“It’s an Impossible Mission”: Bi Gan on the Extended Journey and Long Takes of Resurrection

      Few figures in modern cinema are as enigmatic as Bi Gan, and no film this year has raised more questions than Resurrection, his follow-up to Long Days Journey Into Night, released seven years later, which has generated significant speculation. It has been somewhat polarizing since its premiere at this year's Cannes Film Festival, where it received a Prix Spécial—a clear indication that the jury recognized something noteworthy amid the diverse offerings of global cinema, though it remains elusive to define.

      In the midst of such turmoil, Resurrection is set to make its way into theaters via Janus Films, with its release on Friday. As a participant in this fall’s New York Film Festival, Bi took the time to sit down with us for a discussion about the unusual journey of his film.

      Special thanks to Vincent Cheng for facilitating interpretation.

      The Film Stage: I previously worked for Grasshopper Film, which handled the theatrical release and later Blu-ray distribution of Kaili Blues. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you after spending so much time with that project.

      Bi Gan: I owe my current position to your efforts.

      It was truly one of the films I was most proud to represent. We literally couldn't keep the Blu-ray in stock.

      Thanks to all your dedication over the past decade. You've made a significant impact. I recall during development, we had inquiries from Film Stage, and I had no idea someone had worked on Kaili Blues before.

      Resurrection was showcased towards the end of Cannes, and there were reports suggesting you were making adjustments right up until the last moment. I’m always fascinated by the creative, physical, and emotional processes involved in making these last-minute decisions, and whether they are final or simply part of the necessity of completing the film.

      The process of bringing this film to life was quite lengthy by Chinese industry standards, which typically have shorter production times. Personally, I prefer working with a smaller crew over a more extended filming period. However, we experienced three different cycles of filming and were put on hold—not due to creative conflicts, but because of budgetary and market concerns that created obstacles to completing the film as we envisioned it. This is why we had to pause production several times.

      I can say that we managed to salvage the film during those breaks by doing everything we could to ensure we progressed to the next phase. Throughout, my creative team, along with investors and producers, focused on how we could save the film and keep it moving forward. It wasn’t until April of this year that… whenever we encountered those breaks, I always worked on a rough edit to maintain momentum, even while seeking funding to resolve our issues and continue filming. I had been continually editing, but by April, morale was quite low. I wanted to bring something positive to the crew as we worked so hard to keep the project alive, and we were so close to completing it; I wanted to create some momentum to finish strong.

      I spoke with my cinematographer, Dong Jingsong, and my art director, Liu Qiang, to consider how we could energize ourselves and progress. We decided to aim for the Cannes Film Festival and spent about half a month on very preliminary post-production, including sound design with Li Danfeng, then submitted this “rough cut” to Cannes. They responded favorably, and we took full advantage of May to finely tune the post-production work and breathe life into the film.

      Has the film changed since Cannes?

      There were some adjustments made, primarily regarding the intertitles, subtitles, and some technical aspects to reach the level of perfection I strive for. I believe that even from now until the theatrical release in China in November, I'll continue to make minor tweaks to achieve what I envision.

      How do you determine that you’ve reached a level of perfection?

      I do feel the film is finished, but the very high standards set by our visual effects supervisor mean that there are still minor tweaks they wish to address. For all practical purposes, I consider the film complete, though I may make minor adjustments to the intertitles and subtitles.

      It's challenging to discuss the film without mentioning the lengthy 30-minute New Year’s Eve sequence. Watching it, I contemplated not only the effort involved but also the many distinct effects—gunshots, flashes of light, a character shot in the hand. I wonder if, during the planning phases, discussions with producers or crew members addressed the complexity and difficulties, with suggestions to simplify.

      Charles [Gillibert], one of our producers, visited the set and was discussing with a crew member about my style, noting that I tend to challenge the limits of what’s possible and manage seemingly uncontrollable elements. Typically, the producers do not interfere with my creative choices, granting me the freedom as a filmmaker to craft my vision. Interestingly, we originally intended the final scene not to be a long take, but considered splitting it into three distinct scenes for the finale of the elopement.

      Ultimately, we reassessed our approach, realizing that although we initially sought to