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Beijing News (Reporter Zhou Huixiaowan) Recently, a seminar was held in Beijing for the film "Akedala", sponsored by the China Film Association, the Publicity Department of the Fujian Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China, the Publicity Department of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Party Committee of the Communist Party of China, and the Publicity Department of the Hubei Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China, and hosted by Fujian Film Studio, Tianshan Film Studio, Hubei Changjiang Film Group, the Publicity Department of the Changji Prefecture Party Committee of the Communist Party of China, Capital Culture and Art Foundation, Beijing Helijiang Film and Television Culture Communication Co., Ltd., All-China Federation of Trade Unions Art Troupe, and Dream International Pictures (Beijing) Co., Ltd.

The seminar site.

Zhang Ling, editor-in-chief of the Film Channel Program Center of the Central Propaganda Department, Wang Chenhu, second-level inspector of the Propaganda Department of the Fujian Provincial Party Committee and deputy director of the Provincial Film Bureau, Liu Bing, member of the Party Group of the China Film Association and deputy secretary-general, Wang Xiaojing, deputy director of the Cultural Troupe of the All-China Federation of Trade Unions, as well as Zhong Chengxiang, Hou Guangming, Rao Shuguang, Wang Yichuan, Tang Ke, Huangfu Yichuan, Zhao Weifang, Kaohsiung Jie, Gao Xiaoli and other film and art experts and scholars, together with director Zhang Zhong, producer Sirzati Yahefu, producer Liu Zhaoqun, producer Zhan Mengyao, post-production supervisor Liu Xiaozhu, screenwriter Wang Yueyan, starring Wu Jun, Du Shaojie, Xue Qi, Li Shu and other main creative representatives of the film "Akedala" gathered together to discuss the film's realistic significance, character creation, narrative structure, aesthetic characteristics and other aspects from all aspects. Liu Jiankai, director of the Membership Office of the China Film Association, presided over the seminar.

The film "Akedala" is adapted from the award-winning novel "Cadres in Aid to Xinjiang" of the Central Propaganda Department's "Five One Project". It is set against the backdrop of the aid work of 19 provinces, cities and relevant central units in Xinjiang, and uses cotton planting as a medium. Through the real life and artistic image of the cadres in aid to Xinjiang, it tells the touching story of how they left their hometowns, bid farewell to their loved ones, and with love and responsibility, regarded Xinjiang as their second homeland, regarded people of all ethnic groups as their loved ones, worked together with people of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang, took root in the frontier land, and dedicated their youthful strength.

Movie poster of Akdala.

During the discussion, experts said that the film not only showcases the poetic and picturesque national customs, but also tells the joys and sorrows of the cadres who aid Xinjiang during the changing times. It has both historical depth and humanistic characteristics, and is an excellent work with both practical significance and contemporary value.

Since 1996, tens of thousands of cadres from all over the country have rushed to Xinjiang to promote the gathering of various policies, funds, technologies, talents and other resources to Xinjiang, making important contributions to the realization of long-term stability and high-quality development in Xinjiang. Qin Zhengui, director of the Film Script Planning and Planning Center of the Central Propaganda Department, said that the production team captured the film project with a keen artistic vision, which has a strong realistic perspective and embodies the hard work, sweat and even life of countless cadres in Xinjiang. This is a realistic portrayal of everyone's in-depth study and implementation of General Secretary Xi Jinping's people-centered creative thinking, and it is a vivid practice of filmmakers bravely shouldering the new cultural mission of the new era.

More than 20 years ago, targeted assistance to Xinjiang became a national strategy. Batch after batch of cadres went to Xinjiang from all over the country with their country in mind and mission in mind, spreading love at the foot of the Tianshan Mountains. Zhang Ling, editor-in-chief of the Film Channel Program Center of the Central Propaganda Department, was one of them, and Akdala resonated with her. She said that although she had been back from Xinjiang for more than ten years, she had never lost her concern for Xinjiang. "We met many local cadres and employees there, and forged a deep friendship with the locals. This experience is my lifelong precious wealth. Akdala is a presentation of the spirit of aiding Xinjiang, from which we can see the sincerity of the comrades in Xinjiang to that land."

"The foundation of literary and artistic creation comes from reality. Behind the film is the hard work of the film's creators, and even more so the long-term dedication of generations of cadres who have come to Xinjiang to help." Liu Bing, member of the Party Leadership Group of the China Film Association and deputy secretary-general, exclaimed, "In the film, we saw the magnificent scenery of Xinjiang, the indomitable spirit of the cadres who came to Xinjiang to help, and their high spirits of fighting against heaven and earth. After watching the film, we have even more respect for the cadres who came to Xinjiang to help."

Wang Xiaojing, deputy director of the All-China Federation of Trade Unions Cultural Troupe, has been to Xinjiang many times. After watching the film, she said that the film is very similar to the people, scenes and everything she saw in Xinjiang, with the combined efforts of the camera, lighting, character creation and makeup. She also believes that the film uses time and space to simplify the grand theme, which is very concise and well reflected.

The film's director Zhang Zhong has been paying attention to the group of cadres supporting Xinjiang since 2009. In 2019, he read the novel "Cadres Supporting Xinjiang" written by Wu Yuhui, the leader of the second batch of cadres supporting Xinjiang in Fujian Province, and his creative passion was ignited. Since then, he has traveled to Xinjiang many times to prepare for the film. On September 8, 2023, the film started shooting in Qitai County, Changji Prefecture, Xinjiang. The shooting lasted 70 days, during which time it moved to Muli Kazakh Autonomous County, Manas County, Aksu Prefecture, Shanghai, Fujian and other places, working for more than 900 hours.

After the film was completed, it was renamed "Akedala". Producer Zhan Mengyao said that "Akedala" comes from the language of ethnic minorities and means white fields. It is a miracle that white cotton grows on the white fields, which is consistent with the film's narrative expression of cotton as the main line.

Zhong Chengxiang, a member of the Chinese Academy of Literature and History and a famous literary critic, said that the change of the title from "Cadres in Xinjiang" to "Akedala" makes the film more distinctive. He believes that this play starts with the cadres in Xinjiang, but is not limited to the current cadres in Xinjiang. "The film uses less than 100 minutes to show 60 years of time and space. It not only shows the cadres in Xinjiang in the new era, but also the generations who have carried out Chinese-style modernization in Xinjiang after the founding of New China. The film reflects their consistent national spirit, the spirit of a community of national destiny and the spirit of jointly building Xinjiang. This is the eternal theme that art should describe."

"Akedala" tells the story of the perseverance and persistence of two generations of cadres supporting Xinjiang from the perspective of a Uyghur child. The inheritance and innovation reflected in the film's creation were highly recognized by the experts attending the meeting.

Tang Ke, deputy director of the Film Channel Program Center of the Central Propaganda Department, believes that Director Zhang Zhong has continued the realistic creative tradition of the third generation of Chinese film directors represented by Xie Jin, and the bloodline of the Chinese film creative tradition has been continued in Akdala. He said: "Akdala reflects a two-way rush. Not only do the cadres who support Xinjiang care about, support and help Xinjiang, but the people of Xinjiang's multi-ethnic groups also care about and help the cadres who come from the mainland to support Xinjiang. The character in The Shepherd was also protected by the local people, and then settled down and planted his soul and roots in that land. From Akdala, I feel the inheritance of the Chinese film realistic creative tradition and bloodline."

Rao Shuguang, president of the Chinese Film Critics Society, particularly appreciated the choice of perspective in the film. He said that Akdala provided fresh experience for the debate on internal and external perspectives in ethnic films. "In the past, we believed that only directors or authors from ethnic minorities could have an internal perspective. Akdala shows that as long as we stick to the spirit and consciousness of the Chinese nation as a community and the Chinese nation as one family, the characters we choose can have an internal perspective and make our narrative more emotional. Such stories and films can transcend past debates on ethnic identity, find better narratives, make the expression of stories more powerful, humane, and acceptable to people, and play a more positive role in international communication."

Editor: Xu Meilin

Proofread by Liu Jun