Chinese famous movie director Zhang Yimou is the best choice for the opening
ceremony of the Beijing Olympic Games, said an Olympic specialist on ceremonies
on Tuesday.
Scott Givens, experienced in the visionary aspects from work for five Olympic
Games and two Pan American Games in the past 20 years, expressed his confidence
in China's best-known director in delivering an "extraordinary opening ceremony"
in 2008.
"I love his movies. I know Zhang. He is a wonderful man. With a strong team
behind him, China could not be in better hands in operating the opening
ceremony," he said.
Zhang was named chief director for the Olympic opening and closing ceremonies
in April. BOCOG unveiled a high-profile creation team with Hollywood movie maker
Stephen Spielberg, internationally renowned filmmaker Ang Lee and China's senior
IOC member He Zhenliang among the culture and art consultants.
Compared with the eight-minute performance in the closing ceremony in Athens
two years ago, Givens believed the opening ceremony would give Zhang more room
to display the depth of Chinese culture.
"As a foreigner, I like it very much. But I can understand that why it was
not received very well among some Chinese," Givens referred to the performance
featuring red lanterns, Beijing Opera, Chinese girls in mini-skirt playing
traditional Chinese instruments.
"It is a very challenging thing to do the creative because in the eight
minutes you have the aspiration of a country but China has 5,000 years of
history," he said.
"In the opening ceremony, you have much more time. I think what you see in
the opening ceremony will be great," he said.
