"Brothers in Arms: A Gathering of Gentlemen in 'Shanghai Legend' - Jia Zhangke Brings Han Han's Virginal Work to Hangzhou - China"

When asked why a Shanxi native would want to shoot a film about Shanghai, Jia Zhangke said that in his childhood memories, items like bicycles, sewing machines, White Rabbit candy, and the face cream his mother used... all these popular and good things were related to Shanghai. Later, when he went to Shanghai for further studies, he experienced an emotional change with this city. After synchronously observing China's changes through films for over a decade, he became increasingly interested in history... Almost all significant figures in modern Chinese history have had some connection to Shanghai. What concerns me is the details of history and personal emotions under historical circumstances. You will find that people are actually quite passive; wars, disasters, and reforms can all alter the trajectory of one's life, so your self-awareness becomes more composed.

The film showcases the nearly hundred-year vicissitudes of Shanghai, this Eastern metropolis, by interviewing Chinese from both sides of the Taiwan Strait with various experiences. It starts with painter Chen Danqing and ends with writer and race car driver Han Han. As a documentary, "Shanghai Legends" will not only hit domestic major theaters but also be released during the popular summer season. Regarding this, Jia Zhangke deeply felt that it was very fortunate to secure this time slot, hoping that at the end of the year, we could see that our market still has a trend towards diversity.

Eighteen segments of stormy old stories, a hundred years of legendary revelations. The beautiful legend of Shanghai, the deep nostalgia of the Chinese... On the poster officially revealed yesterday, this promotional text encapsulates the essence of the film. Jia Zhangke poetically paraphrased a sentence: whether you love or hate Shanghai, please come watch "Shanghai Legends," because it contains the deeply ingrained emotions of the Chinese!

This mainland public screening version is 10 minutes shorter than the one shown at the Cannes Film Festival. Jia Zhangke said that the editing was to make the rhythm smoother. He plans to create a TV version that will gather interviews from the 80-plus individuals interviewed over that year; there will also be art exhibitions in various art museums showcasing meetings between Shanghai natives and Jia Zhangke in his living room.

"This time I'll go to Hangzhou. My previous films never had the chance to promote in Hangzhou, and I hope 'Shanghai Legends' can bring it to your place." Director Jia Zhangke finally met with the media on the closing day of the Shanghai International Film Festival. He said it was indeed because the film copy processing couldn't be completed in time, leading to this hard work not being able to appear as scheduled on June 14th. However, the fact that the film was quickly set to premiere nationwide on July 2nd came as a pleasant surprise to him. Moreover, this time he planned to take this Mandarin documentary to several cities, including Hangzhou.

Han Han's large-screen interview drew attention.

It contains deeply ingrained emotions.

In his eyes, the biggest selling point of the film lies in its currently most dreamlike and luxurious star lineup in Chinese film history. The 18 interviewees can be called a gathering of gentlemen, not only including famous artists like Chen Danqing, Hou Hsiao-hsien, Wang Tong, and Pan Di-Hua, but also luminaries from various fields such as Yang Xiaofu (son of Yang Xingfo), Du Meiru (daughter of Du Yuesheng), Fei Mingyi (daughter of Fei Mu), and Zhang Xi-Yi (great-granddaughter of Zeng Guofan). Their oral accounts brought a wealth of revelations and restorations of historical mysteries.

Jia Zhangke also specifically clarified the rumor that the film did not pass censorship due to Han Han's radical comments. All interviewees were telling their own stories, and since the beginning of shooting, I never worried about the censorship issues. Moreover, respecting individual speaking rights is already a consensus of this era, and the entire review process went smoothly. It was heard that during the Cannes premiere, Han Han's screen debut caused waves of laughter due to his interesting narration. Jia Zhangke expressed that he hoped to have a dialogue with Han Han at the premiere, as the five-hour interview on the racetrack left him feeling unsatisfied. His other interviewees before were very realistic or materialistic, while Han Han represents the overlooked Shanghai character - freedom dreams.

Possessing the most luxurious star lineup.