On December 17, Nuri Bilge Ceylan delivered a Masterclass lecture titled "Slowly Gazing at Boredom" at the film festival. Photo by Li Xueshi
On December 17, the first Masterclass of the 5th Hainan Island International Film Festival (HIIFF) was held in Sanya. The President of the Golden Coconut Awards Jury for this edition and Turkey's national treasure director, Nuri Bilge Ceylan, gave a detailed introduction ranging from the philosophical pursuits to the practical operations of his filmmaking, under the title "Slowly Gazing at Boredom". Manfred Wong, a producer and screenwriter from Hong Kong, China, served as the Masterclass host. He enumerated the signature shots and imagery in Nuri Bilge Ceylan's films, inquiring about his original intentions and the filming process, and Nuri Bilge Ceylan answered each question one by one.
Nuri Bilge Ceylan is a Turkish director, screenwriter, editor, cinematographer, and producer. To date, Nuri Bilge Ceylan has directed 9 feature films, been nominated 7 times for the Cannes International Film Festival with 4 wins, holding one Palme d'Or and two Grand Prix awards.
At the event, guests engaged in a dialogue and exchange with the "master" Nuri Bilge Ceylan. The brilliant conversations between guests from different countries and generations sparked frequent insights. Nuri Bilge Ceylan stated that a film festival is the soul of a place and can change people's perception of it. HIIFF will change the cultural atmosphere of Hainan and will also achieve greater development.
Gazing at "Boredom" to Attain the Truth
In 1995, Nuri Bilge Ceylan launched his directorial career with the short film Cocoon, which was nominated for the Short Film Palme d'Or at the 48th Cannes International Film Festival, becoming the first Turkish short film to receive this honor. In this short film, there is not a single line of dialogue; the camera speaks throughout. The film is silent and restrained, its imagery brimming with poetry, like a short yet profoundly evocative sonnet.
Compared to his debut, Nuri Bilge Ceylan's works now contain extensive dialogue, which he attributes to his growing confidence. In Winter Sleep, the film that won the Palme d'Or, characters often engage in lengthy, ambiguous debates; these dialogues reflect not only the differences in the characters' thoughts and personalities but also the irreparable gaps between classes. However, the film does not lean toward any particular stance, opting instead for a calm gaze. This represents Nuri Bilge Ceylan's creative consciousness—indifferent to judgment, focused solely on reproduction, reflection, and introspection, expressing existentialist ideas in his films. At the same time, like a poet well-versed in sociology, Nuri Bilge Ceylan implements a prose-poetic aesthetic of cinematography within his calm and restrained narrative.
Nuri Bilge Ceylan has created a cinematic world that is more real than the real world. Following his镜头, one often enters a state of gazing, which sensitizes perception and makes the world clearer. Nuri Bilge Ceylan deliberately discards complex plots and dramatic conflicts, actively embracing a kind of "boredom".
"Boredom can put people in the right state of mind to perceive the harshest truths," said Nuri Bilge Ceylan.
Fascinated by the Uncertainty in Filmmaking
The formation of his unique cinematic language system was a proposition of common interest to the guests present. Regarding this, Nuri Bilge Ceylan stated that he does not deliberately pursue it, but simply strives to describe the world he sees and feels.
Many people say that Nuri Bilge Ceylan's films possess a strong literary quality, which he does not deny.
"I like reading; literary works increase my understanding of the world and allow me to observe from different perspectives." As for how to express this through the camera, Nuri Bilge Ceylan stated that he is more fascinated by the "uncertainty" in film shooting; he dislikes excessive rehearsals to prevent actors from falling into mechanized,(fixedD patterns.
"Generally, we start shooting from a script, but later in the shooting process I think of many things, and I will film them, until I feel there is nothing left to shoot. I leave all of this to the actors to handleD handle, allowing-allowing them to improvise. I am very willing to try various different shooting approaches during the filming process. People's thoughts change, and it's impossible to follow exactly what was originally written. Why always stick to the original plan? I feel that no matter what, one should still seek improvisational inspiration," said Nuri Bilge Ceylan. He wants to film things that cannot be fully comprehended.
Film Should Not Be Defined
"I don't like doing things I am already familiar with; I like pursuing a sense of contrast. What I cannot control is the realm I want to explore."
What is a good film?
Nuri Bilge Ceylan believes that film should not be defined.
"It was really hard making films at the beginning, because with no experience, I feared failure, and funding and technology were immature, so everything started with fear. Now my films have become more complex, yet I am no longer afraid. Young directors will inevitably encounter obstacles when they first enter the industry. But no one can define what kind of film you should make; film should not be defined. It has many perspectives and realms waiting to be developed, and as long as you are passionate, you can persevere. I myself am still a student, and I still need to learn to understand film more deeply." Nuri Bilge Ceylan introduced that the biggest influence on his films is Chekhov.
"The works of Chekhov have had the greatest influence on my film career. His works are very authentic, always giving me inspiration, and always making pale life colorful," Nuri Bilge Ceylan stated bluntly. In the current film environment, commercial films attract large audiences, while art films usually have fewer viewers. Feature-length dramas, in particular, have even fewer accepting audiences.
Nuri Bilge Ceylan recalled that when attending the Berlin International Film Festival, he once watched director Jia Zhangke's film Xiao Wu, which gave him a strong sense of familiarity; both the story it expressed and its shooting style were things he liked very much.
"Each of us has our own viewing habits, and a good film is one that suits you." Nuri Bilge Ceylan reflected that creation is a solitary endeavor, and sometimes on set, no one understands what he is trying to express and explore. Yet, he also considers himself fortunate, as the profession he practices is the one he loves. Cinema is a wondrous language, and he hopes to use film to express his confusions and the things he cannot share with others through words.
Original Title: The 5th Hainan Island International Film Festival (HIIFF) Masterclass Opens: Nuri Bilge Ceylan Discusses Creation and Cinema Under the Title "A Slow Gaze at Boredom"
Source: Feng Chenyang, Sanya Media Convergence Reporter
Editor: Li Jingchao
