Barefoot was shortlisted for the Temple of Heaven Award. How does a child face the war？

Stills of barefoot

1905 movie network news　 Youyang·Directed by Sverak and directed by Teresa.·The film Barefoot (Czech Republic) starring Williskova was shortlisted for the Temple of Heaven Award, the main competition unit of the 8th Beijing International Film Festival.

On April 19th, director Yang·Sverak starred in Teresa.·Williskova came to Beijing to attend the film release conference. At the beginning of the press conference, Yu Xiaoqing, deputy director of the China Radio International Broadcasting Center at home and abroad and the executive committee of the Tiantan Award of the Beijing International Film Festival, presented the finalists with certificates and congratulated them.

At the press conference, director Yang·Sverak shared his creative mind. Regarding the role of a wheelchair boy in the film and the purpose of putting him with children who are running barefoot and playing games, he said that this is a war film. The disabled boy in a wheelchair was just a victim of the war. The tank ran over his legs. Although there was a small motorcycle at that time, gasoline was scarce during the war. What he wants to show is not only the cruelty of war, but also the hard life and great pain endured by the people during the war.

The director said: "Of course, wheelchair teenagers also have symbolic significance. My film is called Barefoot, which means that life needs courage. If the audience here have ever gone to the countryside, they will know that the stubble left on the ground just after harvesting the crops is quite sharp. Imagine what it feels like to walk barefoot on it. And the child in the wheelchair just symbolizes that people have to overcome that fear, even though the child said,’ I’m afraid, I’ve lost my legs.’ But there is nothing to be afraid of, just keep going. "

In the media questioning session, a reporter asked director Yang.·Sverak: "The soundtrack of the film is light and melodious, and the picture is bright, and most of the characters often have smiles on their faces, which is in great contrast with the cruel war environment. How did you come up with such an expression to tell a story that happened in the war years?"

Director yang·Sverak said that this way of creation is very traditional in their eyes, which is a kind of emotional communication, because if you use a very sad tone when telling a sad story, the audience will fall asleep. He said: "We want to use the plot to attract the audience to participate, so the film is intertwined with emotion, humor and entertainment, just like alternating hot and cold water. Moreover, my own childhood is also very beautiful, and it is colorful in my impression. "

"Barefoot" is a very personal film. Regarding whether it is meaningful to present this film from a child’s perspective, the director said that it is indeed true: "First of all, this film is actually my father’s memoir, 80% of which is a true past, and the content of the film is actually a trauma to my family. I didn’t know that my great-grandfather was a gambler before, and he lost all our manors, so this is a very personal level. The second level is for the audience, and I want to put it in the first place, that is, the film tells us that we must have courage. In today’s comfortable living environment, how can people face everything with courage? For adults, it is to find the right direction and make the right decision; For children, this choice and courage to face it directly are also very important. "

For the heroine, how do strong women who interpret the war years find inspiration? Starring Teresa Williskova said: "One of my inspirations was on the scene, and that was my mother. My childhood is also very beautiful, and the relationship between my own parents is similar to that shown in the film, so I actually have some ideas about how to interpret this role. "

Barefoot tells the story of eight-year-old Eida and her parents living a comfortable life in the city. Because her father refused to communicate with the Nazi army that invaded Czechoslovakia, the whole family was forced to move to his father’s hometown in the countryside. World War II means pain and death for adults, but in the eyes of Eda and his friends, war seems to be far away from them. As the army invaded the countryside, Ada’s family had the courage to face the war, and the world of adults and children was intertwined.

This is an excellent war film in children’s film coat, which breaks away from convention and takes the audience to understand the war from a unique perspective. What we see in our eyes is a rich and wonderful rural life, but in our hearts we can obviously feel the cruelty and oppression of war.

From beginning to end, the film shows the film creator’s understanding of war from the perspective of children. Most of the time, children are in the center of the picture, but adults are always at the edge or corner of the picture. Children are facing the light, but adults always have shadows on their faces. This way of composition makes children’s innocence and the cruelty of the adult world form a more vivid contrast. The film with a cheerful surface shows more profound depression during the battle.