2020 Asian New Talent Award official selection LIKE FATHER AND SON to be released nationwide tomorrow

Supervised by the screenwriter Lu Wei and directed by the young director Bai Zhiqiang, the light road comedy LIKE FATHER AND SON will be officially released nationwide tomorrow. The film tells the heart-warming story between the truck driver "Gou Ren" and the left-behind child "Maodou". It was among the official selection of the 23rd Shanghai International Film Festival (SIFF) Asian New Talent Award in 2020.

Ultimate poster of LIKE FATHER AND SON

LIKE FATHER AND SON is the first feature film directed by Bai Zhiqiang. Before that, he had been engaged in the making of documentaries, which also makes the film full of unique documentary vibes. The director called it "awfully realistic". It was also due to documentary making that the director met the producer Lu Wei. "In terms of film production and study, Mr. Lu Wei is my master," said the director, explaining that Mr. Lu Wei mainly provided him with suggestions for revising the script and lines. When the third draft of the script just came out, Mr. Lu Wei replied: “The characters are grounded in life, and that will go a long way", which gave Bai much confidence. Being "awfully realistic", and with its discussion of social issues and humanistic care, LIKE FATHER AND SON was shortlisted for the official selection of Asian New Talent Award at the 23rd SIFF. It  was later shown at the FIRST International Film Festival, Beijing International Film Festival, Silk Road International Film Festival and other festivals and exhibitions, and was among the top 10 new Chinese-language films at the 6th Cinephile Prize.

Shanghai International Film Festival 2020

LIKE FATHER AND SON post-screening meeting

LIKE FATHER AND SON used an "all-amateur" cast. In the film, the left-behind child Maodou is played by Bai Zeze, a boy selected from the local village "through audition", and the truck driver Gou Ren, played by Hui Wangjun, is a taxi driver. It took five years for the movie to develop from an idea to being released, with the script going through 12 revisions, and the production process full of twists and turns, just to present the "awful reality".

At the press briefing of the 2020 SIFF, the director Bai Zhiqiang, a northern Shaanxi native, shared his various hardships and gains from project approval, casting, financing, to the completion of the filming. In order for the filming to go smoothly, the director ran around to raise funds, and even took his children's gift money for the Chinese New Year. Fortunately, he was supported by the cast and crew and friends inside and outside the industry.

The film will be released nationwide on February 25. It is believed that after the "main-course blockbusters" in the Spring Festival season, this distinctive low-budget film will be an "enjoyable and refreshing side dish" to the audience.

The 23rd Shanghai International Film Festival 2020

Asian New Talent Award official selection

LIKE FATHER AND SON press briefing