Rock star Cui says the crossover to film directing was not hard

Cui Jian is known as the “godfather” of Chinese rock music and his first feature film has a music theme.Pic by Qiu Yuecheng

Still of Blue Sky Bones

Rock singer and songwriter Cui Jian is making his directoral debut with Blue Sky Bones which is nominated for Best Film in the Asian New Talent Award at the 17th Shanghai International Film Festival.

Cui is known as the “godfather” of Chinese rock music and his first feature film has a music theme.

It tells the story of a young rock singer who also makes his living as a hacker and how a family joins in a song named Blue Sky Bones.

Cui and his team greeted the audience before yesterday\'s film festival screening of the film.

He said that it’s not hard for a rocker to make the crossover into film.

“Rock is also telling the story, so making the film was natural to me,” Cui said.

Award-winning Australian cinematographer Christopher Doyle, also known as Du Kefeng (his Chinese name), worked with Cui on the film.

“Working with an old friend, the emotion is very important,” Doyle said. “The music itself is also the characters.”

Blue Sky Bones had its global premiere at the 8th Rome Film Festival in 2013 and won the Special Jury Prize.