The fashion world conquers the cinema
Dunhuang - shooting of the first fashion film “Whistling Sand Mountain” is complete

The shooting of the film “Whistling Sand Mountain” was completed at the end of November. It is the first Chinese film created and produced in the fashion world about the fashion world.

The storyline for the firm is based around the Pierre Cardin 2008 Spring/summer fashion show entitled “Marco Polo” and unveiled by Pierre Cardin on October 20th last year at Mount Mingsha in Dunhuang.

“Whistling Sand Mountain” is a love story. The story takes place three days before the unveiling of the fashion show when Lin Xiaodan, the artistic director (played by Ni Jingyang) suddenly dies of a heart attack. Lin Xiaodan was amongst the first group of Chinese models chosen by Pierre Cardin at the end of the 70s. Her little sister, Lin Xiaotong (played by Chang Chunxiao) a much sought after model, learns of her sister’s death at the same time as she learns that the person she thought of as her boyfriend, Ge Jiaqi, has just married someone else. Weighed down by her despair, she feels immense pressure to take her sister’s place as the artistic director to complete this great work by Pierre Cardin, which she does supported by Top Model Xu Hui (played by Chen Chun) and Chin Bige (played by Long Lei) new model that her sister had discovered at Dunhuang, as well as others involved. The words of her sister Lin Xiaodan form the essential thread running through the film: “Love is that which can be abandoned but beauty is that which one always aspires to.”

What is interesting about the film is that the fashion show in the storyline is not imagined but a real life event with one hundred models presenting the latest Pierre Cardin Spring/summer collection in the striking dunes of Mount Mingsha, under the direction of Pierre Cardin’s General Representative in China, Fang Fang. This latest collection reflects the new Franco Italian romantic style that Italian Sergio Altieri has infused into the fashion house since he became its chief designer.

The main actors in the film, apart from the Top Models Er Jingyang, Chang Chunxiao, Chen Chun and Long Lei, the international top model Chen Juanhong (playing the role of Pierre Cardin’s assistant in the 70s), are all played by amateurs: Mao Gebing the famous make up artist/designer (plays the role of head make up artist), the renown fashion photographer Lian Xun (acts as photographic director). Fang Fang, Pierre Cardin’s General Representative in China plays herself in the film. For the scenes from the 70s featuring Pierre Cardin, the great designer saw more than 200 actors audition for the part before choosing the young French actor Philippe de Grossouvre to play the role of the designer in the 70s. Pierre Cardin appears as himself in the contemporary scenes of the film.

The film was written by Zhang Jian, well known writer and director in the fashion world and was produced by Beijing Galaxy Power Movie & Television Culture Co. Ltd. Zhang Jian collaborated with the young director Lu Huanyu to make the film. Other big names were also involved, such as Ma Huilei as director of photography, Zhang Yifan as editor (Jiang Wen’s long term collaborating editor) and finally the music was composed by Hu Zi, an experienced hand in fashion show sounds.

The film is currently in the post production stage and should come out at the beginning of 2008. According to Zhang Jian the reason he wanted to make a film centred on the fashion industry was to be able to portray it in a different light. He also wanted the public to enjoy the film and take home the brand name and the latest fashion trends. “Whistling Sand Mountain” is the first film in the series named “The beginnings of fashion” written by Zhang Jian, each film being based around a certain brand and a fashion event. According to sources, the storyline for the film “Fashion, filming starts on time” based this time on the Chinese brand of menswear Cabbeen, is already written and in the editing stages with filming due to start in early 2008 if all goes well.