G.Jigjidsuren: Film directing is a rather hard job

xBelow is an interview with People’s Artist, film director G.Jigjidsuren.

- Lately, many Mongolian movies are being released. What is your opinion on their direction and the professional level of those movies?

- I think that a lot of movies being released is good. This goes to show that a growing number of amateur movie makers are given the possibility to gain experience with their artistic creations. As a result, the industry will have more good artists.

A film director is a leading person who determines the film’s quality and standard. He or she is always compared to the general of the army. It is not true that a film is a collective creation. In the history of world film, it is usually said that the best films are the creations of Fellini, Kurosowa, Bergman, and Tarkovsky. Therefore, we have to make a selection based on a stringent criteria among the youth who intends to become film directors, and we should put great importance on training and educating them. The number of people in the audience who watch professional films and TV series at home is growing. In other countries, there are many television shows which are being broadcasted day and night besides numerous commercial feature movies. People head to the cinema to watch professional feature films. They get artistic pleasure from those movies. Furthermore, film festivals which aim at selecting the best movies are becoming more numerous. Aside from nationwide movie events, there are regional film competitions including Asian, European, American, and Latin American. There are the famous Cannes, Venice, Carlovy Vary, Berlin, Moscow, and San Sebastian international film festivals which are organized to select the best films of all genres and they take place every year. In addition, the increasing scope of The Oscars or the American Academy Awards allows the best international films to participate and this improves world cinematic art. Even though the selected independent films are fewer than commercial films, they still determine the quality of world cinematic art. Commercial films have a very different principle. They have a big opportunity to earn money because of their wider range of and more popular attention from viewers. In fact, while an auditorium isn’t full in films of famous directors like Michelangelo Antonioni and Alexander Sokurov, it is always packed with viewers watching action or suspense films. Those two types of genres have existed since the formation of cinematic art. Commercial films reach viewers more and, therefore, the world cinematic art’s average level is determined by their ticket sales. This is actually being felt right now here in Mongolia. One of the “horrible” things which blemishes cinematic art’s reputation is the television series. People always say that Korean TV dramas ruin Mongolian culture, morality, and social consciousness among viewers. Recently, I’ve heard people ask, “Why do Mongolian youth behave like characters in Korean shows?,” after watching actors perform in the “Queen Anu” movie. That’s why Mongolian viewers are never tired of classic Mongolian films. The grim truth is that we’re losing our Mongolian values.

- What are the professional characteristics of a film director?

- Film directing is a rather hard job. I think that it is an intellectual art. Actually, cinematic art creation is created from a director’s will power and humanity. From this point of view, the director’s opinion and methods are vital, and are the basis of his or her creation. A director is a person who puts all of his or her efforts in this creation, but with nothing to take back. More specifically, people discuss any movie based on how they view the story and how they see the actors perform. But there are many stages in movie creation including role selection and working with actors. Role casting is very complicated. Viewers don’t know about this work and there’s no need to know. I’m just talking about the director’s work not only with actors. He or she has to deal with over 20 professional people including the author, camera operators, illustrators, composer, music producer, and manager. You see how hard the director’s job is with those things. At last, if a film is good, the people praise the actors. If it is bad, only the director receives reproaches. This is what a director’s job is.

- Lately, Mongolian movie artists are more likely to make historical movies. What do you think about this genre?

- Screening historical truth is a very sensitive issue. Reenacting a historical event or character should not be the goal of any film. A film is not a historical chronicle. The director’s viewpoint, expression, and approach to this historical event are very important. The historical position of a person is a very sensitive thing. For example, people have lately been talking about the roles of Galdan Boshogtu and Ondor Gegeen Zanabazar in Mongolia’s freedom and independence. They are looking at this from a historical period with a positive view. But I think we need to sift these events such as the collapse of Mongolian politics, power struggles, the treason of Khalkh lords, the goal to appease the Mongolian people with religion, and the shameless incidents that made Mongolia become part of the Qing dynasty. Therefore, how to reenact a historical event is a very important issue. For me, since I was a student, I’ve always wanted to reprise historical characters who devoted their whole lives for Mongolia to be independent and have national freedom. There are few good historical films including “Khatanbaatar,” “Golden Falcon” (Great Rouran Khaganate), and “Descendant of a Great King” (Sain Noyon Khan Namnansuren). I have many screenplays on Oirad Amarsanaa and Khotgoid Chingunjav. Even if historical feature films give the youth an opportunity to know and understand the past, there is a danger to give viewers a wrong notion when certain events that have real importance are left out and historical facts are garbled. You can see those mistakes from films about Queen Anu, Bogd Jibzundamba Khutagt, and Chinggis Khaan. I think that historical research, the director’s scope, and the author’s thinking are lacking when making historical films.

- I heard that you’re making a film about a historical character.

- Yes, I’m working on a movie project. It is entitled “Rescue” and is about Dilav Khutagt Jamsranjav. This is my own creation which is deeply imprinted on my mind. But I don’t want to rush it. The life of Dilav Khutagt is like a legend, full of historical and complicated events. Dilav Khutagt Jamsranjav and Jalkhanz Khutagt Damdunbazar were two khutagts (a religious person like a lama or monk) who were born near Oigon Lake in the Tudevtei Soum, Zavkhan Aimag. A son of herdsman Bashluu, Jamsranjav became the reincarnation of Dilav Khutagt at the age of five. He exerted himself persistently for the sake of religion and state affairs. But he was indicted in the “Case of Eregdendagva” and sentenced to death in 1931. But then, he was pardoned and his sentence was suspended to five years. If he had been involved in any suspicious event within this period, he would’ve been killed without mercy. At that time, the Head of the Authority of Domestic Protection sent him abroad for a special mission given his famous reputation. The historical film “Rescue” will show the events in his life particularly during the long-term trial in the “Case of Eregdendagva.” We intend to make this film different from other historical films. A team of young artists will work with me on this movie.

- Did you begin making the film based on the “Solongo” story of two-time State Awarded famous writer Ch.Lodoidamba?

- The virtuous man who led me to a life of art is writer Lodoidamba. I have been thinking of making a film based on the story of Lodoidamba for many years. The children of Lodoidamba, L.Nasanbayar, L.Nasanbat, and L.Galbadrakh accepted my request about directing a biographical movie based on the “Solongo” story. They helped me a lot. This film will be based on the “Solongo” and “Shargachin” stories. The screenplay of this film will be ready soon. I think that feature films with Mongolian characteristics are becoming rare. “Solongo” definitely includes Mongolian life, culture, tradition, and values. Therefore, I believe that this story will become a film with a pure Mongolian character. I will make this film with graduates and students of the Mongolian University of Arts and Culture. My own students are very close to me, that’s why.

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