Shanxi shines in eyes of filmmakers

Another session of the annual Pingyao International Film Festival is ongoing in the Ancient City of Pingyao this October -- with noted filmmakers sharing opinions about films with everyone and talking about Shanxi, according to the organizers. 

In the wake of the efforts of festival founder and top director Jia Zhangke, Shanxi now has the international event as a platform to conduct dialogues about the art of film with the world. 

Jai said that he felt happy and proud that for the last  three consecutive years, more elements of Shanxi have been shown in the film festival. 

He said that there were five films produced by Shanxi in this year's film festival and also, Shanxi film workers are deeply involved in the industry sector of the festival. 

"We have selected 28 film projects out of more than 600 submissions and behind these 28 projects, we can see the efforts and creativity of Shanxi filmmakers everywhere," Jia said. 

"The young film workers in Shanxi are beginning to contact and combine with film resources from around the world." 

Another leading director, Zhang Yimou, also recalled his film stories related to Shanxi at the film festival. 

Back in 1983, when he was a photographer and director Chen Kaige shot Yellow Earth along the Yellow River in Shanxi, the local architecture and customs left a deep impression on Zhang. 

He said that the art of film, with a history of over 100 years, was like a young man when compared to the Ancient City of Pingyao -- some 2,700 years old -- which forms a dialogue between ancient and modern times. 

"After coming out of the cinema, people may feel lost in time when looking at these old walls and residential buildings," Zhang added.