The Best Director

Since he had the opportunity to appear on television and had the time, Wang Yang readily accepted the invitation. However, he did not choose “A Date with Luyu,” having just recorded an episode last year. Aside from personal travel, he knew there would be plenty of chances to promote in China in the future, and it wouldn’t be too late to go on “A Date with Luyu” then. This time he wanted to try other programs, so he chose “Qian Qian San Ren Xing.”

In the simple yet elegantly arranged small studio, the direction of the cameras and recording equipment was set upon a round table covered with a white tablecloth. Wang Yang, who had just arrived at the filming site, was shaking hands and getting to know the host Dou Wentao and guest host Liang Wendao. Dou Wentao, wearing rimless glasses, smiled and said, “Mr. Wang, I have long admired your name. Your movies have the power to shake the soul.”

“Mr. Wang, I’ve long admired you.” Liang Wendao, with a crew cut and wearing black-framed glasses and black shirt and trousers, had a face full of scholarly air and a smile, said while shaking hands, “Your films have taught me a lot, meeting you today is really fortunate.” Wang Yang also smiled and said, “Mr. Liang, I’ve long admired you.”

Wang Yang knew the two hosts through the footage of “Qian Qian San Ren Xing” he had watched before. This talk show was very informal, it wasn’t just for the audience to listen, it was about chatting casually about a topic, and the wise and elegant Liang Wendao was particularly likable. After chatting briefly and getting to know each other, the three of them took their seats around the table. Today’s program topic was “Why Go to the Cinema?”

The extended topics included personal reasons, the significance of cinemas for individuals, the importance to the audience, and the growth of China’s box office, among other aspects.

“I rarely go to the cinemas now, always too lazy to leave home for convenience’s sake, but in my youth, that was a crazy time.”

Sitting on the left side of the table facing the camera, Liang Wendao looked at Wang Yang across from him and Dou Wentao in the middle, continuing, “I really miss those days. At that time, I would spend all my money to queue up for movies, then rush to watch five shows in a day. In the breaks, I just chewed on some bread bought with the few coins I had in my pocket, then went back to watching. It might sound tough, but looking back now, it feels incredible, oh!”

He revealed a smile and said, “But at that time, it really felt like being filled with happiness, very comfortable and cheerful. Why? Because of freedom.”

“Film scholar You Jing once wrote a very wonderful passage, which could not be better phrased. It goes something like this,” Liang Wendao picked up his teacup and took a sip, then stated, “Stepping into a cinema to watch a movie requires courage. Think about it, we sit in the same dark house with a group of strangers, witnessing all sorts of thrilling scenes on the screen. Maybe it makes us break into a cold sweat, or it moves us to tears, even makes our faces go red and ears hot.”

“Though invisible, can we not feel the gradually heavy breathing of our neighbors, that atmosphere of tension or sadness or excitement?”

Dou Wentao and Wang Yang both silently nodded, and Liang Wendao made a hand gesture as he continued, “The most cruel scenes of human life, the deepest secrets of the human heart… I saw them all in public. Without a remote, I can’t adjust the image and speed, can’t control the volume; I just sit passively among a bunch of strangers, then let the screen provoke and manipulate me, involuntarily laughing or crying, reminiscing, daydreaming… Doesn’t walking into a theater require courage?”

“Right,” Dou Wentao leaned forward slightly and said, “Many people, including myself, were very nervous the first time they went to a cinema, restless, with sweaty palms.” Wang Yang smiled and said, “Maybe I was just too young for my first time, I was four years old when I saw ‘The Emerald Forest,’ and I just thought it was very lively and fun.”

Dou Wentao grew up in Shijiazhuang, Hebei, in 1967; Liang Wendao was born in Hong Kong in 1970, grew up in Taiwan and then returned to Hong Kong for university; and Wang Yang grew up in San Francisco, America, in 1980. Naturally, their life experiences and perspectives were quite different.

“When I talk about freedom, it’s because of realism,” Liang Wendao continued his earlier thought, “Some films, they present the realities that fade and hide in everyday trivialities, boldly demonstrating the unpredictability of fate, the struggle of human nature… all laid bare before us. Watching films, especially good films, is like a brave act of recognizing one’s true self among a crowd.”

He concluded, “You feel your own true emotions deep inside, away from this vulgar society, from boredom and lies, from school, from expectations… it’s just you facing yourself, yet you’re also exposed in public. So going to the cinema to watch movies was a way for me to pursue freedom in my youth.”

“My adolescence…” Wang Yang said quirkyly, which was actually just 5 or 6 years earlier, but from the age of 12, he went on, “I mentioned I first went to a cinema when I was four, and then I fell in love with movies. Every weekend I would go to at least one film, rain or shine. Of course, if the weather was truly dreadful, I would just watch videotapes at home.”

“Maybe because of my different upbringing, I don’t really see the need for courage to go to a cinema. It’s a fascinating place, either you watch yours and I watch mine, and we don’t disturb each other, or it’s like a party, where everyone shares and feels together with the screen.”

Wang Yang laughed and spread his hands, “Why do those TV sitcoms always add in laugh tracks? Because when you’re watching TV alone or with just a few people at home, the atmosphere isn’t enough. Without those roaring laughs, sometimes you just can’t find it in yourself to laugh. That’s the herd effect, that kind of ambiance, that atmosphere. When a lot of people watch a movie together in a theater, laugh together, cry together, the movie becomes exceptionally good.”

“Then afterwards, even if you watch a movie by yourself at home, you’ll talk about it with friends, go online to rate it and write reviews, and look at other people’s comments and discussions… Why are blogs popular? It’s because there’s a desire to share, to express,” he continued.

When it came to being talkative, Wang Yang was certainly not afraid of anyone. After taking a sip of tea, he went on, “So I think the courage needed to step into a cinema is not just about facing oneself among the public, but also having the courage to share with others, the courage to express oneself.”

Dou Wentao and Liang Wendao both listened intently with serene expressions. After Wang Yang finished speaking, Liang Wendao nodded and said, “I totally agree. Back then, everything was very repressive. Whatever you said or did was repressed; it was only in the movie theater where one could find release.” Dou Wentao laughed, “Being in film or media, we all need that courage!” Liang Wendao immediately added, “Especially so, whether it’s writing articles, making films, or producing shows… you have to treat your own work seriously.” Wang Yang joked, “We are three warriors right now, aren’t we?”

The three of them laughed out loud, each picked up their cups and took a sip of tea to moisten their throats. Wang Yang continued, “I am in strong agreement with what Liang Wendao just mentioned. Movies allow people to escape from the world, from their own lives, leaving only emotions behind. Most of what’s on the screen, you can’t experience, no matter who you are, like science fiction, dinosaurs, horror… those are things we can’t access, but they exist on the screen, part of a vast world that we immerse ourselves in.”

“Human hearts, thought processes, that’s what I love about the rich and varied stories. I like my own life, but I also like the lives portrayed on the screen. Be it comedy or tragedy, whenever I watch a good movie, I become very happy,” Wang Yang added, “So going to the movies, for me as a teenager and even now, is a way to find happiness. I just hope to bring this joy to the audience.”

“Back then, we were just curious, wanting to catch up with trends, to understand the outside world.”

Then it was Dou Wentao’s turn, and he laughed as he spoke, “In the 80s, the mainland had just begun to import films from Hong Kong, Taiwan, and abroad. After all, those were much more appealing compared to the works of Zhang Yimou, Chen Kaige in their younger years. They would secretly bring in videotapes from Hong Kong and then a few people would hide out in a small room to watch. That’s Akira Kurosawa, that’s Anthony Oni….”

Wang Yang and Liang Wendao both wore calm expressions as Dou Wentao continued, “What I remember most is 1987, I was 20 years old and studying journalism at Wuhan University. That year, ‘Breakdance’ from America was introduced to the mainland and it drove many people crazy. Going to discos to dance became fashionable.”

He counted on the fingers of one hand, tapping his other palm, listing, “Schools, factories, large compounds… the bold ones would blast music from their cassette recorders, wearing parachute pants on the square attempting to dance; the timid ones would hide. At that time, greetings on the street were almost no longer with a wave of the hand but with breakdance moves. Then in ’88, Tian Zhuangzhuang shot ‘Rock Youth’, and it was sensational, shook the whole country! The lead actor, Tao Jin, became incredibly famous overnight, the ‘Breakdancing Prince’, China’s Michael Jackson…”

“Like the current Magic Yang, he was almost an idol to all the young people.” Dou Wentao let out a sigh of reminiscence, Wang Yang chuckled, and Liang Wendao laughed, “If I remember correctly, the Little Tigers were formed in ’88, right? Their dancing and singing truly captivated a lot of young girls.”

Listening to all this, even though the trend-setting scenarios were all quite similar, Wang Yang, not quite understanding, simply listened quietly.

However, this episode of ‘Qian Qian San Ren Xing’ was 60 minutes long and was broadcast in two parts. So Wang Yang’s desire to chat was still amply satisfied, and he discussed a great number of topics. Happy with the recording of the program, he also wrapped up his promotional tour in China.

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PS: Wow, keep those recommendation tickets coming!! (To be continued, for future story please visit . More chapters are available, support the author, support genuine reading!)