Film director Zhang Yimou said yesterday he was very confident of a successful opening ceremony for the Beijing Olympics in August.
"The mass rehearsals for the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympic Games, which involves more than 10,000 people, are going well," Zhang said before attending the First Session of the 11th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), which started yesterday in the capital.
Zhang is in charge of designing the opening and closing ceremonies for the Games.
He said he felt "regret" over Hollywood director Steven Spielberg's recent withdrawal from the Olympics as its artistic advisor.
But Spielberg's decision will not have any influence on the ceremonies, Zhang said.
The American movie director was appointed artistic advisor by the Beijing Organizing Committee for the 2008 Olympics in April 2006, and became involved with the opening and closing ceremonies of the event, together with Zhang and Ric Rirch, the Australian director behind ceremonies at the Sydney Games in 2000.
Spielberg quit last month, citing concerns over the humanitarian crisis in Darfur, which he linked to the Chinese government.
（英语点津 Celene 编辑）
About the broadcaster:
Bernice Chan is a foreign expert at China Daily Website. Originally from Vancouver, Canada, Bernice has written for newspapers and magazines in Hong Kong and most recently worked as a broadcaster for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, producing current affairs shows and documentaries.
