗憾,他档期已满。

There are many very good actors in the U.S. It was beyond my expectations that Christian, such a young actor, had done such an outstanding performance.
美国有很多非常优秀的演员。克里斯蒂安,这样一位年轻演员,表演得非常出色,超出了我的预期。

We often say America has so many excellent actors, but there are not so many excellent Chinese actors. So there is still a very big gap between us. Christian also makes us realize that excellent Hollywood actors are not limited to just being good-looking; their professionalism and great acting abilities are worth learning from.
我们常说美国的优秀演员太多了,但是中国的优秀演员却相对较少,这是我们之间的巨大差距。克里斯蒂安也让我们意识到,优秀的好莱坞演员不仅相貌出众,他们的敬业精神和专业素质也值得我们学习。

Q:What would you tell other A-list Hollywood actors, accomplished ones who have won Academy Awards, as to why they should work in China?
你会怎样说服其他好莱坞一线演员,功成名就的奥斯卡得主们来中国工作呢?

First of all, I think they are all great actors. I really hope one day I can work with them. Many of them are my idols; I really like their work.
首先,我认为他们都是伟大的演员。我真心希望,有一天,我能与他们合作。他们中很多人是我的偶像,我真的很喜欢他们的作品。

I wish they would pay attention to what is happening on Chinese soil; the Chinese film market will become the second-largest soon. So we welcome them to come here to work and to bring their films, to let younger Chinese audiences appreciate their acting.
我希望他们关注中国大地上正在发生的事情,中国电影市场将很快成为世界第二大电影市场。所以,欢迎他们来中国工作,把他们的作品带到中国来,让更多的中国年轻观众欣赏他们的表演。

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