Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1504731
HANG YIMOU HAS BEEN one of the most visionary, acclaimed directors in China for decades. His films such as Raise the Red Lantern and Hero have blown away audiences and won countless awards. After directing the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, Steven Spielberg was quoted as saying, "at the heart of Zhang's Olympic ceremonies was the idea that the conflict of man foretells the desire for inner peace." In 2021, Zhang Yimou directed a film called Cliff Walkers, and the sound effort was led by supervising sound editors Nan Zhao MPSE and Jiang Yang MPSE. Their work on this film went on to win the 2022 MPSE Golden Reel Award for Foreign Language Feature. I was honored to chat with them about their work on this special film. Eric Marks MPSE: You've worked on many films in China over the course of your career. What made working on a film directed by Zhang Yimou different than sound for other films? Jiang Yang MPSE, supervising sound editor: Nan and I entered the film industry right after graduating almost 30 years ago. Nan joined the top sound post-production company in China at the time, while I took a more 'independent' path, working under my mentor, Qizhen Lai. In 2010, Nan and I decided to co-found Golden Cicada Film. Nan Zhao MPSE, supervising sound editor: We're grateful for working with many directors, especially Zhang Yimou, who taught us how to use sound to tell captivating stories and create unique atmospheres. We first C L I F F W Z BY ERIC MARKS MPSE 60 M PS E . O R G Supervising sound editors Nan Zhao MPSE and Jiang Yang MPSE in Scotland.