Golden Goblet Awards Main Competition Film | A MAN AND A WOMAN: What Happens in a Brief Encounter in a Specific Setting

On the afternoon of June 19, the film A MAN AND A WOMAN, nominated for the Golden Goblet Awards at this year’s Shanghai International Film Festival, held a cast meet-and-greet, attended by director Guan Hu, producer Liang Jing, and lead actor Huang Bo, who engaged in discussions about how the film was conceived and behind-the-scenes stories in a lively atmosphere.

A story born from casual chats

The film A MAN AND A WOMAN tells the story of a chance encounter in a strange land. A MAN AND A WOMAN coincidentally meet in Hong Kong while both are on layover, staying at the same hotel while waiting to enter Chinese Mainland. Through various coincidences, a rooftop terrace becomes their sanctuary where, amidst the vibrant life of Hong Kong, they lean on each other and confide in each other, finding a brief encounter that provides solace for their souls.

This film marks the 12th collaboration between director Guan Hu and lead actor Huang Bo, who came together again due to their casual conversations with producer Liang Jing. Over the years of working together, they have continuously refined their collaboration and their understanding of filmmaking has gradually aligned, giving birth to this warm-hearted film.

“The starting point of this story is that the world is made up of men and women who together form a entire whole," Guan Hu explained about his initial inspiration. He hoped to take a camera and randomly pick out two people from the crowds, seeing what they truly experience in adversity and how they express themselves. “It’s like two people burdened with difficulties, carrying heavy loads, or even suffering, meet on a mountain, sit down together to rest, and then climb together again.”

Huang Bo agreed with this sentiment, reflecting on his long collaboration with Guan Hu by saying, “It used to be like waves crashing, but now it may be more like undercurrents.” As time passes, his feelings about life have changed significantly, and at this moment, creating a film that leaves a lingering and profound impression is very important to him. “After working with Guan Hu so many times, I feel that our lives as creators should have a punctuation mark like the story in A MAN AND A WOMAN.”

Compared to their previous works, Guan Hu hopes this film “will have 80% emotional content and 20% rational design”. To highlight the film’s realism, Huang Bo deliberately avoided using too many acting techniques, opting instead for a more lifelike portrayal of his character. He also praised his co-star Ni Ni for her “very precise and brilliant” performance, who, just like him, didn’t rely heavily on techniques, but rather directly conveyed and reflected emotions, which he found very admirable.

“In fact, this is a realistic and interesting film that presents trivialities encountered in daily life with myriad moments of empathy,” Liang Jing shared her feelings as both a producer and an actress. The film deliberately portrays the imperfect “man and woman” because everyone is imperfect in reality, and this imperfection reflects the strength and resilience of people in various life challenges.

“Humanity” beyond gender is at the core

Guan Hu admitted that despite his tall and strong appearance, he actually has a soft, fragile, and sensitive side. These aspects are rarely shown to the audience, so A MAN AND A WOMAN is a new challenge for him in the emotional realm. Liang Jing jokingly said, “Many people who watch this film can’t believe it was directed by Guan Hu.”

Different from the associations that may arise from the title, this film does not focus on the gender traits of men and women or the emotional relationship between the two protagonists. Instead, it is a story about “two lonely and exhausted souls” meeting and about “humanity” reflected upon the encounter the two in a specific setting. The team of creators transformed emotional fragments into artistic expressions during the filming process, with an attempt to address the initial questions they cared about: when two random strangers meet in a specific environment, they may find it easier to open up emotionally.

Guan Hu set this “specific environment” in Hong Kong when conceptualizing the film, attracted by its cultural temperament. He emphasized, “It could be set elsewhere, but the story wouldn’t work.” Because “Hong Kong is not just a backdrop in this story, but a character, providing great help, energy, and warmth to people in distress.” Hong Kong, composed of numerous ordinary people, brings strength to the two protagonists in adversity, with cultural differences and shared feelings. This “myriad of worldly situations” is what Guan Hu finds interesting and meaningful.