🎬 What happens when an acclaimed international film composer sits down to listen to Chinese movie music for the first time? During this year's Beijing International Film Festival, we got a front-row seat to that exact moment of cross-cultural discovery.
Simon Franglen, the Grammy and Oscar-winning composer behind scores for Avatar: The Way of Water and Titanic, joined CGTN's Ali for a unique listening session. His live reactions to three pieces of Chinese film music weren't just technical—they were a deep dive into the soul of storytelling. 🎧
Franglen was immediately struck by the distinct "flavor" of Chinese film music, describing it as a powerful and unique cultural voice on the global stage. For him, the magic isn't in a loud, attention-grabbing melody. Instead, he sees great scoring as a film's essential "heartbeat." Its real job? To subtly support the story, dialogue, and raw emotion, working behind the scenes to make the visuals hit harder. 💓
His advice for the next generation of composers is pure gold: think about the film as a whole, identify those pivotal emotional moments, and most importantly—refine your work with patience. It’s a marathon, not a sprint. 🏃♂️➡️🌅
Perhaps the most poignant takeaway came from a feeling of profound loneliness he sensed in the music—a sentiment he identified as deeply Chinese. In that quiet, solitary space created by the score, Franglen found a universal truth: even music that explores solitude has the incredible power to connect us, building invisible bridges across cultures and continents. 🌉
This exchange is more than just industry talk; it's a reminder that in our digitally-connected world, the language of emotion—composed note by note—remains one of our most powerful tools for understanding each other. ✨
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
