YanJian
Reporter: When did you come across this story?
Ye Yuan: I received the script in the spring of 2008. When I finished reading it, it was one or two o’clock in the morning, but I couldn’t stop thinking about it, so I read it again. I remember I read it three times that night. I was really moved by my character’s kindness, and, more importantly, his selfless generosity. Yongcheng’s story is actually inspired from a real person, Zhigang Zuo. I heard about him a long time ago. I felt that although I never suffered as much as he did, and I am younger and more inexperienced than he was, there is common ground between us. We both believe in truthfulness, compassion and tolerance. So even though there were great challenges in playing this role, I was confident, because my heart could connect with it.
Reporter: What can you tell us about Zhigang Zuo’s story?
Ye Yuan: Zhigang Zuo was an outstanding young man from Shijiazhuang, China. He was arrested just before his wedding, and taken to the police office where he was beaten to death, because he believed in Falun Gong and lived his life according to truthfulness, compassion and tolerance, Falun Gong’s core principles.
Reporter: Sounds like the film is a tragedy?
Ye Yuan: It sounds like a tragedy, but I would rather not consider it a story that is tragic inside out, because it brings us hope. It’s usually hard for me to burst into tears, but the first time I finished reading the script and when I watched the preview of the film, tears were pouring down my eyes, because this film shows what Chinese society is really like. The CCP persecutes more than just Yongcheng Zheng, Falun Gong, other spiritual groups, the mass media, democracy activists, etc. To reach political objectives the CCP can persecute any Chinese people. However, up to this day, there are more than 50 million people that have quit the CCP. Tomorrow, the number will be up to 60 million, and 70 million. Quitting the CCP is creating a steady and irreversible push towards freedom, and that is the hope of China. So, as I said, although the story moved me to tears, it is also a beacon of hope. The film will help people understand the indestructible will of the protagonists. I’ve been away from Mainland China for 7 years now. My experience tells me that Western society enjoys human rights and freedom. We can practice Falun Gong freely here. I believe one day China will definitely embrace the happiness it knew before communism, and I believe this moment is not too far away.
Reporter: How long did you stay in Japan altogether?
Ye Yuan: Around 11 days.
Reporter: Shooting everyday?
Ye Yuan: Yes. We were busy shooting everyday. I remember the director sent someone to pick me up at the airport. I was told the shooting was in progress at a park, and that I had to be in front of the camera in one or two hours. From that point on, we were kept busy shooting. I want to take this opportunity to thank all crew members. The actors are in front of the screen, but behind the screen are those who work quietly and diligently, and who deserve more thanks.
Reporter: Which was the toughest scene to do?
Ye Yuan: I think it’s the scene in the park. It is the moment when the CCP begins to persecute Falun Gong, and nobody knows what will happen in the future. Yongcheng knows his belief in truthfulness, compassion and tolerance was framed up as “bad” by the CCP. His heart is heavy because he doesn’t know how to face his fiancée. He’s thinking of how to be responsible to her via their upcoming wedding, and how not to impose a burden on her. His mentality, his deep affection, and his sophisticated emotion were what I tried to master and demonstrate all the way while I was acting.
Reporter: Can you tell me how you interpret the emotion you felt for your fiancée?
Ye Yuan: The characters grew up together, so I consider her as a younger sister who should never be hurt by anything. She was a most cherished younger sister. This was the mentality. When the persecution against people of my faith begins, how can I balance it? My mind loses its calm, and becomes worried. Unfortunately, the director did not give me a lot of lines, so I had to develop a deep understanding of it. It was indescribable and the most difficult one to interpret.
Reporter: What was the most unforgettable aspect of the entire shooting process?
Ye Yuan: It has to do with the director. The shooting process went well, that is, we always had the weather we expected. One day I was practicing my lines, and I suddenly couldn’t find the director. It turned out she had fallen asleep in an open area behind a sofa. I suddenly realized that she hadn’t slept for two or three days. In fact, she had very little sleep for a long while, because even before I arrived she had flown from United States to Japan for the preparations, and shot several scenes. The people that were not part of a scene were able to take a rest, but the director had to stay awake to plan and manage the shooting. For many days and many nights she worked at that rhythm. At that moment, not only I, but all the crew members were moved to see her sleeping there. We became more confident. Everyone tried his best to cooperate with the others, and the shooting moved on in this touching atmosphere.
Reporter: What is your last scene in the movie?
Ye Yuan: It is the scene with Yongcheng’s family.
Reporter: Had you met the actors that play Yongcheng’s parents before?
Ye Yuan: No.
Reporter: How did that go?
Ye Yuan: We felt as if we were one family. In my opinion, we were all pursuing the same beautiful thing, which made us “meet as strangers”¹ as if we had known each other for a long time. Staying with them helped me develop a sense of affection, which I used in the scene.
Reporter: Thank you very much for accepting this interview. Is there anything you would like to say to the audience?
Ye Yuan: A lot of people will see this film, and thank you for your high expectations. A short while ago, the theme song “Open and Poised” was published on the official web site of the Shenzhou Film Studio. The total number of clicks has gone up to 100,000, so I would like to thank everyone for their interest. Zhigang Zuo’s story moved us, and he continues to live in our hearts. He’s one among thousands of Falun Gong practitioners that are being persecuted by the CCP. How can Falun Dafa practitioners face such persecution with a very dignified and calm heart? It’s hard for many people to understand. How exactly are Falun Gong practitioners any different from average good people? A lot of people will see the film with this question in mind, and I think the film will provide an answer.
I was a student at the Beijing Broadcasting Institute (now called Communication University of China), where we often discussed acting techniques. I think that technique is important for an excellent actor, but “being real” is what’s most impressive and will eventually move the audience. I am also a practitioner of Falun Gong, and I believe the audience will feel a real Yongcheng when they see the film.
¹This is a famous Chinese poem that means, “We have the same feeling, and we will understand each other when we meet even though we are strangers.”
http://www.shenzhoufilm.com/sz/en/2009/03/24/a10042.html 2009-3-24 12:20