Transcending barriers at film festival

Chinese cinephiles can take a time-erasing trip down memory lane as 30 years after Forrest Gump, Tom Hanks and Robin Wright reunite with director Robert Zemeckis in his new movie made using technology that allows them to "magically "appear as their younger selves on-screen.

The director debuted the film Here in the coastal city of Xiamen, Fujian province, on Nov 15. While it is not a sequel to the Oscar-winning Forrest Gump, it tells a touching tale of love, loss, laughter and life.

The premiere was part of the recently concluded 2024 China Golden Rooster and Hundred Flowers Film Festival, and provided the audience with a nostalgic mix of the past with cutting-edge technology, while also highlighting the long-standing tradition of cinematic exchange between China and the United States.

Masterful conversation

"We will always remember that line, 'Run, Forrest, run,' in Forrest Gump. I think it's fair to say the director created an epic of the era," said acclaimed filmmaker Chen Kaige, who won this year's Golden Rooster Best Director award. Chen made the remarks as part of a conversation with Zemeckis during a film festival seminar.

Both films share stories with universal themes that transcend time and location. After attending the premiere on Nov 15, 27-year-old Wang Yanglin, an avid fan of Zemeckis, said, "Forrest's optimism has always inspired me through the tough times in my life, and today's new film touches on a similar theme — chasing dreams fearlessly because time truly flies."

At the seminar, Zemeckis said that one of the most anticipated features of Here is its groundbreaking 'digital makeup', a technique that wasn't possible just five years ago, let alone executed as flawlessly and seamlessly as it is in this film. "We were truly at the perfect place and the perfect time to make this film," he added.