As one of China's most renowned and prolific directors, Zhang Yimou is racing against time to realize three different but significant milestones in the country, as well as in his life and career.

It's quite a busy time for Zhang as he prepares for the opening ceremony of the Olympic Winter Games to be held on Feb. 4, having conducted initial rehearsals at the National Stadium on Jan. 22. However, one day before that, he was at a China Film Archive theater to premiere his new film, "Snipers."

The war film received positive feedback and is set to debut on Feb. 1, when China will be celebrating its Spring Festival. Zhang told the audience, "Winter Olympics is a national event, I can't afford to waste even one second on the preparation work. Now every second counts. So I have to go back for it and don't have too much energy and time to promote the film."

Promotion for the film will be left to his collaborators, studios and his own daughter, Zhang Mo, who co-directed it. Starring Zhang Yu, Chen Yongsheng, Zhang Yi and numerous young actors, "Snipers" is a fast-paced, breathtaking and heart-wrenching but heroic story depicting Chinese snipers in their fight against elite enemy snipers to win a small-scale but crucial battle. 

"I invested most of my energy into Beijing 2022. But the story was so appealing to me. So I went to the leadership of the Beijing Organizing Committee for the 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games and asked for a two-month leave to shoot the film in the winter of 2021. They approved. Then I tried my best to make the film. After I made it, I felt that today's happiness was hard-won. Thanks to all those martyrs who sacrificed their lives in the war, we have today's peace and happiness, and of course the Winter Olympics," Zhang said. 

Zhang, 71, still believes in originality when creating work across any artistic medium. "Working on a film or working on the Winter Olympics, the creative originality is the hardest. What we need for Beijing 2022 are three words: creativity, creativity, and still, creativity!"

About 14 years have passed since the Beijing 2008 opening ceremony was held at the National Stadium, also known as the "Bird Nest." Since then, the stadium has been upgraded with new technology. Zhang said they came up with the idea of tracking performers' movements with the ground screen to achieve an interactive effect as early as 2008, but that it was not technologically feasible back then. Now they can make it happen.

Zhang also revealed details about a warm-up Chinese-style square dance that will include participants ranging from five to over 70 years old and will take place 30 minutes before the opening ceremony. In line with Beijing's efforts to stage a "simple, safe and splendid" Games, there will be no long, large-scale performances. The number of performers has been cut from about 15,000 in 2008 to 3,000, with the length shortened to about 100 minutes due to cold weather and the COVID-19 pandemic.

As the chief director, Zhang and his team have been preparing for the opening ceremony together with the performers over the past two and a half years. He will become the first man to direct both Summer and Winter Games ceremonies.

Zhang also shared the differences between the openings of Beijing 2008 and Beijing 2022. "The opening ceremony of Beijing 2008 focused on letting more people know about traditional Chinese culture, while the opening ceremony of Beijing 2022 will be about the spirit and ideas shared by all mankind and about the community with a shared future for mankind. This reflects cultural confidence, and together we as a global family are looking forward to the shared future."

Yiannis Exarchos, CEO of Olympic Broadcasting Services (OBS) who saw the rehearsal, said that the opening ceremony of Beijing 2022 was "very different" from that of Beijing 2008 but "equally impressive".

From his last acclaimed film "Cliff Walkers" (2021) to the upcoming "Snipers" and the Winter Olympics, the backdrops of all three contain snow and ice elements. Zhang joked he has bonded with the winter.

After the Olympics, Zhang has new territory to conquer, the world of TV. The latest news suggests that his small screen debut will be based on "Protagonist," an award-winning novel by Chen Yan about a leading Shaanxi Opera star's life, her ups and downs and struggles.

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