The media viewing of the film that won the Tiantan Award for Best Feature Film in the Competition Section at the 12th Beijing International Film Festival (BJIFF) was successfully held in Beijing on August 21. The guests present at the event included Li Xuejian, a famous Chinese actor and jury president of Tiantan Award; some jury members such as Chinese director Frant Gwo, British director Malcolm Clarke, and Chinese actress, director and screenwriter Qin Hailu; and Cui Yan, Director of the BJIFF Operations Center of Beijing Radio & Television Station and Executive Deputy Director of the BJIFF Organizing Committee Office.

At the event, reporters watched The Blind Man Who Did Not Want To See Titanic, the recipient of the Tiantan Award for Best Feature Film at the 12th BJIFF. The film received unanimous praise from the media for its accurate presentation of the sensory world and emotional state of the blind.

At the Meeting the Jury session, speaking of what makes the film so special, Li Xuejian selected such words as “the presentation of truth, goodness, and beauty”, “the marriage of human nature and art”, and “swearing not to stop watching until the end of the film” to express his deep feelings about the film. And very oppressive close-ups and changes in special effects blur lens in the film allow viewers to be easily immersed. Li said that he watched the film, “gnashing of teeth”, in the beginning, then gradually went into the character’s inner world, and finally was deeply shocked by the last shot. At the same time, Li also stated that art needs to be constantly explored and innovative, and there is much for us to learn from the film in this regard.

Frant Gwo believed that The Blind Man Who Did Not Want To See Titanic is the “most innovative film” he saw at the BJIFF this year. The existence of an international film competition section such as the Tiantan Award has just inspired all filmmakers to create more films with a spirit of exploration.

“The best director, the best cinematography, and the best performance” are the reason why The Blind Man Who Did Not Want To See Titanic, in director Malcolm Clarke’s view, was selected from a large number of shortlisted films as the Tiantan Award for Best Feature Film. Talking about his collaboration with Li Xuejian at the BJIFF, Clarke was also full of praise, “Besides being the president of the jury, he is also a great actor, so I would like to thank him and pay tribute to his great career!”

Talking about her experience of watching the film, Qin Hailu described the film as “minimalist, extreme, inclusive, and full of love”, and she was impressed by the minimalist story link, the extreme oppressing sensation of the lens, and the actors’ poised performances in the film. The superb expression and creativity of the actresses in the shortlisted works, especially the performance of Wu Yanshu, the recipient of the Tiantan Award for Best Actress for Song of Spring, made Qin Hailu, the only female jury member, exclaim, “I have to study their performance.”

At the event, members of the Tiantan Award international jury offered comprehensive insights into The Blind Man Who Did Not Want To See Titanic, which showed the media members the great progress of the BJIFF in a materialized way. As Mr. Cui Yan said, “The BJIFF is a young film festival, and our team will definitely continue to work hard because we all love movies. The BJIFF will always be there because we love filmmakers and fans!”

Going into its 12th year, the BJIFF returned and brought a new life. The year 2022 is undoubtedly a special year for the BJIFF. This year, with the robust support of all walks of life and the help of the media and filmmakers, the 12th edition once again came into the view of the public with a more professional, authoritative, and international stance, presenting to the world a dazzling magnificence from Beijing.

The success of the Media Viewing event also provided a platform for the film winning the Tiantan Award for Best Feature Film to communicate, and allowed movie fans to perceive more charm of the films from a professional perspective. Looking ahead, we expect more outstanding films and filmmakers from home and abroad to compete for the Tiantan Award and gain considerable traction!