So, in Still Life, we tell two love stories-one is about a divorce and the other about a reunion of a couple. The characters in the film are not in a closed or passive state, but have a very active attitude toward life instead and make decisions about their own lives.

Why did you choose Still Life as the name of the film?

I felt that the land and the ordinary people who live there are too silent, and our so-called artists and society have given them too little attention. You know, some recent Chinese films are full of luxurious palace life, but the intense things in our real lives have not been reflected. It is not normal for artists to be silent about such a theme.

Compared with Zhang Yimou, Chen Kaige and other directors of the fifth generation, what do you think is the biggest difference of the sixth generation of directors?

In the works of the sixth generation of directors of China, the director of a film has become an ordinary person, and even a weak one, which I think is great progress. Our predecessors, including the fifth generation of directors, played a tough role, and the themes of their films conform to mainstream ideology very much. They talk about reform, self-examination, drawing lessons from history, a renaissance and other heavy topics. But the works of the sixth generation are mostly individual reflections. Such a transfer embodies democracy and carries a strong modern sense. But just because of this, our works seem to be isolated from the general public.

Is this why most audiences think the works of the sixth generation of directors are difficult to understand?

Current audiences not only say they cannot understand the works of the sixth generation of directors, but also think they cannot understand Zhang Yimou's commercial blockbuster Hero. That's because traditional Chinese films have been didactic, and most of the Chinese audience is used to being taught. So, if there is not this kind of teaching, people feel that they cannot understand the film.

But actually, people can be moved by a film not just because of its plot, but also by a scene or details. Films not only tell stories, but also create some kind of phenomenon. Maybe I fall asleep for an entire film but when I suddenly wake up I see people squatting and eating, which makes me recall folks in my hometown, and then I am moved. That is also a kind of enjoyment.

What do films mean to you?

Films are a way that helps me to find freedom. In our lives there are many taboos-ideological, moral and human. We need films to touch on these prohibited things, which can bring about more freedom and space in people's lives. For example, the films in the 1980s on the theme of women and the current films about homosexuality have explored some space and make our society be tolerant of some forbidden phenomena.

Since 2000, when you made Platform, you have begun to explore your own aesthetic style. Have you found it now?

No, and I think I will not find it through all my life. Japanese director Akira Kurosawa once said that he had always been looking for the beauty of films. I agree with him completely. Every director is trying to touch the form of films that he/she has imagined, but there will not be an end. You may approach it all the time, but there will be no conclusion.  

(The author is a journalist with Japanese-language People China Monthly)