Hu Ge: Being caught off guard in the face of life is a worthwhile trip | Liu Jiayin | Hu Ge
"On July 13, 2021, after reading the script sent to me by Teacher Cao Baoping, Hu Ge and the director added us on WeChat. I saw a topic we usually avoid - death - in the script of 'Not Void This Journey'. Eastern culture is not willing to face death, so people are not very prepared, and death caught people off guard. I have a similar experience."
"This Journey is Not in vain" is produced by Cao Baoping, written and directed by Liu Jiayin, starring Hu Ge, Wu Lei and Qi Xi, and starring Bai Ke. The movie tells the story of an ordinary screenwriter named Wen Shan who falls behind and begins to make a living by writing eulogy. Through his encounters with various ordinary people, Wen Shan comforts others and gains warmth, ultimately finding his own direction in life.
"Some characters, I can imagine what they look like, but for Wen Shan, I can only see his back and not his face. It wasn't until filming that I watched the big monitor for the first time, and it was Hu Ge's play of Wen Shan returning home, where I saw Wen Shan's face." At the media conference on June 10th for "A Fair Trip," Liu Jiayin said, "In my contact with Hu Ge, Wen Shan gradually became more concrete. After leaving from me, he 'stole' Wen Shan."
In 2019, Liu Jiayin brewed "A Fair Journey", and Cao Baoping commented that "the theme, perspective, and expression theme have her consistent connotation." As an associate professor in the Department of Literature at Beijing Film Academy, Liu Jiayin has rich career experience. In 2005, she wrote, directed, and starred in the drama film "Cowhide", which won the Fei Bi Xi International Film Critic Award at the 55th Berlin International Film Festival Youth Forum Unit. In 2009, she wrote, directed, and starred in the drama film "Cowhide 2", which won the Film Critic and Audience Choice Awards at the Seoul Digital Film Festival.
Liu Jiayin has not been filming for many years and has written the script for "A Fair Journey". She is 41 years old. "My creation is closely related to the stages of life, and the script is a summary of my life and personal experience." Liu Jiayin often goes to Babaoshan and the zoo. "In Babaoshan, I think about what I can do. People living in the city need to confide, and Wen Shan is a listener. He is one of the few people in the city who walk slowly without running, feeling the world in his own way, both confused and confused."
Liu Jiayin wanted to prove with "A Fair Journey" that ordinary people can also be protagonists. "I am close to words, and words are a good tool and safe zone for introverted people. They are a way to accurately express themselves, which gave rise to Wen Shan, who wrote eulogy. Wen Shan was nurtured in years of agony and doubt."
Liu Jiayin said that "This Journey is not a movie about a profession, but about regret, joy, and subtle relationships between people." Finding answers to questions and one's own position, and finding ways to emotionally and life situations. Wen Shan's introversion is not uncommon, and many of my colleagues are introverted. Their feelings about the world are different from those of those around them. "
On September 20th, 2021, on his birthday, Hu Ge asked Liu Jiayin on WeChat when "This Journey is Not in vain" would start. "My mother passed away in 2019, and I didn't have the courage to face it. Wen Shan has always healed and warmed me, and I have transitioned between him and the people he has healed. Funeral homes have experienced a lot of life and death, and the people in them have a different understanding of life than ordinary people."
On March 7, 2022, "The Journey to China" was launched. In the past, when filming movies and TV dramas, Hu Ge used to find specific characters as performance references for his characters. Wen Shan faced his biggest challenge. "In the first two months, I couldn't find any specific reference characters, and I felt a bit insecure and couldn't really get close to Wen Shan. Later on, I no longer hesitated, even if I couldn't find them, I really hoped for such people to exist. When I got close to Wen Shan, I found that we were quite similar. I didn't have the outgoing and sunny personality I thought I had, and I had some social anxiety. I crossed the hurdle."
"The meaning of a eulogy is not words. Wen Shan is listening, communicating, and helping the living slowly face the facts." Hu Ge said, "'This is not a waste of time' is a play with great momentum. After more than a year of filming, I was still very moved by the later subtitles. In the subtitle list, some staff members are not here, and participating in 'This is not a waste of time' is not a waste of time."
Wu Lei and Hu Ge collaborated three times to play Xiao Yin in "The Journey to the West". "This is a warm and healing story that is difficult to grasp, landing but not landing. Hu Ge and I have unified but not unified performances, and we have learned a lot." Qi Xi played Shao Jinsui, who is a carefree and innocent girl who breaks into Wen Shan's home. "Shao Jinsui has made me more cheerful. If I have something to say, I will do it whenever I think. Shooting" The Journey to the West "is like returning to college, always smiling. Teacher Cao Baoping, director Liu Jiayin, and Hu Ge are all very energetic."
Bai Ke, who played Pan Congcong, immediately agreed to play the role after receiving the script for "This Journey is Not Worth It". "The script is very good. Pan Congcong and my Beijing friends are very similar, talkative, warm-hearted, and helpful. It's great to have such friends in life." To play Pan Congcong well, Bai Ke went to a funeral home for the first time to experience life. "It enriched my life experience, and the staff were younger than me, full of sunshine, like a university campus. The day I went there, they were filming a promotional video, very enthusiastic and talkative. Don't wear colored glasses on the funeral home."
