I'm Not Afraid of Audience Forgetting, Interview with Director Wang Baoqiang: Filming a Movie in 6 Years | Wang Baoqiang | Director
"Wang Baoqiang doesn't make comedies anymore, who will watch the movie? And with Wang Baoqiang as the director, right?" Sitting in front of the reporter, Wang Baoqiang was wearing a yellow T-shirt with the title "In an Octagonal Cage" printed on it. His voice was slightly raised, with a self deprecating humor. "At that time, no one was willing to cast. After the first film, there was a lot of questioning, and whether I could do it well was a big question mark." As he spoke, he drew a big question mark in the air with his hands.
Wang Baoqiang, born in 1982, celebrated his lunar birthday. On June 16th, his self written and directed film "In an Octagonal Cage" was screened at the Shanghai International Film Festival. It was on the 29th day of the fourth lunar month, his birthday. Without enough time to celebrate his birthday, he first went to Bilibili to "sweep the floor", and then ran 11 consecutive roadshows without stopping. The advanced viewing where the reporter was, the interaction between the production team and the live audience was still not satisfactory. The host reminded that it was time. It is interesting that in order to "get stuck", the host rushed to the next scene first, while Wang Baoqiang stayed at the scene, waiting for a young audience member learning martial arts to come on stage and "gesture" a few moves. "After the Shanghai Film Festival, on the 18th, I will return to my hometown Hebei for a roadshow, running through several important cities along the way. The last stop will be back in Sichuan, which is very important to me," said Wang Baoqiang.
The interview will take place at 11:30 am on June 17th. "Forty without confusion" may have been verified by Wang Baoqiang. During the interview, he often mentioned a phrase, "Age has arrived.". Because of his age, he hopes that the audience will mention "Wang Baoqiang", no longer just the image of a comedian, "what I want to express myself is different from before.".
"In the Octagonal Cage" is the second film directed and starred by Wang Baoqiang. The previous work was 2017's "Make a fuss in India". That year, the director's debut work suffered a defeat, and Wang Baoqiang was named the "Most Disappointing Director" at the 9th Golden Broom Awards. An even more impressive interlude is the appearance of Wang Baoqiang at the award ceremony.
Until today, when he came to the Shanghai Film Festival with his second director's work, he did not hesitate to discuss it, whether it was questions from fans after the screening or interviews with reporters.
"At that time, I was young and reckless, and a newborn calf was not afraid of tigers. I was grateful for the shortcomings of the first film, as well as for the audience who walked into the cinema at that time. They spent money watching it, but the movie did not meet their expectations, and I accepted criticism." Wang Baoqiang said, "I disappointed the audience at that time, and I felt very guilty and very sorry for them. I said I would definitely make a good movie for the audience in the future, and if I said it, I would do it. So I let go of everything and did it in six years. I believe that after watching it, the audience will feel that I have fulfilled my previous promise."
In the conversation with Wang Baoqiang, "audience" is a high-frequency term. "The audience walked into the cinema because they supported Wang Baoqiang. I want to tell them through the movie that Wang Baoqiang is trustworthy."
From script preparation to finalization, and finally to the deadline of July 6th this year, "In the Octagonal Cage" has gone through 6 years, which is a relatively low-key period for Wang Baoqiang. The movie tells the story of the battlefield owner Xiang Tenghui, who, out of compassion, takes in a group of orphans and changes their lives and destinies by teaching them fighting knowledge. It also experiences misunderstandings and doubts from external public opinion, and even devastating blows.
"I have read so many scripts, and this story is a rare opportunity that heaven has given me." In Wang Baoqiang's view, this is the power of real-life works. "I came up step by step from the bottom, and I understand the meaning of struggle. Everyone has difficulties, especially how to break their own cage and get out. Movies are not only about a group of children, but also about how middle-aged men can overcome their own difficulties."
Wang Xun plays Wang Feng
In "The Octagonal Cage," Wang Baoqiang plays the role of battlefield boss Xiang Tenghui. The entire film was shot in Sichuan dialect, and to some extent, he wanted to eliminate the shadow of "Wang Baoqiang" from this character. "When speaking Mandarin, people's impression is that Wang Baoqiang or 'Baobao'. He admits that he doesn't have language talent, but the Sichuan dialect in the film is spoken very well.". "I sometimes struggle to speak Mandarin. When filming 'Detective Chinatown', I couldn't open my mouth or speak at first. Only with breakthroughs in various aspects of language can I break the audience's previous understanding of Wang Baoqiang."
In order to showcase the middle-aged feeling of Xiang Tenghui, Wang Baoqiang deliberately gained 30 pounds and watched as he gradually gained weight. His abdominal muscles gradually changed from six to one, surpassing the "bottom line" of his previous figure. This is also a first time for him, who has never gained weight since elementary school martial arts. "The feeling of watching his abdominal muscles gradually disappear is very bad. Just like language, you need to act realistically. Xiang Tenghui is the native of that place." However, as the movie finished, Wang Baoqiang, who appeared in front of the reporter, has regained his previous figure.
For the sake of authenticity, the young actors in the film are all local amateur actors from Sichuan. "These children are like blank sheets of paper, only when they appear will you believe that everything is true. It's not like finding a local child to act, even if they put on makeup and change clothes, they haven't lived in the mountains, it's not like that. Watching movies, you'll find that these children have a strong sense of power, and their eyes and every detail are sincerely emitted." Wang Baoqiang remembers that it took a long time just to find the little actor. "At that time, I said the child couldn't find it and couldn't turn on the machine. Then I ran all over the place, at an altitude of four or five kilometers, and after I went up, I had to inhale oxygen, feeling like my brain was going to explode."
Coming from a grassroots background and struggling all the way, Wang Baoqiang sometimes seems to have seen himself when he sees the group of children in the film. He likes a phrase in the film: "Born like wild grass, indomitable.". "When filming 'In an Octagonal Cage', I hope to tell everyone that the direction of the future depends on oneself. Just like Xiang Tenghui, as an elder, he has done his best, but standing on the arena, winning or losing is not something he can control. Children need to rely on their own efforts and challenges."
As the saying goes, "If you perform well, you will lead.". Regarding why he chose to become a director, Wang Baoqiang also mentioned the factor of "age". "As an actor to a certain extent, it is difficult to see a script that satisfies oneself. Secondly, the more you shoot, the harder it is to break through. As an actor, I am too passive and can only wait for others to come to me. I hope to be proactive, have a creative team, have my own expression, and satisfy myself when others are not satisfied."
Obviously, 41 year old Wang Baoqiang doesn't want to just play a role that is effortless. He certainly enjoys the expression of comedy, and "In the Octagonal Cage" also has some clever comedy elements; But he wants to express himself beyond comedy.
Wang Baoqiang told reporters that he has confidence in "The Octagonal Cage". "I have watched it many times, just like my own child, it looks good no matter how I watch it. So I always reflect on myself, is it too deep? Or is it always' self congratulating '?" He smiled, "I remind myself to step out and evaluate this movie appropriately and rationally. This is a very down-to-earth movie, and I believe that every scene, including the actors' sense of immersion, will make you feel a kind of magic during the viewing process." This is a movie that he has put in sincerity, and he also hopes that the audience can feel sincerity. ".
"The audience is extremely important in my heart. If the audience likes my movies and praises my performance, I will have food to eat. You must respect the audience and not let them down." Wang Baoqiang said, "I am not afraid that the audience will forget, but I am afraid that there will be no good works. The audience will never leave anyone, as long as you have good works."
When the reporter asked him how to score "In the Octagonal Cage," Wang Baoqiang's answer was "conscience score.". Regardless of the score, he hopes that the score given by the audience is a genuine evaluation from the heart.
