Editor's note: At 4:8 a.m. on May 9, 2022, "People's Artist" and "The Most Beautiful Struggler" Qin Yi passed away at Shanghai East China Hospital at the age of one hundred.
"If you live, you have to film. If you live, you won't back down." Qin Yi has many legends in her life. In her later years, she left a good story in Chinese movies when she filmed the film "Qinghai" written by herself on a plateau at an altitude of 3,800 meters at the age of 93. Lakeside".
She plays a meteorological engineer in the film, and she plays a 60-year-old character at the age of 93. The appearance on the screen completely fits the character's temperament and appearance, and there is no sense of disobedience. In the film, Tong Ruixin, the head of the Shanghai Film Actors Troupe who partnered with her in the film, became the last leading actor in Qin Yi's film career.
The following is the account of actor Tong Ruixin recalling Qin Yi.
Our generation grew up watching Mr. Qin Yi's films. "Women's Basketball No. 5", "Railway Guerrilla" and "Song of Youth" are all classic memories.
For me, the real contact with Teacher Qin started from public welfare activities. I used to host the Shanghai Public Welfare Micro Film Festival. At that time, I was not the head of the actor troupe. I went to Teacher Qin Yi and said that we were in the Office Yi Micro Film Festival, and it was not a big event. I asked her if she could participate. She answered me readily and said that as long as it is good for the movie and good for the society, she is willing to come.
Later, when I was the head of the troupe for many years, she helped me a lot. I always felt that I could talk to her if I had any difficulties, and she would always stand by your side. She was like a big tree in the troupe. So today the tree fell, and my whole person is still erratic.
Teacher Qin Yi is already a centenarian. We all knew that this day would come, but when the news came, we still couldn't accept it. It was too sudden, and there was too much reluctance.
Having been with her over the years, we can be considered relatively close people. Her affection for the troupe, especially after her son left, sometimes I even feel that it is no less important to her than home. We are like family, but the family will say that when there is a difficulty, she has never. She only asked me for one thing, that is, let me make the movie "Qinghai Lake" with him. So no matter what, I will definitely go.
After returning from Qinghai, Teacher Qin Yi's health was not so good. But I can especially understand her choice. Rather than live to be 120 years old with regrets, it is better to just do what you want to do. There are many old artists around me who still have the urge to create. They want to make another film or two in their lifetime, but the only one who can actually put them into action is Qin Yi at such an advanced age.
Today, her daughter called and said that she passed away peacefully. I think there is a reason for this peacefulness. She lived for herself in the rest of her life, and did a lot of things she wanted to do without any regrets.
"Qinghai Lakeside" is a work that embodies the spiritual strength of Mr. Qin Yi. At that time, Chinese movies were very impetuous, so Mr. Qin Yi told us, "I don't believe it, the audiences don't watch such movies now, why is it good? No one watched the movie?" She was really angry.
Although later, the box office of this film was not satisfactory, but the filming of such a film is a monument. You said what was the highest-grossing movie in 2015. Many people may not remember it, but people will remember that in that year, 93-year-old Qin Yi made a touching movie on a plateau at an altitude of 3,800 meters. To have such Chinese filmmakers is worthy of the pride of the Chinese film industry. She left us not only a movie, but also a spiritual treasure. Even more so for me personally.
Sometimes we say role model is a relatively empty word, but around her, I can really feel this kind of power. Later, when I became the head of an actor's troupe, I summed up this kind of power as a "beacon". Seniors are like a beacon, they just light you up and illuminate you.
We juniors may never reach the brilliance of the troupe seniors, but their beacons will always be our direction, letting us know that what we want to produce is a real cultural and spiritual product. It is another level, not utilitarian.
I always feel that Teacher Qin Yi loves movies and life more than we do, so she will devote her entire life process without reservation. She is a hard worker, and we sometimes work with her, but we can't beat her. Participating in activities together, when the plane landed, I haven't slowed down yet. She can tell us immediately what she is doing in Beijing, and we are all shocked. How can this happen? Maybe the old man has a sense of urgency to do more meaningful things than us, not necessarily a major event, but she always wants to be more involved.
I remember one time I went to see her at East China Hospital during the Chinese New Year, but she was not there. I asked her why she went there in the cold weather? The answer was that she burned her head. I was also taken aback. Now think about it, every time I see her, she is so clean, beautiful, generous, and light. She always has high requirements for herself, and hopes that what she brings to others will always be the best. Of course, she is also a real beauty in her bones.
She has been busy all her life, and she always said a sentence, "Doing is better than not doing." After her son left in her later years, she became more devoted to giving back to the society. I feel that she not only regards the troupe as her home, she even regards the society as her home, and she gives herself to the society without reservation. In my impression, for a long time when her body was still healthy and her legs and feet were convenient, she would be there for public welfare activities as long as she was there. During the Wenchuan earthquake, she rushed to the front, and an old man gave out as much as 200,000 yuan at once.
There are many performance artists who have made a lot of works, but Mr. Qin Yi has more than just those movie works. After her symbolic retirement and leaving the Shanghai Film Studio, she has been active in the society, and the wealth she left to the society is even more precious. I think the existence of an old artist like her allows younger actors of the younger generation to know what a real actor and star are, and what the purpose of your filmmaking and art is.
"If you live, you have to film. If you live, you won't back down." Qin Yi has many legends in her life. In her later years, she left a good story in Chinese movies when she filmed the film "Qinghai" written by herself on a plateau at an altitude of 3,800 meters at the age of 93. Lakeside".
She plays a meteorological engineer in the film, and she plays a 60-year-old character at the age of 93. The appearance on the screen completely fits the character's temperament and appearance, and there is no sense of disobedience. In the film, Tong Ruixin, the head of the Shanghai Film Actors Troupe who partnered with her in the film, became the last leading actor in Qin Yi's film career.
The following is the account of actor Tong Ruixin recalling Qin Yi.
Our generation grew up watching Mr. Qin Yi's films. "Women's Basketball No. 5", "Railway Guerrilla" and "Song of Youth" are all classic memories.
For me, the real contact with Teacher Qin started from public welfare activities. I used to host the Shanghai Public Welfare Micro Film Festival. At that time, I was not the head of the actor troupe. I went to Teacher Qin Yi and said that we were in the Office Yi Micro Film Festival, and it was not a big event. I asked her if she could participate. She answered me readily and said that as long as it is good for the movie and good for the society, she is willing to come.
Later, when I was the head of the troupe for many years, she helped me a lot. I always felt that I could talk to her if I had any difficulties, and she would always stand by your side. She was like a big tree in the troupe. So today the tree fell, and my whole person is still erratic.
Teacher Qin Yi is already a centenarian. We all knew that this day would come, but when the news came, we still couldn't accept it. It was too sudden, and there was too much reluctance.
Having been with her over the years, we can be considered relatively close people. Her affection for the troupe, especially after her son left, sometimes I even feel that it is no less important to her than home. We are like family, but the family will say that when there is a difficulty, she has never. She only asked me for one thing, that is, let me make the movie "Qinghai Lake" with him. So no matter what, I will definitely go.
"Qinghai Lakeside" poster, Tong Ruixin (left) and Qin Yi
The filming of "Qinghai Lakeside" made everyone terrified. In addition to acting well, the most troublesome thing in the whole process was to protect the safety of the old lady. At the age of 93, going to the plateau to film is already thrilling enough, but as a result, there are scenes that need to roll down the hillside. Of course it was absolutely impossible for us to let her go, but she was very angry when she saw that we had brought in a double. She really didn't understand, and asked us anxiously how this could be replaced by others. I think back to her kind of incomprehension, probably just as we can't understand why some young idols have to let their assistants on every word. At that time, we managed to persuade her to stop, and we tried very hard to coax her not to get angry. Her stubbornness may seem a little ridiculous to young people, but isn't it the most precious thing in their generation?After returning from Qinghai, Teacher Qin Yi's health was not so good. But I can especially understand her choice. Rather than live to be 120 years old with regrets, it is better to just do what you want to do. There are many old artists around me who still have the urge to create. They want to make another film or two in their lifetime, but the only one who can actually put them into action is Qin Yi at such an advanced age.
Today, her daughter called and said that she passed away peacefully. I think there is a reason for this peacefulness. She lived for herself in the rest of her life, and did a lot of things she wanted to do without any regrets.
"Qinghai Lakeside" is a work that embodies the spiritual strength of Mr. Qin Yi. At that time, Chinese movies were very impetuous, so Mr. Qin Yi told us, "I don't believe it, the audiences don't watch such movies now, why is it good? No one watched the movie?" She was really angry.
Although later, the box office of this film was not satisfactory, but the filming of such a film is a monument. You said what was the highest-grossing movie in 2015. Many people may not remember it, but people will remember that in that year, 93-year-old Qin Yi made a touching movie on a plateau at an altitude of 3,800 meters. To have such Chinese filmmakers is worthy of the pride of the Chinese film industry. She left us not only a movie, but also a spiritual treasure. Even more so for me personally.
In 2017, 95-year-old artist Qin Yi promoted the film "Qinghai Lakeside". Visual China Map
When I went to film "Qinghai Lake" with her, I actually didn't do much filming anymore. I really finished filming this drama with her. The next year, I took over dramas, movies, and TV dramas, and started to play Mao Zedong. I didn't go to the snowy mountains where the conditions were harsh before, and I'm not afraid of the tough places later. She really has spiritual power, and watching her burn herself like that also ignited my passion for acting and the value of re-examining many things.Sometimes we say role model is a relatively empty word, but around her, I can really feel this kind of power. Later, when I became the head of an actor's troupe, I summed up this kind of power as a "beacon". Seniors are like a beacon, they just light you up and illuminate you.
We juniors may never reach the brilliance of the troupe seniors, but their beacons will always be our direction, letting us know that what we want to produce is a real cultural and spiritual product. It is another level, not utilitarian.
I always feel that Teacher Qin Yi loves movies and life more than we do, so she will devote her entire life process without reservation. She is a hard worker, and we sometimes work with her, but we can't beat her. Participating in activities together, when the plane landed, I haven't slowed down yet. She can tell us immediately what she is doing in Beijing, and we are all shocked. How can this happen? Maybe the old man has a sense of urgency to do more meaningful things than us, not necessarily a major event, but she always wants to be more involved.
I remember one time I went to see her at East China Hospital during the Chinese New Year, but she was not there. I asked her why she went there in the cold weather? The answer was that she burned her head. I was also taken aback. Now think about it, every time I see her, she is so clean, beautiful, generous, and light. She always has high requirements for herself, and hopes that what she brings to others will always be the best. Of course, she is also a real beauty in her bones.
She has been busy all her life, and she always said a sentence, "Doing is better than not doing." After her son left in her later years, she became more devoted to giving back to the society. I feel that she not only regards the troupe as her home, she even regards the society as her home, and she gives herself to the society without reservation. In my impression, for a long time when her body was still healthy and her legs and feet were convenient, she would be there for public welfare activities as long as she was there. During the Wenchuan earthquake, she rushed to the front, and an old man gave out as much as 200,000 yuan at once.
There are many performance artists who have made a lot of works, but Mr. Qin Yi has more than just those movie works. After her symbolic retirement and leaving the Shanghai Film Studio, she has been active in the society, and the wealth she left to the society is even more precious. I think the existence of an old artist like her allows younger actors of the younger generation to know what a real actor and star are, and what the purpose of your filmmaking and art is.
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