The opening movie "In Harm’s Way" holds media conference, the “cold beauty” Liu Yifei being talkative

As the opening film of the 2017 Shanghai International Film Festival and the main competition unit film of the Golden Goblet Award, the film "In Harm’s Way" co-produced by Roc Pitures and Chun'an Qiandao Lake Tourism Group Cultural Communication Co., Ltd. is full of topics because of the joining of famous Danish director Billy August and Liu Yifei's explosive performance. On June 19th, " In Harm’s Way " held a press conference for the entry of Golden Goblet Award and a meeting with the creators at the Shanghai International Film Festival. Director Billy August, main cast Liu Yifei, Emile Hirsch and producer Sun Peng showed up and at the conference, the first Chinese main poster of " In Harm’s Way " was released.

 

American pilot meets Chinese widow, love is ignited in the flames of war

 

" In Harm’s Way " is directed by the famous Danish director Billy August, starring Liu Yifei, Emil Hirsch, Yan Yikuan and Yu Shaoqun. The film is based on the true story on the Chinese battlefield during World War II. It tells the story that after the Pearl Harbor incident, the US President Roosevelt ordered to bomb Tokyo. The pilot was discovered by the Japanese army while on the mission. After the bomber was hit and made an emergency landing in Zhejiang, the local military and civilians tried their best to rescue the American pilot. Yingzi, played by Liu Yifei, lives in a small town in Zhejiang, who spins for a living and has a daughter. Yingzi's husband was a Kuomintang officer and died on the battlefield in Nanjing. Yingzi was once an officer's wife. It could be told from the lifestyle habits of using perfume, that she was not an ordinary village woman. The relationship between the pilot Jack, Yingzi and her daughter went from hostility to relaxation, and strange affection was developed. At the same time, Yingzi, a widow, has to face the gossip and public opinion pressure from the small town.

 

Led by director of  two Golden Palm Awards, filmmakers from seven countries teamed up to create an epic film textbook

 

The director of the film, Billy August, won the 41st Cannes International Film Festival Palme d’Or, the Best Foreign Language Film Award at 61st Oscar Academy Awards and the 46th Golden Globe Awards in 1987 with the feature film " Pelle the Conqueror ". In 1992, he won the favor of Palme d'Or for the second time with " The Best Intentions ", becoming the third director to join the "Double Palme d'Or Club" in the history of the Cannes Film Festival. In order to direct " In Harm’s Way ", August who is obsessed with Chinese culture rejected several film projects. It took four years to polish the script and recruited outstanding filmmakers from seven countries to form the main creative team. This also makes " In Harm’s Way " a real "international cooperation epic film" as a Chinese movie.

 

As a big-budget film with a serious war history background, " In Harm’s Way " has always sticked to the highest standards in its production. At the press conference, producer Sun Peng revealed many moving details of the filming to the media. "The director is pursuing authenticity. None of the raining scenes used fire trucks. God was blessing us and rained, he was probably moved by the scenes. It was the most difficult for the entire creative team, the running scenes you saw were all completed on the high mountains 800 meters above sea level. The road in our film was also built on the high mountains for the purpose of shooting this movie."

 

From a cold beauty to a rural woman, Liu Yifei's explosive performance enters the soul of the character

 

Different from the images of cold beauties and little girls that she portrayed in the past, Liu Yifei challenged herself with the role of a woman who lives in a rural town in " In Harm’s Way ". Coarse clothes and shoes, chopping woods to make fires, and taking care of the children while working, set in turbulent times of the war period, Yingzi's image is often unkemp. But when interpreting such a character, Liu Yifei puts more efforts on approaching the character's soul step by step in the most natural way possible than caring about the appearance. Before the press conference, all the creators of " In Harm’s Way " watched the film together with the audience in Shanghai. Until she sat in front of the media, she still couldn't hide her excitement after seeing the role of Yingzi again. "After watching the movie, what I feel most is that simple things are the most touching. Simple, unfinished words, or a regretful relationship between characters can enter people's hearts in strange times. This is the ambition of this movie that has no ambitions. It is not to move the audience, to make people cry, or to deliberately shoot very artistically for a purpose. But it is a very real story. I believe this is the most soulful part of this movie. Because the director was sitting next to me, I tried not to cry so hard, but I really couldn’t help."

 

Indeed, the usual gentle, virtuous and kind-hearted Yingzi has grown rapidly after facing sudden changes in life. The perseverance, tenacity and great wisdom in her bones have made many audiences in the theater amazed and shed tears, seeing Liu Yifei’s explosive performance. Liu Yifei herself interpreted it as a natural outburst of emotions: "In this film, Yingzi and Jack didn’t communicate by words, and it was not like normal conditions. Many emotions came suddenly. Maybe we didn’t know why we behaviored this way. The suddenness may be more powerful than designed actions."

 

Emile Hirsch shoots film in China for the first time, absorbing traditional Chinese culture to help perform

 

" In Harm’s Way " is the first Chinese film performed by American actor Emile Hirsch. He had previously performed well in films such as the Oscar-winning film "Milk" that won Best Screenplay, and the film "Speed ​​Racer" directed by the famous directors - the Wachowskis. When he came to China to film, Emile Hirsch felt the huge influence of Chinese traditional culture on people and the destiny of them in the process of understanding and performing his character. "For example, the touch of hands and hands, the touch of hands and face, these simple movements have a classical beauty inside of them, and it also made me see the pure film expressions, and the emotions that are suppressed in people’s heart. I am very moved by these details."

 

 

Q&A Section at the press conference

 

The “cold beauty” Liu Yifei being talkative

 

Reporter: I would like to ask the director, this movie has teams from 7 countries working together. What is the easiest thing for you? What is the hardest part? Another question is what kind of opportunity made you think of shooting a film with such a theme?

 

Billy August: Actually, the focus of this film is not the location. The most important thing is to choose actors with the right mentality to interpret such movie. I am very honored to be able to work with the entire crew, because I think this crew is really great.

 

Reporter: I would like to ask the director and Liu Yifei three questions. Liu Yifei, the producer said that she thought that you were an idol actress and could not manage to play the role. Do you feel upset because of your beautiful appearance and there might be misunderstandings from the outside world?

 

Liu Yifei: I think in fact, a person will become what she believes, and a person will see what she sees. Everyone has the long way of growth, but I think the reason why all the burdens are gone now is that I know what I really love is to dig human nature, what I really love is those emotions, and what I really love is being an actor. So no matter what people say, it doesn't matter whether they think I’m idol actress or an actress with good acting skills, it doesn't matter, because it is not about the person who is shown on the screen, it's just an external evaluation from people. I accept this kind of comments, as long as they have watched the movie.

 

Reporter: In the cases of many China-US co-produced films, the China-related scenes interpreted foreign filmmakers would seem weird to many Chinese audiences. Has there been anything unreasonable from the perspective of Chinese audience, and needs commuciting with the director on set?

 

Liu Yifei: I don't look at the monitor. Our personalities are quite similar, and we are very silent on set. I think small flaws are better than constantly changing the scenes in pursuit of perfection, while losing authenticities. There were some small flaws. Some thinks that we don't talk like that in that period of time, but in fact, no one has really been to that period. It is the real things to make the characters convincing. What things, you might ask? Maybe a little touch, no feeling is also something, or a little bit of supressed love. I think those things are indeed what European directors are particularly good at. He is not afraid of plainness, because different levels of emotions in plainness is the most moving. It was a supressed emotions. He let the actors find the right time to release it. The director respects us very much. He is really a director who excavates humanity.

 

Reporter: Director, why do you insist on using Liu Yifei?

 

Billy August: I watched a lot of movies before deciding the actress, and some of Liu Yifei's clips touched me very much, which made me think she would be qualified for this role. The love between the two roles of Yingzi and Jack in the film shouldn't happen, because Yingzi is a widow, but Jack can risk his life for Yingzi, which is very moving.

 

Reporter: I would like to ask the two actors, since the director is very famous in the world, can you share with us anything interesting or impressive in the process of working with him?

 

Emile Hirsch: The shooting location was in a small town, which was like a paradise. I was very happy. These three are very funny. We had fun shooting every day, with so many small details.

 

Liu Yifei: Actually, I think I was quite split when filming. Because the director was relatively silent with us, and I didn’t want to disturb him. He rarely came to discuss how I should act in this scene when he saw me preparing. We are indeed both sensitive style. Emile Hirsch was particularly amazing. Because he was such a funny person and when we were on set, he could enter the role in just a second after making jokes, and he was quite talented in acting. The whole shooting process was very relaxed, not as tragic and sad as in the film.

 

Reporter: This film is a highly regarded film. Do you have any expectations for winning the award?

 

Liu Yifei: I am the happiest to see the movie. I don’t expect anything else. I feel very happy to be nominated.

 

Reporter: Are you ambitious about awards?

 

Liu Yifei: I am an ambitious actor, but I am not particularly ambitious about awards.