Story: Connie Li
The annual Toronto International Film Festival kicked off on September 5th. Following the North American premiere of Caught by the Tides, its internationally renowned director, Jia Zhang-Ke, engaged in a captivating public discussion on the 6th with his protégé, Filipino filmmaker Rafael Manuel. The conversation transcended geographical and racial boundaries, focusing on the development and legacy of film production and the art of cinema.
Rolex Mentoring Program
Jia is a leading figure in the post-1990 “Sixth Generation” of Chinese directors. His early films, known as the Shanxi trilogy, caught moments of transition in Chinese society. Jia’s Still Life won the Golden Lion at the 2006 Venice Film Festival. Among his award-winning films are A Touch of Sin (2013), Mountains May Depart (2015) and Ash is Purest White (2018). Caught by the Tides was premiered at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival.
Filipino filmmaker Rafael Manuel, who is based between Amsterdam, London and Manila, won the Silver Bear Jury Prize at the 70th Berlin International Film Festival for his short film Filipiñana.
Two generations of filmmakers have been able to form a mentor-protégé relationship across age and national boundaries, thanks to the Rolex Mentoring Program. This program seeks out gifted young talents from all over the world and pairs them with world-renowned artists in architecture, dance, film, literature, music, theatre and visual arts for a period of creative collaboration in a one-to-one mentoring relationship. Mentors and protégés are asked to spend a minimum of six weeks together over a two-year period. There are master film directors Martin Scorsese, Spike Lee and Zhang Yimou among the 63 celebrated artists.
In its 2023-24 program, Jia and Manuel have formed a mentor-protégé relationship. After two years of collaboration, Menuel has begun working on his own features Filipiñana and Patrimonio.
TIFF specially set up a stage for Jia and Manuel, providing a platform to talk about the program and their experiences.
Jia Zhang-Ke: Filmmaking Is Like Riding A Car on A Rough Road
During the conversation, Jia emphasized the importance of intergenerational exchange. “Cinema needs to develop, it needs to move forward and maintain its vitality so that films can constantly present the changes in the world and the problems we are facing. This cannot be done by just one generation of directors. If we want the practice to continue, we must pass the torch to the younger generation.”
When Jia mentioned his motivation for joining the Rolex Mentoring Program, he said: “One of the key reasons I accepted this opportunity is rooted in a traditional Chinese educational philosophy known as teaching by word and example. In classical Chinese education, learning wasn’t confined to the classroom; it involved living and working together. The belief was that only through hands-on experience could a student truly grasp the essence of what a master aimed to convey. This approach made abstract theories tangible. The Rolex Mentoring Program is, in a way, very classical, echoing the age-old method of master-apprentice teaching. Yet, it’s also very modern—we now select protégés from all over the world via video conferencing. I chose a young filmmaker from the Philippines, and it’s fascinating how two strangers from different countries have come together through this program.”
As a mentor, Jia has his own unique perspective. He believes that during the two years of collaboration, it’s important for him to show Manuel the difficulties of being a film director, as well as his own weaknesses as an experienced filmmaker. “If I were to teach Rafael anything, it’s that difficulties are everywhere when making films. Filmmaking is never smooth, it’s always about solving problems, making judgements, coordinating and making decisions. It’s like riding a car on a rough road, it’s always bumpy.
“I wanted Rafael to see my weaknesses, the challenges I faced, and how I worked to overcome them. My hope was for Rafael to witness the process of struggle and perseverance, to understand that even in the midst of chaos and contradiction, creativity can thrive. The biggest challenge we faced was the pandemic. It wasn’t easy to travel and work together, but in the end, we managed to create a new film. ”
Manuel: My Time with Jia Gives Me Confidence
Having a master filmmaker as a mentor is a life-changing experience for Manuel. “The first time I visited Jia was at the height of COVID, which gave us an opportunity to collaborate in the editing room, since we couldn’t shoot. Jia decided to work on building the structure of his film through archive footage. Being in the edit suite and watching how he builds up sequences from scratch was eye-opening.”
When reflecting on his experience, Manuel said: “Jia was incredibly generous in sharing his personal and visual archive with me, which is filled with footage and sounds he has collected over the past 30 years. Watching him take this film from post-production with editing all the way to the shoot two years later, while overcoming numerous obstacles even at his level, was an exceptionally generous experience.”
Manuel also visited the set of the film shooting of Caught by the Tides. “Jia was in the middle of a production, but he always found time to give me access to every single aspect of the day-to-day production schedule. Observing the attention to detail necessary to be a master was one of my absolute high points.”
Manuel continued: “It’s important to learn from a master because you’re also learning from all the people he works with. This has been about the connectivity of one generation to another. It has been a life-changing experience in the best way possible.”
Over two years together as part of the Rolex mentoring program, Jia and Manuel have spent many days together, speaking about Manuel’s plans for his new project and overcoming all kinds of difficulties, before he finally began making his first feature film.
Jia stated: As a mentor, I’m very pleased with his progress. I see this as the start of a new phase in his career. Going from the curious, budding filmmaker I first met in Beijing to a calm, confident director in just two years is rapid. I have no doubts about his future.” In the meanwhile, Manuel said: “My time with Jia gives me confidence. I’m very excited to take what I’ve learned.”
