"Production CAPI-FILMS." "LA SEPT" "Marceline Loridan presents" "A Tale of the Wind" "Scenario Marceline Loridan and Joris Ivens" "In collaboration with Elisabeth D." "Photography Thierry Arbogast, Jacques Loiseleux" "Sound Jean Umansky" "Editing Genevieve Louveau" "Music Michel Portal" "A film by Joris Ivens and Marceline Loridan" "The Old Man, the hero of this tale, was born at the end of the last century in a land where man has striven to tame the sea and harness the wind." "He traveled the 20th century, a camera in hand." "He has witnessed the stormy history of our time." "In his twilight years, at the age of 90, having survived the wars and shown what he has filmed, the old filmmaker sets off for China." "His foolish plan is to film the invisible wind." "Mummy, I'm going to fly away!" "To China!" "Storms and tornadoes have been occurring throughout the world..." "In France, winds have stirred up fires 1,000 acres of forest have been lost." "In Great Britain motorways are flooded." "There are floods in Texas 150 houses destroyed, cars swept away and 500 people homeless." "Japan's in chaos." "After the China Sea typhoon many fishing boats are still missing..." "In New Zealand torrential rain has destroyed a store sheltering 100 people." "5 dead and 40 injured." "A Mexican woman was carried 100 meters by the wind." "The weather will be fine throughout China." "The temperatures for the main cities:" "Beijing: 28º C." "Shanghai: 30º C." "Canton: 33º C." "Last minute news:" "A satellite has just filmed solar winds." "That's all from the National Meteorological Office." "TEN SUNS WERE THREATENING TO BURN THE EARTH" "HIS HEAVENLY MAJESTY SENT HOU YI TO FIRE NINE ARROWS" "NINE SUNS DIED:" "THE EARTH AND MANKIND WERE SAVED" "I'm looking for the secret of how you breathe." "I'm an old asthma sufferer." "I've a ways had it." "Since my youth, I'm afraid of breathing out." "That's it..." "For you, breathing represents death." "For a long life, you must hold your breath at the stomach." "It must move around your body." "This energy is what you are looking for, isn't it?" "I'm 90 years old and I only have half a lung at my disposal." "The secret of breathing lies in the rhythm of the autumn wind." "Thank you." "Nothing's wrong." "It's just a banana skin." "Thank you for the dance." "The dance was wonderful." "Thank you." "Breathing's very important for my life." "Thank you." "THE BUDDHA OF DAZU COMFORTS WITH A THOUSAND HANDS" "AND WATCHES WITH A THOUSAND EYES" "What's wrong?" "No, doctor, it's nothing." "Really." "Let me see." "The wind's on its way..." "You must be careful." "Yes, but "Feng"...it's the wind!" "It isn't coming, doctor!" "The wind will not be here for several days yet." "Can you not see that the gleaming mirrors of the Upper Room are sad to see your white hair?" "At dawn, it was dark silk." "At dusk, it's white as snow." "ONE DRUNKEN NIGHT, WHEN HE WANTED TO EMBRACE THE MOON A REBELLIOUS POET DROWNED." "FOR A THOUSAND YEARS SINCE, ON THE ANNIVERSARY OF HIS DEATH," "THE RICE THROWN TO THE FISH STOPS THEM FROM DEVOURING HIM." "What are you looking for, old man?" "Who are you?" "My name is Chang'e." "I'm the wife of Hou Yi, who fired the arrows at the nine suns." "One day I'd had enough of my strict husband and life on earth." "I drank the elixir of life and flew to the moon." "But, unfortunately life one the moon's even more boring than on earth." "There's no wind to caress me." "Not the slightest breath." "Never any wind!" "That must be unbearable!" "At night when a strong wind's blowing on earth I hear it whistling along the Great Wall and I shiver!" "Listen!" "Look!" "Villagers." "Comrades." "The meeting will soon be starting." "Villagers." "Comrades." "Today's meeting aims to rally all the villagers in order to develop agricultural production." "The 3rd session of the 11th Party Congress has laid out lines for reform and the people's enrichment." "Our district's in excellent economic condition." "A crescent moon shines down on the town of Kang Ding." "The daughter of the Li Family is a beautiful girl." "The Zhang's son has fallen for her." "The use of scientific techniques in farming has been a great success here." "Our district has doubled agricultural production." "Small companies and factories in our at great speed!" "Come back, everybody!" "The meeting isn't over yet!" "We are the young Communist Pioneers." "We follow in the glorious footsteps of former generations." "Full of love for the fatherland, full of love for the people." "Always ready to perform feats and exterminate the enemy." "We march bravely towards our death , the young Communist Pioneers." "THE RETURN TO MANKIND" "I've come a long way." "I can't speak your language." "It's a pity, isn't it?" "I can feel your hand." "Your hand is gripping my fingers." "That's good, isn't it?" "I understand you." "We're speaking the language of hands." "We've been expecting you." "We've been expecting you." "We've been expecting you." "I want to meet the man who made this mask." "May this mask give you the strength to carry on." "And what's that?" "In ancient China, they said that a dragon lived in the south and a phoenix in the north." "Yes, it's wonderful." "That's the legend." "I've read it." "The weather's bad." "We're tired." "It's hard to carry on." "Yes, go on!" "Has the old man got to the top yet?" "Gently." "Gently." "I'm the wind of the Sierra Madre." "I freeze you and make you cry." "But you desire me." "For I'm the suffering which makes you exist." "I'm the wind of the wheat-field I laugh, I laugh, I laugh I laugh all day long." "I'm the Forbidden Circle." "He who steps through will gasp for breath." " I am the Foehn." " The Mistral." "The Devil of Gothic Europe." "Van Gogh went mad trying to paint me." "The Tunisians call me Chili the Egyptians, Khamsin." "I'm the dreaded Simoun." "I'm El Nino." "The moody, cruel child of Argentina." "My secret will, alas, never be told." "Pay tribute to the keepers of secrets." "I'm the One Day Lover." "I'm the Light Breeze." "Clouds and rain." "A sigh in the Chinese sky." "I'm the Mosque of Cadiz." "I push the heavy air away from the city." "I'm the breath of the first day of Creation which floated on the waters." "CHINA AT WAR WITH THE JAPANESE INVADER" "FILMED BY JORIS IVENS IN 1938" "THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA" "BUILT 200 YEARS BEFORE CHRIST" "BY THE EMPEROR QIN SHI HUANG" "THE ARMY OF 7,000 WARRIORS" "GUARDIANS OF QIN SHI HUANG'S TOMB" "THE MUSEUM ENTRANCE" "It's forbidden to film in the hall." "We have a permit for the lower hall." "You must wait for Mr Wang in the other room." " Mr. Wang." " Oh, yes." "He's in the restroom." "We can go downstairs, can't we?" "We have got a permit." "They said they have to write a report." "They need your signature on it." "My signature." "I'll sign right away." "That's why they're waiting for you." "There's Mr. Wang." "THE FIRST DAY OF NEGOTIATIONS" "You can shoot from 8 points and film for 10 minutes in all." "Shooting will last 10 minutes?" "For the 8 points?" "For the 8 shooting points." "10 minutes per point, or in all?" "10 minutes in all." "Here are the details." "The staircase in the eastern corner." "That's one minute." " How long?" "10 minutes?" " One minute." "For... and in excavation site no. 1 you have 4 minutes for 4 points." "There's a point on the wall for one minute." "You have 2 minutes at the dig and 2 minutes in the restoration workshop." "That's 10 minutes in all." "I can't sign." "It's impossible." "Humanly and professionally impossible." "It would be wrong to sign because..." "I just can't." "It's the same here." "For a film I need footage and different viewpoints and time to prepare things." "So, if I don't have enough footage." "I've been filming for 50 years..." "I know what footage I need." "I know what I need and what viewpoint to choose." "I know all that." "How can I assume this responsibility towards the people and the Chinese government who are expecting me to make a high-quality film?" "THE FOURTH DAY OF NEGOTIATIONS" "Cinema and archeology are two separate trades." "In China, we say that there is a mountain between trades." "It's very difficult to understand each other." "I'm fighting for my art and for my freedom of expression!" "He's a little taken aback because we've done so much." "He hopes you will have the courage and confidence to make the most of these..." " 10 minutes." "...these 10 minutes." "THE EIGHTH DAY OF NEGOTIATIONS" "Don't look like that." "I can't do it." "I haven't got the right conditions here." "Give me the conditions." "And if you can't, tell me so." "I can't do it." "Goodbye and thank you." "I will remove my team." "300 yuan." "Take it or leave it." "I won't sell for 300." "You really like it." "You can have it for 300." "100, 200, 300... 40, 50, 60..." "How much?" "Where are the others?" "There?" "Good!" "You have found them!" "Wonderful!" "Thank you." "That's enough, boss!" "Have you got any statues?" "That's good!" "There, that's good!" "There, yes!" "There!" "We'll do it!" "We will!" "Let's go!" "Is this one all right?" "Is this the right position?" "Now we need a good head, one that looks like a general." "I'd like her to recite the poem now." "The grass of Yan seems woven of azure threads." "The bough of the mulberry tree bends whilst you long to return." "At that very moment, my heart aches." "And you, mischievous spring wind?" "What are you doing here in my chamber?" "She's used to reciting ancient poetry." "Is everything all right here?" "Action!" "We are mad to be filming the wind." "Filming the impossible is what is best in life." "All of my life I have tried to capture the wind, to tame the wind." "You will see when it comes." "We have tamed it with the cameras." "It will not expect this." "It seems to be sleeping somewhere in the desert." "Let it come." "Zhang, go and see what that woman wants." "What is she muttering about?" "She says she can draw a magic figure to call up the wind." "She says it will cost a lot." "Ask her how much." "She wants two fans." "Two fans!" "Strange." "Give her two fans, then." "Do you believe in this magic figure?" "No, she's a witch." "I think it's witchcraft." "I must tell you." "Throughout the 20th century, I..." "At the end of it I believe in magic." "It's not just science that works wonders." "We need a tidal wave of sand!" "Let the sand come at us from all sides!" "Let the sky threaten to fall!" "Let the clouds be black with anger!" "I don't know what else to do." "This calm!" "I want everything to move!" "And stifle and destroy this desert!" "Wind, blow strong!" "What's that noise?" "It's coming..." "It's the wind..." "Wait a moment, I'll give you back my asthma!" "Wait a moment!" "I can stop you whenever I want." "The End"