Beijing 2022: Chinese director Zhang Yimou hopes to lift spirits of a pandemic-ravaged world during Winter Olympics opening ceremony
- A 100-minute show by 3,000 artists will illustrate three major themes of world peace, the Olympic motto and Beijing 2022’s ‘together for a shared future’
- ‘In the wake of the pandemic, the world needs a new and strengthened vision,’ the famed director says
Famed Chinese film director Zhang Yimou’s grand production for the Beijing 2022 opening ceremony is aimed at lifting global spirits as the coronavirus pandemic continues to rage across the world, mainland media reported.
Around 3,000 performers are expected to feature over three major themes for the February 4 Beijing Winter Olympics night show, which will be held at the same National Stadium venue that staged the 2008 Summer Games opening ceremony.
“In the wake of the pandemic, the world needs a new and strengthened vision, that is, people of the world come together to face difficulties and look forward to a bright future,” he was quoted as saying.
Zhang, director of classics such as Raise The Red Lantern, Hero, House of Flying Daggers and Curse of the Golden Flower, deployed around 15,000 performers for the 2008 Beijing Games, stunning a global television audience with the sheer grandeur of his production, which culminated in the lighting of the Olympic flame by retired gymnast Li Ning, who won six medals at the 1984 Los Angeles Games.
According to Zhao Weidong, head of the 2022 Olympic organising committee’s media department, the three themes will be showcasing China’s yearning for and willingness to pursue world peace, the Olympic motto “faster, higher, stronger - together” and the Beijing Winter Games’ slogan of “together for a shared future”. The performance will last for about 100 minutes.
Zhao also said the Olympic flame and torch exhibition would be held in Beijing, Jilin and other cities until early February before the start of the official three-day torch relay from February 2-4 featuring 1,200 bearers.
The three host zones of the 2022 Winter Games, Beijing, Yanqing and Zhangjiakou, will host the torch relay with the route illustrating China’s history and culture.
State television quoted Zhang as saying the technology used would make the ceremony “ethereal and romantic”, highlighting the beauty of nature, humanity and sport, while also inspiring confidence in a pandemic-ravaged world.
Zhang was also the mastermind behind the Beijing 2022 handover portion of the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics closing ceremony in South Korea and the Beijing 2008 handover section of the Athens Olympics closing ceremony in 2004.
