Brothers in Makeup: One Day at the Black Silk Crowd in Chinese Hollywood
How do you explain yourself to the second director if you don't know a word of Chinese? Why would a make—up artist need beer and a villain need an album with a fake mustache? And how can you become part of a huge mechanism in one day of filming, where hundreds of people from different countries, despite the language barrier, know exactly what to do? Filming of the international detective action film "Black Silk" directed by Andrey Volgin has ended. Part of the work on the film took place in China, at one of the world's largest studios, Hengdian World Studios. The Izvestia correspondent went to Chinese Hollywood to find out how cinema works on the other side of the camera.
What is Chinese Hollywood famous for?
Getting on the set of "Black Silk" not as a journalist, but as a participant in the mass scene was an adventure dictated by professional interest: to learn from the inside how such a large-scale project is created by an international team. In almost every scene that was shot in China, in addition to the main actors, hundreds and hundreds more people took part — Chinese and local Russians.
The task of playing this game in such a way that everyone, speaking in different languages, understands each other seems overwhelming when you first see how many people are on the court! It should be understood here that the phrase "language barrier" in this case is not an exaggeration. English is spoken by a rare Chinese. In Chinese— it's a rare Russian.
The Chinese block of filming took place at one of the world's largest Hengdian World Studios in Hengdian, Zhejiang Province. This is literally a movie city where various international projects are being worked on at the same time and where Chinese tourists come in droves (note to Russians: it's better to see this). Life—size historical palaces have been rebuilt on its territory, for example, one to one - the Forbidden City, which is located in Beijing. Among the decorations is a historical village with authentic houses and a river crossed by bridges. There is even a replica of St. Basil's Cathedral.
For a few days, the Black Silk team stopped in Shanghai in the 1930s, because it is there and at this time that part of the action of the future film unfolds. A secret cargo is being transported to the city — the Asian New York of those years, which is being hunted by foreign intelligence services. I can't even think of calling this location just a decoration.
— I'm amazed! It's like being at Disneyland—I haven't been there, but it feels like it," actress Maya Giter tells me, looking around the playground.
The labyrinths of streets, along which retro tramways, elegant old men of the automotive industry and rickshaws ply, shimmer with neon signs. There is a Shanghai telephone company, an American hotel, a Japanese consulate, and a huge theater, on the posters of which "Arsenal", "The Last Attraction", and "Without a Pedigree" appear in a series of hieroglyphs during filming. The names are no coincidence: the team searched the archives for posters of films that have not been preserved today, and each of them refers to elements of a new plot. In the world of "Black Silk" it's a fantasy — Russian immigrants can see movies in their native language on the big screen.
— Shanghai was an international cultural center in those years. And there were a lot of Russians here — Oleg Lundstrom, Alexander Vertinsky," explains props designer Galina Lebedinets, gluing another poster in familiar Cyrillic on a pole in front of the theater.
And all this is not a pair of fake walls, but several blocks of natural tall buildings with a vibrant infrastructure inside.
How "Izvestia" got into the big international cinema
The team stopped at a dance club, where they filmed the most luxurious episode of the upcoming film - the group called it "Gatsby" among themselves.
— This is one of the few interiors that we could not find in Russia. This is due to the fact that we needed an Art Deco object, which is vividly represented in Shanghai in the 1930s due to the influence of Western culture," explains the choice of production designer Dmitry Malich.
So, on one of the shooting days in this location, I infiltrated the cast of the crowd scenes to go all the way with them. They were called to the playground at nine in the morning. There was still time to look around before makeup, and it turned out that it was the middle of the shift. The Chinese live in a different rhythm — they start work at three in the morning.
There is a queue for makeup and costume at the tents on the street. By this time, there are about 20 people in the waiting room, ready to shoot. Some people don't miss the opportunity to take a nap. And several couples rehearse the tango over and over again. I didn't know then that I would be assigned to a group of dancers, otherwise I would have followed their example. In the meantime, with the curiosity of a child, I look at how the interior comes to life in the dazzling brilliance of chandeliers, lamps with glass pendants on lampshades, and the geometric pattern of thousands of lights on the backdrop of the stage. I notice velvet curtains with shining tassels, old European antique props, crystal tableware, leather sofas and armchairs with carved wooden frames, gold and chrome accents on the walls.
I stare at every detail until I'm interrupted by a respectable gentleman. After greeting, he recognizes a politely puzzled look: "Don't you recognize?". It took me a few seconds to realize that I was looking at the general producer of the project, Vadim Byrkin, in a suit, with golden hair and a fake mustache. In a future film, an attentive viewer will see him sitting at one of the tables in a restaurant.
Images are a separate aesthetic pleasure. The girls wear straight silhouette dresses with fringes, beads, sequins, and feathers. The men are wearing tuxedos. There are people in national costumes and in military uniforms. Shanghai had a large foreign community in the 1930s, and according to the plot there are Chinese, Russians, French, Germans, British, and Japanese.
In the hazy hall, all this turns into a dense fusion of classical glamour and the jazz era, which creates both a sense of carnival and mystery.
Going outside, I manage to grab a coffee at the food truck. There is no need to explain — the Chinese barista holds out cards with the names of each drink in different languages. It's a small matter to point a finger. At 10:30, I take my seat in the grimwagen. And from the radio comes the command: "Get ready! Yi Kaishi!" We will often hear this word instead of the usual "Camera! Action! Here we go!"
"I'm doing your hair, which no one else here has." The fantasy has played out," says makeup artist Anastasia Ramlya, after sprinkling her hair with beer.
To my surprise, it explains: this is my grandmother's method, which keeps curls in the heat at high humidity better than any varnish. Therefore, the cost of beer was included in the film's budget.
Out of curiosity, I notice an album with false mustaches of various shapes, lengths and colors. One of them is for Aleksandar Radojicic. He's the antagonist, the arms dealer Bauer, but he's a real dandy and he's definitely a woman's favorite.
— These moustaches emphasize the nastiness of his character, — Anastasia Ramlya shows. — We do a parting and a smooth comb. He's so unpleasant.
In parallel with me, the team is training a Russian officer.
— I'm glad that I'm shooting a Russian movie. Everyone in my family is military. His father was an ensign who served in the Red Army in Vladivostok. The brothers are serving now. This topic is close to me. And the military uniform is coming (laughs), — says the actor of the mass scene Alexander Serikov.
It takes me a little over an hour. The next step is the costume. The Russian team is working with the main characters here.
"You can see for yourself: all these are costumes for the main characters that we brought from Moscow," costume designer Anastasia Batalova points to the rows loaded in the van. — These are dozens of images, individual selections, a lot of shoes and accessories.
A Chinese group is working with extras: there are several rails with colorful outfits on the street. Everything is agreed in advance.
— This is 1931 — it is quite clear from the history of the costume. For me, these are the days of Dior and Gatsby. Why do I say "Gatsby" — it immediately becomes clear to people what kind of style it is. The sandy silhouette has become more noticeable in female images. In a men's suit, the waist has risen, the shoulders have become wider. But we don't make documentaries. Therefore, there are costumes that I rethink based on the key moments of that historical period," says Anastasia Batalova, looking for something for me.
First they give me a white dress. But the fate of my character is destined to be determined not by the costume designer or even the director, but by the size of the leg. It turns out that 38 shoes are rare here, and I only have one pair of black shoes. Then they decide to change the image — they take off a dark floor-length dress with a scattering of glass beads and long gloves with feathers from the hanger.
"There aren't many tall people here, so we have to sew and modify a lot to fit our guys perfectly,— Anastasia notes.
Lunch break is announced at 1 p.m. The menu on the set of the Russian-Chinese film is clear. On this day, steamed vegetables, shrimp, Asian dumplings, banana.
After that, some of the actors of the mass scenes act out their emotions for close-ups. There is a buzz of conversation, laughter, clinking glasses, followed by thunderous applause.
"We've been here for hours. We're still shooting a scene that we're not involved in. We are waiting for them to put us in positions," Yuri Sinyagin, a 28—year-old actor of the mass stage, tells me on the street.
His partner on this day is 20—year-old Lolita Kodina. Black Silk is a special project for her.
— The filming of "Red Silk" took place at this studio, and I also participated in them. And here I am again for the second part! It's really cool to be on the set of such a movie, also a Russian one in China! This is the first time I've seen teams from two countries working together," says Lolita.
When I meet the second director from the Chinese side, not Tao, I smile instead of greeting him. He responds in kind, and then transmits through an interpreter: "You and I can only communicate with smiles." Here he is responsible for the embodiment of the idea of director Andrei Volgin and is just arranging the extras. When it finally gets to me, she asks if I can dance. I'm afraid to admit it: on an extremely amateur level. He shows slight hip swings. I exhale with relief: I can do that. That's where my choreographic skills end.
After another "Kaishi!" the extravaganza begins in the restaurant. There are lively conversations at the tables. The languid voice of the singer sounds from the stage: the spitting image of Daisy from The Great Gatsby. She is played by actress Anastasia Shestakova from Belarus, who is currently building a career in China. Couples begin to move to the rhythm of the tango on the parquet floor and perform steps honed to perfection. Here I remember with some regret those guys who rehearsed in the morning.
There's no time to doubt myself — after a few bars, it's not Tao that pushes me, and I descend the stairs into the midst of the celebration. For the first time, the lips treacherously begin to tremble and do not allow you to smile. It's good that this is just a rehearsal. I am greeted by a young Russian man in the role of a British intelligence officer. We're awkwardly improvising. And then he jokes, "We're having a kitchen tango," and by the next time, the tension subsides.
— You have a holiday, you are cheerful, smiling. Dancing is a thrill," Andrei Volgin explains the task in front of the engine and shows our pair the trajectory of movement in the far corner (perhaps rightly assessing our abilities).
We are dancing, relaxing at tables and at the bar, waiters and performers on stage are just a backdrop. All the cameras are on Wang Lin and Richard Sorge (actors Zheng Hanyi and Maxim Matveev). Their tango is full of fighting elements and intense in the spirit of "Mr. and Mrs. Smith" (but they don't try to kill each other).
— Based on the dance, choreographer Anastasia Somova and I added movements that show that Wang Lin wants to get rid of Sorge. When the hero pulls the heroine towards him, she tries to hit him, but he intercepts her hand. Then she hits the leg. At the same time, everything is done so that others do not pay attention to it, because they cannot arouse suspicion. This is not a fight in its purest form, but certain semi—hidden movements that should show the drama of the scene," Alexander Samokhvalov, the stunt director, explains to me during a break.
The whole day passes in the rhythm of the dance — over and over again along the familiar trajectory, take after take and frame after frame. From the outside, it may seem like an endless celebration here, but making movies is hard work. After an hour-long shift that ends after dark, you get tired both emotionally and physically. By the end, your lower back is no longer aching, but screaming, but despite this, you don't want the day to end at all.
It's about nine o'clock in the evening. Let’s dance! Bauer exclaims for the last time in his gorgeous scarlet jacket. They're writing a sound take.
— Bauer is free! — a festive female voice is heard from the radio, and he becomes Aleksandar Radojicic again.
So this fictional world, concentrated within a single setting, gradually begins to slip away. A team of dancers quickly rushes to the exit. After that, the singer leaves the stage.
— Nastya Shestakova has finished acting in our project. Thank her very much! Hurray! — says the director, and everyone around applauds.
Sorge leaves the dance club, and after several major shots, Wang Lin leaves.
"You won't be in the frame, you can change your clothes," Andrei Volgin tells me, and with a bit of longing, I go to the exit — first to return the dress, then to untangle the complex structure on my head.
Shanghai in the 1930s was one of the most cosmopolitan cities in the world, where cultures and languages of different countries met. Almost a century later, the set of "Black Silk" became such a place. It's probably romanticizing, but even for a day with hundreds of strangers here, it's really like you're living some other life. All of you, even if you will never see most of them again, are no longer strangers.
Now everyone has gone to different countries and cities. The scenery was empty. The costumes went to the warehouses. The false mustache returned to the album. In the spring of 2027, viewers will see only a few minutes of this scene on big screens. Behind the scenes will remain the hardest work of all the workshops, long shifts, endless takes, "kitchen tango", curls on beer and ingrained in the memory of "Kaishi!". And perhaps Tao wasn't right: sometimes a smile is enough for people from different countries to become one team and help a big story happen.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
