On August 12, the first Red Bull Open-Air Cinema was held at the Flag-Raising Square in the Olympic Village.
BMX bike stunt performance
On November 18, 2012, Chinese sailing hero Guo Chuan set sail alone from his hometown Qingdao aboard the "Qingdao" boat. During the 138-day arduous voyage, he crossed the equator, passed Cape Horn and the Cape of Good Hope, and finally returned to Qingdao through the Sunda Strait in Indonesia, covering a total distance of 21,600 nautical miles. He not only became the first Chinese to complete a non-stop solo global circumnavigation but also set a world record for a non-stop solo circumnavigation in a 40-foot sailboat.
The documentary "Odyssey Voyage" condenses Guo Chuan’s 138-day epic journey into a 40-minute film. Before Guo Chuan set off, the film’s producer, Red Bull, installed six mini cameras at various angles on the boat. Guo Chuan, serving as a “part-time photographer,” used the camera to document this thrilling global voyage during the journey. Without the documentary "Odyssey Voyage," it would be hard to imagine what scenes Guo Chuan experienced during those 138 days: changing seasons, raging winds and waves, constantly malfunctioning equipment, numerous life-threatening moments, and a gradually haggard face due to prolonged lack of proper rest.
Director Zhang Miao of "Odyssey Voyage" and Guo Chuan recall the filmmaking process together.
At the premiere, Guo Chuan watched the documentary in its entirety for the first time and shared his experiences from those 138 days with the audience. Seeing himself in the film gave Guo Chuan a sense of being in a different world. "During the voyage, I felt that city life was unreal, while every moment at sea was real; but after coming ashore, those 138 days felt very unreal." Guo Chuan said, "Today, when I watch this film, I’m transported back to those 138 days, with mixed emotions. When watching from the audience, I sometimes feel like the person in the film is someone else."
As Guo Chuan said, "Odyssey Voyage" brought him back to those days of battling nature alone at sea. The "Qingdao" had a close call with the powerful typhoon "Bopha" right after departure; in the equatorial doldrums, it remained almost stationary for days unable to move forward; the small jib, small genoa, and large genoa were all damaged at different times, with the large genoa even suddenly breaking and falling into the sea one night, forcing Guo Chuan to spend over an hour retrieving the over 100-square-meter sail in the pitch-dark sea. One of the most thrilling experiences was on the first day of 2013, when Guo Chuan climbed the six-story mast to cut away the remnants of the previously broken large genoa. "Normally, I should have contacted the support team before climbing the mast, but I made an exception today," Guo Chuan said in the film, "because I wanted to make sure I could get down safely." Mast climbing is one of the most skill- and courage-demanding tasks on a boat, and doing it alone without teammates greatly increases the danger—any slight misstep could lead to disaster.
Guo Chuan shares his global circumnavigation experience on-site.
"Global circumnavigation requires not just skill and physical strength, but most importantly, the mind," Guo Chuan said on-site. "The key is to solve and handle problems calmly and promptly when they arise." In the film "Odyssey Voyage," although the calm and beautiful scenery is enticing, the scenes of fierce winds and towering waves are truly frightening. On January 28, Guo Chuan sailed near the Andes Mountains and encountered a local weather phenomenon—a sudden increase in wind speed from 10 to 30 knots within five minutes. At that time, the "Qingdao" was like a wild horse out of control, at risk of suffering significant damage. "I chose a wrong method to resolve it at the time, letting the genoa wrap around the forestay to instantly release pressure and avoid more serious consequences," Guo Chuan recalled afterward. "This was based on my regular training and understanding of the boat, allowing me to think quickly in emergencies."
Although it was a solo voyage, Guo Chuan also encountered “others” during the journey. During the stagnant days in the equatorial doldrums, Guo Chuan met fishermen from New Guinea. Seeing their worn-out clothes, Guo Chuan gave them his own warm clothing. But when passing through the Sunda Strait in Indonesia, he encountered not so kind people. At that time, Guo Chuan’s sailboat was entangled in fishing nets. While he was dealing with the stubborn nets, local pirates approached in a fishing boat attempting to rob him. Fortunately, Guo Chuan managed to free the nets and sail away, though the stern of the boat was still hit and deformed. Thankfully, no one was injured. "My first reaction was, ‘I’ve survived storms and huge waves, only to nearly capsize in a ditch!’" Though Guo Chuan laughed when describing this dangerous encounter, the situation at the time nearly ended his entire voyage.
Host interacts with Guo Chuan on-site.
During the on-site interview, Guo Chuan also coined a new English word, "Seaduction" (from the English "seduction" meaning temptation, and "sea" meaning ocean), to describe his deep attachment and obsession with the sea. It would have been very difficult to endure those 138 days of “non-stop” sailing without this belief. "‘Non-stop’ may be just three words, but it’s actually a huge test. People often say work and rest should be balanced, but at sea, I had to stay in a state of high tension for long periods, sleeping only 20 minutes at a time, no more than four hours a day. This relentless state is an extreme challenge for anyone. Facing all the tough problems, I had to come up with solutions while in such a fatigued state—it was incredibly difficult," Guo Chuan said. From the film, we can see Guo Chuan’s condition gradually deteriorating; in the latter half of the voyage, his disheveled hair and increasingly haggard face, along with eyes that went from bright and spirited to somewhat dull, showed the toll.
Although unforgettable, "Odyssey Voyage" has become history. Guo Chuan also announced his short-term plans at the event. On August 30, Guo Chuan will go to London to receive the Guinness World Record certificate for the non-stop solo global circumnavigation in a 40-foot sailboat. After that, he will begin preparations and training for new projects: on December 31, 2014, Guo Chuan will participate in the Barcelona World Race; in the summer of 2015, Guo Chuan will embark on the challenge of the Northern Sea Route. He plans to depart from Europe, pass through Russia, then head north into the Arctic Ocean to complete the crossing. If successful, he will become the first person in the world to successfully conquer the Northern Sea Route.
Liu Jingmin, Vice Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference for Education, Science, Culture, Health and Sports, and Executive Vice President of the Beijing Olympic City Development Association, exchanges gifts with Guo Chuan on-site.
Band performs live to liven up the event.
After the excitement and emotion of the first day’s "Odyssey Voyage," the Red Bull Open-Air Cinema will present more films showcasing the charm of sports, human spirit, and a free-spirited lifestyle over the next six days. The documentary "Gate to Heaven," featuring wingsuit flying master Jeb Corliss flying through Zhangjiajie’s Tianmen Mountain, will premiere as the closing film on August 18. Xu Kai, China’s first wingsuit flyer, will be present to share his experience of flying. The Red Bull Open-Air Cinema, jointly organized by Red Bull and the Beijing Olympic City Development Association, is the first outdoor screening section set up at the Beijing International Sports Film Week. It will be open to the public from August 12 to 18, every evening from 18:00 to 21:00 at the Flag-Raising Square in the Beijing Olympic Village.