HOLLYWOORD COMES TO BEIJING: Well-known American film director Oliver Stone talks business at a forum of the Fourth Beijing International Film Festival on April 17 (WEI YAO)

A well-known American film director working today, Oliver Stone, was invited to attend the Fourth Beijing International Film Festival (BJIFF) between April 16 and 23. During his stay in Beijing, he talked to Beijing Review on film, culture and Sino-American co-production. The following are excerpts from the interview.

Beijing Review: You are here to promote your documentary The Untold History of the United States (2012). How is that going? What messages do you want to send in this controversial series?

Oliver Stone: Today, we have reached an agreement with Beijing-based Foreign Language Press to release the DVD of The Untold History of the United States in China, which makes me very happy. The Chinese edition of the book of the same name was also released by Chongqing Publishing House one month ago. They did a marvelous job with the translation. I was pleased with the book. The DVD will be on sale this summer. This is my mission that I have just completed.

The book The Untold History of the United States started in 2008. It is co-authored by me and my colleague, a professor of history, Peter Kuznick at American University. The 10-part series is supplemented by the book with 750 pages. In 2008, the last year of the second term of President George Bush, I was inspired by his actions to study American history. I wondered whether his policy was the continuation of diplomatic policy in American history. So I went back to school to learn American history, because I've never been formally educated. I went to New York University. At that time I wanted to make a documentary about American history. But my conclusion was same as Peter's. We made a dark one. We told the dark side of American history, not the one that we've learnt at school. It portrays American history, especially since World War II, in which the United States achieved a decisive victory. Immediately, the world went into the Cold War, then the U.S. containment policy to communism, policies against the Soviet Union. And after the Soviet Union, the United States has been against China. After the September 11 attacks, the United States accelerated its national security strategy globally. And now it is with everyone in the world. I think it threatens the world. It breaks the harmony and intensifies the tension in the world.

Recently, it was reported that the United States is taking a containment policy against Russia for its actions in Ukraine. It is unbelievable to me. The way that we used to think just comes back. We never give up our lessons from World War II. That is the point. It brings the world into great tensions, possibly leading to tragedy. That is why I did history. I hope I can share American history with young Chinese to study in this way.

You have been working on the Sino-American co-production Genghis Khan's Treasures. How is this going?

I am working with Chinese partners with two co-productions for China now, Genghis Khan's Treasures and The Art of War. I went to Inner Mongolia with Mai Lisi and her organization two months ago. Mai is the director of Genghis Khan's Treasures. We've been working on the screenplay. The film is an interesting idea. It is a time travel movie from the 13th century to present computer age. What Mai wants to cover is the memory of the great Mongolian Empire and the secret tomb of Genghis Khan. I will possibly work as a screenwriter for the film.

You said in an earlier interview you hope Americans can understand China through the movie. Can you elaborate upon your motivations for making this movie in light of this?

Two months ago when I was in Inner Mongolia, I said it is interesting to know that Genghis Khan, although his empire was built on blood conquest, once he achieved his goal, it was one of the most harmonious empires. It showed great tolerance for different religions, Buddhism, Hinduism and Islam. Actually, it was a great example for how to live in harmony. The Chinese nation impresses me with her history. As one of the oldest civilizations, Chinese have never pursued an empire. Western powers have pursued conquest, from the Crusades in the 10th century, and then the British empire, French empire and the American empire. And we must not forget the Japanese Empire, which has been very brutal in Asia. But China had no record of this. Sometimes people forget this. Some say the emerging China threatens the United States and the world. I think we need to go back to remind people of basics. We did that in the documentary The Untold History of the United States.