2020-07-30

Golden Goblet Official Selection---Back to the Wharf

As an official selection of Golden Goblet Award of the 23rd SIFF, Back to the Wharf, directed by Li Xiaofeng and produced by Huang Bo, premiered today at Shanghai Film Art Center. This film is a crime movie, implying that beneath the "calm" surface lies the billows. Invited to be the executive producer, Huang Bo has been deeply involved in this film since the script stage. At the meeting today, Huang said with a smile that this was the first film that he took part in the filming but never showed up, so for him, it\'s also a film with unique significance.

This film tells the story that Song Hao, an 18-year-old senior student in high school, accidentally kills a guy and then wanders far from home; 15 years later, he hurries back for a funeral, but discovers the truth. Having performed well in Dying to Survive and other works in recent years, Zhang Yu played the leading role Song Hao and said that Song was the most miserable character he had ever played, "I was so sad in the filming that I even asked the director, \'Why do you write such a miserable character? Is your life so tragic?" As for his doubts, Li Xiaofeng explained, "In fact, this character is very kind, but a kind person might not always get the fairest treatment in the world. His power may sometimes be weak, but in my mind, Song Hao was so warm and kind."

Faced with such a role, Zhang Yu revealed his idea that "I want to play Song Hao like a black hole", "Because when coming back 15 years later, he does not respond to the external stimuli himself, his shell is too hard outside, and inside, he is always punishing himself, even the light will be sucked in." Producer Huang Bo praised Zhang\'s performance, saying, "Zhang Yu uses the subtraction more this time, very smart, but strengthens the inner strength of this character."

In this film, Song Jia plays Pan Xiaoshuang, who gives Song Hao warmth and healing. Huang revealed that at first he didn\'t think Song Jia was suitable for the role. "I think she is too strong, and this role should be more of an innocent woman." Song Jia disagreed and believed that the role should be shaped, and she finally proved herself with her strength. After watching the whole film, Huang had to throw in the towel, "I was feeling like I\'ve been slapped in the face."

Song Jia admitted that she was not confident enough when seeing the script at first, but decided to accept this role after knowing that Zhang Yu had been cast, "Mainly to meet and contact him". Later, both of them found their collaboration was "pretty well", Zhang Yu said Song Jia was like an angel to him in this film, "melting Song Hao\'s hard shell, like a lonely man warmed by a fire".

Back to the Wharf challenges a time span of more than ten years, mixes the crime, suspense and other genre elements together, and explores the dilemma between individual interests and conscience under the tide of the times; the plot is far from the "placid" surface, director Li mentioned the reason for such a seemingly "deceptive" name was that the movie story itself had a strong power and was turbulent, "Such a name may form a tension with the plot".

At the end of the meeting, Li Xiaofeng expressed his special thanks to the SIFF, where we witnessed almost all his blessings, "I got the venture capital here for my first film Ne Zha, which was later a finalist for the Asian New Talent Award; again, Back to the Wharf has become the selection of Golden Goblet Award of the 23rd SIFF, and I\'m particularly overjoyed for me and for the film itself."