(SIFF) Golden Goblet Competition Entry "The Chapel": A Healing Melody that Evokes Tears, Reuniting Fans in Joyful Post-screening Gathering | 金爵参赛片｜《琴声诉忆》：乐声治愈催人泪下，映后见面让影迷大呼“久违了”
English
Notably, this was the first post-screening meet-up of an overseas film crew in the main competition section of the Shanghai International Film Festival, marking a long-awaited close encounter between international filmmakers and festival audiences. During the event, many fans eagerly spoke up, and their enthusiasm deeply moved director Dominique Deruddere, who remarked, "The Shanghai audience is amazing!"
The Belgian film "The Chapel" takes the perspective of Jennifer, a 23-year-old young piano player participating in the Queen Elizabeth International Music Competition and living with 12 other finalists. It tells the story of how she copes with childhood trauma while preparing for the competition. "The Chapel" is a psychological film directed by Belgian filmmaker Dominique Deruddere, whose previous film "Everybody's Famous!" was nominated for an Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film. It not only showcases the backstage of a prestigious music competition but also delves into the inner world of a young pianist consumed by personal demons.
"This film is very touching!" From the scenes of the screening, it was evident that the audience was deeply moved by the film. The first female audience member who spoke during the post-screening discussion expressed her love for the film in fluent English, stating, "It's a very good story, and the actress's performance is fantastic!" Some audience members even expressed their admiration for the film's creators and wished "The Chapel" success in the Golden Goblet competition. "I was deeply moved, and my emotions fluctuated along with the film's storyline," said one viewer.
Besides praise and affirmation, some film enthusiasts also attempt to "challenge" directors during discussions. A male audience member raised a question, asking if directors worry about treading the same path when combining music with the protagonist's traumatic memories in many films. Director Dominique Durand responded emphatically, stating that music inherently possesses healing power and is particularly suitable for exploring psychological themes. From his perspective, many films choose to incorporate music as a means of indirectly reflecting the hidden traumas within people's hearts, which is why creators are willing to focus on such stories.
At the end of the meet-and-greet session, the cast and the entire audience took selfies together, and the lead actress, Tack Nicola, also posed for commemorative photos with several film enthusiasts. In response to the enthusiasm from the fans, the three creators spontaneously expressed their fondness for the city of Shanghai, despite it being their first visit. They remarked, "The atmosphere at the venue was fantastic, and the audience in Shanghai was amazing."
The "exclusive experience" that belongs to the film festival sparked enthusiastic discussions among fans, who eagerly anticipated the up-close interaction.
Getting up-close and personal with filmmakers, engaging in face-to-face conversations, is the most anticipated "surprise segment" for many film enthusiasts every June. Ms. Zhang, an audience member, revealed that she had never expected the viewing experience to be so delightful, and the opportunity to express her feelings directly to the creators was truly rare. She said, "Through such a meet-and-greet session, I feel a closer connection to the film."
Ms. Lu, whose entire family are film enthusiasts, attended the screening with her mother that day. As a long-time fan of the film festival, she specifically purchased front-row tickets and even got the creators' autographs. "I particularly enjoy the up-close interaction," Ms. Lu said. Initially, she had no idea there would be a meet-and-greet session, but she believed that any film nominated for the Golden Goblet Award's main competition section must be a great film, and it is rare to see Belgian films outside of film festivals, so she wanted to experience the screening in person.
Ms. Liu, who successfully took a photo with the lead actress Tack Nicola, expressed that the film skillfully combined visuals with the sound of the piano, immersing viewers in the story involuntarily. Her family had scrambled to secure tickets, and she never expected that it would lead to her first-ever experience of participating in a post-screening discussion. She exclaimed, "What a delightful surprise!"
This year's Shanghai International Film Festival arranged many screenings with interactive sessions featuring the creators, many of whom traveled from overseas to Shanghai. The long-awaited reunions and intimate exchanges made both new and old film enthusiasts exclaim, "This is a unique experience that can only be obtained at a film festival."
From "Everyone's Famous" to "Memories in Piano Notes," director Dominique Durand is particularly skilled at incorporating music into visual storytelling. In the case of "Memories in Piano Notes," it can even be described as a "father-son collaboration" as the director's son, pianist Louis Durand, was involved in the creation, infusing his passion for classical music into the film's editing.
During a media meet-and-greet session, when asked about the significance of linking the entire story to the Queen Elizabeth International Music Competition, Dominique Durand explained that for musicians who study piano, this real and internationally renowned competition holds extraordinary meaning. The film places the protagonist and other competitors under the same roof, essentially creating an environment of "psychological warfare" for them. He hoped that the psychological struggles and transformations among these participants would enhance the overall watchability of the story.
Moreover, the music and song selection in "Memories in Piano Notes" carry profound meaning. Dominique Durand revealed that the childhood trauma experienced by the female protagonist made her particularly fearful of the cold. Therefore, from the beginning, he wanted to choose pieces that evoked a sense of "coldness." Soon, the works of Russian composer Sergei Rachmaninoff came into his view. Through repeated comparisons and deliberations, Dominique Durand believed that Rachmaninoff's romantic and visually rich compositions harmonized perfectly with the film's themes.
It is worth mentioning that Tack Nicola, who took on the role of the lead actress for the first time, portrayed the piano-playing scenes of the protagonist in the film with remarkable authenticity, despite having only studied piano for four months. She humbly stated that she is still far from being a professional pianist, and her intensive training day and night was aimed at recreating the posture of a professional piano performer as faithfully as possible. Additionally, the works of Rachmaninoff provided her with significant assistance and inspiration in her performance. Director Dominique Durand's guidance further helped her understand the state of the character and portray the complex emotions of the role. Producer Bart Van Langendonck also revealed that when the director approached him with the story of "Memories in Piano Notes," he was immediately captivated by the idea, and Tack Nicola's performance proved that their choice to cast her as the lead was the right one.
CHINESE
值得关注的是，这是本届上海国际电影节金爵奖主竞赛单元参赛片的首个海外剧组映后见面会，也是海外电影人与电影节观众久违的近距离接触。现场，多位影迷踊跃发言，他们的热情让导演杜明历·狄鲁第感触颇深：“上海观众太棒了！”
先表白后挑战，影迷的热情打动主创
比利时影片《琴声诉忆》以23岁的年轻女钢琴演奏家詹妮弗参加伊丽莎白女王国际音乐比赛、与12名决赛选手一起生活为切口，讲述了她在为比赛做准备的同时，如何与童年创伤记忆相处的故事。《琴声诉忆》是比利时导演杜明历·狄鲁第执导的心理片，他的另一部影片《每个人都成名》曾获得奥斯卡最佳外语片提名，该片不仅展现了久负盛名的音乐大赛的幕后，还深入探究了一位被心魔吞噬的年轻女钢琴家的内心世界。
“这部片子很感人！”从放映的现场看，观众们都被影片打动了。映后交流环节首位发言的女观众，一拿到话筒就以流利的英语表达了自己对影片的喜爱，“这是一个非常好的故事，女演员的表演太棒了！”更有观众向主创人员“表白”，祝福《琴声诉忆》能在金爵奖的竞争中有所收获，“我深受感动，心情一直随着影片的情绪起伏”。
除了赞美和肯定，也有影迷在交流中试图“挑战”导演。一位男观众追问，很多电影都会将音乐与主人公的创伤记忆相结合，导演会不会担心走了“老路”？而导演杜明历·狄鲁第也大气回应：音乐天然有着治愈的力量，特别适合心理探究的题材。在他看来，很多影片选择以音乐切入，或许从侧面反映出很多人内心都有隐藏的创伤，所以创作者们愿意聚焦这类故事。
在见面会的最后，主创和全场观众一起自拍，女主角泰克·尼古拉还和多位影迷合影留念。对于影迷们的热情，三位主创不约而同地表示，虽然是第一次来到上海，却不由自主地喜欢上了这座城市，“现场气氛非常好，上海的观众太棒了”。
属于电影节的“独家体验”，影迷热议近距离互动
与电影人近距离接触、当面交流，是很多影迷每年六月最期待的“惊喜环节”。观众张女士透露，事先完全没想到观影感受会如此惊喜，能当面向主创表达感受的机会更是难得，“通过这样的见面会，我觉得跟电影的距离更近了”。
全家都是影迷的陆女士，当天是和母亲一起来看片的。作为电影节的老影迷，她特地买了第一排的电影票，还找主创签了名。“我特别喜欢近距离的互动”，陆女士说，她最初并不知道这是一次带有见面会的放映，“但我想入围金爵奖主竞赛单元的电影一定是好片子，比利时的电影平时也很难看到，所以一定要来现场观影”。
成功和女主角泰克·尼古拉合影的观众刘女士则表示，影片将画面与琴声配合得特别好，让人情不自禁融入剧情之中。她的电影票是家人“拼手速”抢到的，没想到却成就了自己第一次参与影片映后交流的体验，“这是一个惊喜！”
本届上海国际电影节有不少放映场次安排了主创交流环节，许多电影人都是从海外远赴上海。久违的重逢、亲近的交流，让新老影迷大呼：“这是在电影节才能得到的独特体验”。
以琴声治愈创伤，导演解读选曲的故事
从《每个人都成名》到《琴声诉忆》，导演杜明历·狄鲁第格外擅长在影像表达中加入音乐元素，此次《琴声诉忆》更可谓是“上阵父子兵”——导演的儿子、钢琴演奏家路易斯·狄鲁第也参与了创作，将自己对古典音乐的热情融入到了影片的剪辑中。
在媒体见面会上，当被问到为何以伊丽莎白女王国际音乐比赛串联整个故事时，杜明历·狄鲁第表示，对学钢琴的音乐人而言，这个真实存在的国际性权威比赛意义非凡。电影让主人公和其他竞争者住在同一屋檐下，实际上给他们提供了一个“心理战”的环境。他希望这些选手心理上的博弈与变化，能让整个故事更具可看性。
同时，《琴声诉忆》的音乐、选曲也别有深意。杜明历·狄鲁第透露，童年创伤让女主人公格外畏惧寒冷，所以他一开始就想选择一些能带来“寒冷”联想的作品。很快，俄罗斯作曲家拉赫玛尼诺夫的作品进入了他的视野。在反复地比较和抉择中，杜明历·狄鲁第认为，拉赫玛尼诺夫的作品风格浪漫、富有画面感，和影片的主题相得益彰。
值得一提的是，首次担任女主角的泰克·尼古拉仅学了4个月钢琴就在影片中将女主角弹奏钢琴的场面演绎得惟妙惟肖。她谦虚地表示，自己离专业钢琴家还很远，夜以继日的训练只是希望能尽可能还原出职业钢琴演奏者的体态。同时，拉赫玛尼诺夫的作品给她的表演带来很大的帮助和启发，导演杜明历·狄鲁第对她的表演指导，更进一步帮助她理解主人公的状态，刻画出人物复杂的心境。制片人Bart Van Langendonck也透露，当初导演带着《琴声诉忆》的故事找到自己，他立刻就被这个想法打动了，而泰克·尼古拉的表现也证明，当初选择她出演主角的选择没有错。