BISFF Correspondence 通信计划
为了跨越种种障碍，开辟更多交流空间，我们设置了“BISFF Correspondence 通信计划”，对部分国际单元的参展作者进行系列访谈，这些访谈将在作品放映后发布在联展各个媒体平台。
This program involves conducting brief email interviews with the directors of the international films featured in the festival, in lieu of the traditional Q&A session that follows the screenings. Through this program, we hope to provide a platform for filmmakers to discuss their work and share their insights with our audience in China.
The Time Boat/Siam | 暹罗
杨宇烨｜2023 | 0:29:00｜China | Chinese Dialect
Q&A
Director导演：杨宇烨 Yang Yuye
Interviewer&translator邮件采访翻译：乔屿 Qiao Yu
Q1: What is the central issue you want to explore through this family story? What draws you to telling it?
是什么吸引你讲述这段家族史的故事？这其中有没有你想深入探讨的问题？
A1: 在北京的映後，有一位來自柬埔寨的潮州後裔問我為什麼會想要拍這部片，他說他看過很多潮州人自己拍的片，但很少看見以一種「回去的」狀態去拍。我說在離家很遠的地方，我總會夢見一片從未見過的樹林與海，雖然我在城市裡長大，但我有一種直覺，這是來自我血緣裡的故鄉。我開始幻想一種過去，一個很遙遠的時空，在那裡我並不存在，但卻孕育出我的存在。
After the premiere of my short film in Beijing, a Teochew man from Cambodia asked me why I wanted to make this film. He mentioned that he had seen many films made by Teochew people, but he rarely saw a film like this that "traces the past". I explained to him that since I had been living in a place far from my hometown, I had always dreamed of the forest and sea, which I had never seen in reality. Being raised and bred in the city, my intuition tells me that is where I come from. I started to fantasise about the past, a place where I never physically lived, but one that nurtured my existence.
Q2: I was impressed by several sequences in the film, particularly the opening scene where a photograph is placed in the center of the image, acting like a boat crossing the lake of the word materials. This scene resonates with the title of the film, 'The Time Boat'. I am curious about what the Time Boat means to you and why you chose to include a question outline at the beginning of the film.
影片创造了非常多令人印象深刻的场景，比如在开场段落里，我们看到一张置于画面中间位置的照片，它好像一艘船行驶在由纸张铺成的湖面上，而这也呼应了影片的题目—The Time Boat。时光之舟对你来说意味什么？你为何会将采访的提纲放在影片的开场？
A2: 您的理解很有意思，同時也啟發了我。電影開頭的第一幕是在高速公路上拍攝的，是我回到父母故鄉的過程，而The Time Boat（時光之舟）這個片名來自楊炳藩先生三歲從暹羅坐船回國的經歷，兩段不同時空的回溯通過影像而連接，畫外音電話中的詢問與面對未知材料的心情則構建起這段回溯中的新材料。將採訪提綱加入其中，是因為我希望觀眾在看電影的時候和我處於同一個位置，我的好奇也是你們的好奇。
Thank you for providing a thought-provoking observation. The opening scene of my project was filmed on the highway during my trip back to my parents' hometown; the idea of "The Time Boat" was inspired by the personal story of Mr. Yang Binfan, who at the age of three returned to China from Siam. The two distinct worlds suddenly come together in the same visual context. And the voiceover from the phone and the mood of facing unknown materials together shape the new materials. With regards to the question outline, I want to communicate that I am in the same position as the viewers, and we share similar concerns and curiosity.
Q3: I have limited knowledge about Chinese opera, but I was impressed by the opera scenes. Can you provide more information about this part, including its significance and connection to the family history?
我对中国戏曲知之甚少，却被片中关于戏曲的部分打动。你可以详细介绍一下这些片段吗？它有什么含义？和这段家族史有怎样的关系？
A3: 我對中國戲曲的了解也非常有限，所以有些觀眾會覺得我加入戲曲僅僅是為了營造一種氛圍，或許這就是來自於我對故鄉的印象，小時候在節日慶典看現場的戲劇表演，每家每戶收音機裡傳出來的鑼鼓聲，我並不了解這其中的涵義，但我知道這是他們日常生活中的一部分，也是當地古老文化的一部分。楊炳藩先生的妻子不久前去世，我母親告訴我他喜歡把電視裡的潮劇調很大音量，這樣就不會覺得太孤獨。
本片的最後一段是來自各地的後輩們來給老人的妻子燒紙，因為根據當地的習俗，老人需要待在室內，直到我們燒紙完畢，我經過房間的時候，他一個人坐在床上的神情讓我印象深刻，可能是這些事情的累積讓我想把攝影機對準電視裡的戲劇。電視屏幕反射出老人的面容，像是後期疊加的效果，其實是我不斷調整機位捕捉到的畫面，這種媒介間的互現凝視，也是我想像中的一種超自然凝視。
I don't know much about Chinese opera; some people thought I was trying to create a special atmosphere. However, it reminds me of my hometown. As a child, I used to watch live shows of Chinese opera during festivals and listen to the percussion sounds on the radio. Even though I didn't understand the content, I knew it was a part of our daily life and traditional culture. Recently, Mr. Yang's wife passed away, and to avoid loneliness, he plays Teochew Opera sound on the television very loud, which helps him feel better.
Towards the end of the movie, the younger generation paid their respects to the old man's wife by performing the customary kowtow. As per the tradition, Mr. Yang was required to stay inside the room until the younger ones were done. While walking past his room, Mr. Yang's expression left a deep impression on me, and so I decided to capture a shot of the TV screen displaying the opera. The reflection of Mr. Yang's face on the TV screen naturally created an overlay effect, which could only be achieved during the post-production process. To me, the mutual gaze between different mediums represents an otherworldly gaze.
Q4: I found the filmmaking style very fascinating, and I feel like I was watching a video photobook. For example, throughout the storytelling, there is a mix of black and white colors and the texture of the cine film. Another example is during the sequence of telling the story of Japanese occupation, the images were blurry and trembling. Can you explain why you opted for these particular styles and forms?
电影的拍摄风格非常吸引人。有时，我感觉自己在观看一部影像photobook。除了明显的黑白色调处理和胶片质感，在讲述日本侵略史的部分里，图像呈现出一种模糊甚至颤抖的感觉。你为什么会选择这种风格化的形式来讲述这段故事？
A4: 那些不斷變化的靜幀，很多人以為我是從老電影截取的畫面或者用舊照片後期添加的特效，其實這都是我自己拍攝的，而使用的這款相機是來自美國80年代生產的Nishika N8000 3D，它按一次快門可以同時通過四個鏡頭獲取四張不同角度的照片，因為主體與背景的差異，導致肉眼會覺得這是動態的，在以前人們需要通過特殊工具來觀察，現在只需要使用手機或電腦就能將四張圖片合成，同時你也可以調整幀率來控制影像變化的速度。在老人講述日本侵佔與國共內戰的經歷時我確實調快了幀率，以此更貼合當時動盪不安的時代氛圍，同時考慮到被攝人物講述的時代背景，我使用了黑白的福馬（FOMA）膠片，聽說福馬膠片的生產從上世紀七十年代至今從未中斷過，它仍保留著上世紀的影像風格。我一開始本打算使用超八攝影機（Super 8 Camera）拍攝，但因為時間與資金有限，還是回到了用靜態照片構成影像的老路上，但也因為這些限制激發了我的創造力。
Many people believe that I created those dynamic still frames from old movies or that I added special effects to old photos, but the truth is that I captured all of them myself. I used a Nishika N8000 3D camera manufactured in the United States during the 1980s. This camera can take four photos from different angles through four lenses simultaneously by pressing the shutter button once. Due to the difference between the subject and the background, the naked eye perceives the images as dynamic. In the past, special tools were required to observe these images, but now, with just a mobile phone or computer, you can adjust the frame rate to control the speed of the image change.
When the old man talked about the Japanese occupation and the civil war between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party, I did speed up the frame rate to fit the turbulent atmosphere of the era. Meanwhile, taking into account the historical background of the story, I decided to use black and white Fuma ( FOMA) film. "I heard that the production of FOMA film has never stopped since the 1970s. It still maintains the image style of the last century. I initially planned to shoot with a Super 8 camera, but due to limited time and funds, I had to resort to using still photos to compose my images. These limitations actually inspired my creativity.
Q5: Many times, we seem to hear printers printing. What do they print? Photos or documents? And what effects do you hope to achieve?
影片中很常听到打印机打印的声音。在打印文件还是照片？这样的声效有何目的？
A5: 我在使用打印機時，不斷遞進的聲響讓我感覺像是某種交通工具在行駛，結合動態照片會有種搭載時光機器的錯覺。本片的聲音都是由一個小型錄音筆完成的，打印機的聲音其實是在掃描老照片與文件，這是我製作過程的一部分，包括過片的轉動聲，我行走在沙灘與山林的腳步聲，都保留了我當時探索的狀態，而不是事先以非常詳盡的田調來完成影像，我希望田調的過程是影片的一部分。
The sound of a printer reminds me of the sound of vehicles driving. When combined with dynamic images, it creates an illusion of going back in a time machine. All the sounds in this film were recorded using a tiny recording pen. The sounds you hear are from the printer scanning old photos and documents. This is a part of my production, including the sound of advancing the filmstrip and footsteps on the beach and through the forest. These sounds captured my journey of exploration. I didn't want to conduct a close field investigation before making the film. I wanted it to be a part of my film.
▌more information: https://www.bisff.co/selection/the-time-boat%2Fsiam