Award-winning Chinese filmmaker Lu Chuan has been selected to direct the Official Film of the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games, the Beijing Organising Committee for the 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (BOCOG) announced on Tuesday.

With Beijing serving as the first city to host both the Summer and Winter editions of the Olympic Games, Lu said his motivation is to showcase to the world the host cities – Beijing and Zhangjiakou – and today's China.

"As a Chinese, I am honored to participate in such a grand event," Lu told the press. 

Lu added he hopes to record Beijing 2022's most inspiring, exciting and stunning moments, as well as all the athletes, behind-the-scenes players, competition organizers and volunteers. "Their stories of humanity, the spark in human nature can be recorded. The most precious, historical videos can be passed down to future generations, including us. They are not only precious historical resources to China but also to the world. So we hope we can record them all."

The director noted that as he and his team learned more about the preparation work for Beijing 2022, they grew ever more impressed and encouraged by the significant efforts made by China's government and its citizens amid the COVID-19 pandemic. As such, while the film will certainly focus on the athletes, it will also examine stories through two other lenses: namely, how Beijing has created competition venues and how the athletes will return to those venues following the novel coronavirus outbreak. 

The film will record how China faced challenges, withstood pressure and ultimately succeeded in preparing for the Winter Olympics while also ensuring residents benefited from the local development in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Lu said: "We can see the Winter Olympic Games are like the most dazzling tip of an iceberg, lit by the sun and against the blue sky. But there is actually a huge system under the sea level, including our country's efforts to ensure the competition and dedication of countless athletes."

Lu is one of the most acclaimed directors in China, known for his award-winning films such as "Kekexili: Mountain Patrol," "City of Life and Death" and the Disneynature wildlife documentary, "Born in China.” Likewise, he has more than 40 awards to his name, including from prestigious international festivals such as Sundance and the San Sebastian Film Festival, among others. Now, he'll join the list of accomplished international film directors who have contributed to a rich legacy of more than 100 years of Olympic Films. These cinematographic experiences aim to convey a positive message about sportsmanship and the Olympic spirit among nations, while also captivating fans of cinema, world history and sport for generations to come.

Since the early 20th century, films have been created for every edition of the Olympic Games. Throughout the decades, international auteurs including Milos Forman, Kon Ichikawa, Claude Lelouch and Carlos Saura have been inspired by the Olympic Movement to push the boundaries of the Olympic documentary. The Olympic Film Collection now comprises more than 50 feature-length films that offer a cinematic window onto defining moments in the history of the modern Games. 

The associate director of the Olympic Foundation for Culture and Heritage, Yasmin Meichtry, said: "We are delighted that Lu Chuan was chosen to produce the Official Film of the Beijing Games. His filmmaking is known for taking on historical and social matters with an authentic Chinese voice. As a renowned storyteller and talented portrayer, his film will convey compelling and meaningful messages to encourage and forge better understanding between different cultures and promote the Olympic values of excellence, respect and friendship."

An expert advisory board, headed by renowned Chinese artist Zhang Heping, will guide the production of Lu's official film. Zhang Heping is known for several films and TV series, and was previously the chairman of the Beijing Federation of Literary and Art Circles, as well as Beijing People's Art Theatre. Esteemed film director Zhang Yimou will serve as the chief executive producer of the film, alongside his role as the chief director of the Beijing 2022 opening and closing ceremonies. 

"The official film can really become a work full of beauty and romance, with cultural and artistic value," Zhang Yimou said. "The stories, with their own impact and turning points will appear during the documentation process, but it is very hard to capture the fleeting moments that will never repeat. Amid the pandemic, to finish such a film with a global perspective is a great challenge. And according to my knowledge, the creative team of the film adopted a flexible shooting method, faced the challenges head-on and made a lot of preparation work."

The official film has been in production since 2020, with a fair amount of filming and interviews being shot during the pre-Games period, and Lu's team will continue their filming and wrap up within the first half of 2022. The film will be released sometime this year.

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