25 Jan 2022 – Multi-award-winning Chinese filmmaker Lu Chuan has been selected to direct the Official Film of the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022. Lu is hailed as a major new voice in Chinese cinema, with more than 40 awards to his name, including those at important international festivals such as Sundance and the San Sebastian Film Festival, among others.

Lu joins an illustrious list of accomplished international film directors that have contributed to a rich legacy of more than 100 years of Olympic Films. These cinematographic experiences aim to convey a positive message about sport and the Olympic spirit among nations, and to captivate fans of cinema, world history and sport for generations to come.

With Beijing becoming the first city to host both the Summer and Winter editions of the Olympic Games, Lu said his motivation is to showcase to the world the host cities (Beijing and Zhangjiakou) and today’s China.

“As a Chinese person, I am honoured to participate in such a grand event. As a filmmaker, I have the responsibility of recording this extraordinary competition and cultural event for the nation and the world and at the same time, leave a valuable legacy in the treasure house of human civilisation,” he said.

Lu’s directorial success began with The Missing Gun, released in 2002, followed by his second feature, Mountain Patrol (2004), which won a Golden Horse Best Picture award at the Sundance Film Festival and the Special Jury Prize at the Tokyo International Film Festival.

His third film, City of Life and Death (2009) won Best Film and Best Cinematography Awards at the 57^th San Sebastian Film Festival. Chronicles of the Ghostly (2015), a 3D fantasy adventure, surpassed USD 100 million at the Chinese box office and was considered a breakthrough in Chinese commercial genre films and “China’s answer to the Hollywood blockbuster” due to its visual effects. In 2016, his first English movie, Born in China, cherishing the links between humans and nature, again caught the world’s attention.

The Associate Director of the Olympic Foundation for Culture and Heritage, Yasmin Meichtry, said: “We are delighted that Lu Chuan was chosen to produce the Official Film of the Beijing Games. His film-making is known for taking on historical and social matters with an authentic Chinese voice. As a renowned storyteller and talented portrayer, his film will convey compelling and meaningful messages to encourage and forge better understanding between different cultures and promote the Olympic values of excellence, respect and friendship.”

Film-making for Lu is about exploring different places and linking people and cultures without boundaries. As a Chinese filmmaker, screenwriter and producer, he has followed in the footsteps of his father, writer Lu Tianming, also becoming a renowned storyteller. Lu graduated from the Nanjing People’s Liberation Army Institute of International Relations and the Directing Programme at Beijing Film Academy. Since then, he has been one of the mainland’s most well-known young directors and has garnered both Chinese and international acclaim.

An expert advisory board, headed by renowned Chinese artist Zhang Heping, will guide the production of the Official Film. Zhang Heping is known for several films and TV series, and has previously been the Chairman of the Beijing Federation of Literary and Art Circles, and Beijing People’s Art Theatre. Esteemed film director Zhang Yimou serves as the chief supervisor of the film. Zhang Yimou is also the Chief Director of the Beijing 2022 Opening and Closing ceremonies. Both had also worked closely on the Beijing 2008 ceremonies.

For more information, visit: https://www.beijing2022.cn/en/

Olympic films: a collection of cultural and heritage value

Since the early 20th century, films have been created for every edition of the Olympic Games. Throughout the decades, accomplished international filmmakers – including Miloš Forman, Kon Ichikawa, Claude Lelouch and Carlos Saura, among many others – have been inspired by the Olympic Movement to push the boundaries of the Olympic documentary – establishing a tradition and creating powerful cinema as part of the Olympic Games’ cultural legacy. The Olympic Film Collection comprises more than 50 feature-length films that offer a cinematic window onto defining moments in the history of the modern Games. In 2016, the IOC completed a 12-year restoration project to ensure the long-term preservation of all the most important masterpieces, which include more than 40 feature-length and 60 short films in their original format and language.