This was Mr. JIA’s first talk at a Japanese university. The auditorium was packed with students as he revealed various episodes from his own time as a student.

Feeling a need to express what he felt after various events, such as when one of his friends died in his childhood, he became engrossed in writing in high school, he explained, but after graduation entered an art school to create art during the day and continue to write at night. He was unsatisfied with the results, feeling that neither could adequately capture the tides of the era. He happened to see Yellow Earth, directed by CHEN Kaige, and realized that the film was the best medium for him. After entering the Beijing Film Academy, he made an indie called Xiao Shan 〔Going Home〕 with friends. “Film directors,” he said, “are like mailmen, conveying the events of the world to us all. Instead of missing the real for the virtual, I hope that you will grow richer and deeper through real experiences.”