Jiang Wen

“I turned to historical films because they pass censors more easily.”

“I'm especially keen to work with good scriptwriters on stories we have developed.”

“Stories that can be told through language and words don't need to be filmed.”

“I'm interested in history.”

“I just make movies and hope people appreciate them.”

“Other people's films are like a cocktail, a little alcohol with water and juice. My films are like pure vodka.”

“I personally don't distinguish between artistic and commercial films.”

“When I meet a good actor, I would like to be a director. When I meet a good director, I would like to be an actor. When there is a good script, I would like to be both a director and an actor. The switch is very natural, not intentional.”

“I think that as a Chinese person, nobody will forget that in China's history, there was a war against the Japanese.”

“No matter how lofty a film is, it becomes a product after entering the market. It has a price. I think no matter what your purpose of shooting it, it has to have artistic value and then sell. But you can't make money if it doesn't have artistic value.”

“'Let the Bullets Fly' indeed attracted an audience, but how it did this is also a question for me.”

“It's not easy for a film to tell a story of the experiences of an entire society. However, from an individual's perspective, it is possible to tell one aspect of an entire society's story.”

“If there's Cold War, no 'Star Wars' in China.”

“From 1911 to 1928, the country was officially called Republic of China, but in reality, it was actually split between different warlords. It was one of the liveliest periods in Chinese history. It is therefore quite theatrical, and it is good for making films.”

“From now on, I will work with other people's material if it fits where I want to go.”

“A film that doesn't get distributed is like a child that never gets married.”

“Some say, why will people pay for cinema when they can watch cheaper DVDs at home? But I say, everyone has a kitchen at home, yet there are still many restaurants.”

“We always hope we can make a movie that will beat America.”

“I've also shot plenty of films with very small audiences - 'The Sun Also Rises.' I love that film, but I didn't capture the imagination of the audience. I don't know why.”

“Changing people's preconceptions is something you have to do in order to search for truth. Of course normally, that's not done because it also challenges social stability, and stories, as a result, are often told much more simply.”