"Xin Zhilei and Zhang Songwen are the perfect choices for these two roles in my mind." On November 5, Cai Shangjun , the director and screenwriter of the film "The Sun Shines Brightly" held its premiere in Beijing. He said this during the post-screening Q&A.
At the event, Cai Shangjun, along with lead actors Xin Zhilei and Zhang Songwen, and executive producer Ma Shuang, gathered to engage in sincere exchanges with the audience and industry peers, sharing the creative story behind this film that won the Best Actress Award at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival. The film will be released nationwide on November 7th.
Movie character posters
"The Sun Shines at Noon" revolves around the story of Zeng Meiyun (Xin Zhilei) and Wu Baoshu (Zhang Songwen), former lovers who reunite after seven years. The series unveils their heartbreaking past, unleashing a series of storms beneath the surface of their seemingly ordinary lives. Cai Shangjun frankly stated that his and screenwriter Han Nianjin's creative concept was to showcase the most authentic state of people amidst the torrent of fate.
Xin Zhilei plays Zeng Meiyun
Cai Shangjun emphasized that "the best performance is when the actor's personal charm brings the character to life," and praised Xin Zhilei for "precisely portraying the character's true psychological turmoil with restrained acting." Regarding Zhang Songwen, he stated that he accurately demonstrated the character's inner energy, saying, "Having Teacher Songwen on set was like attending an acting class."
Xin Zhilei, a well-deserved "international superstar," shared her insights from the perspective of her role, saying, "Every character has their own vulnerabilities, but the common fate of all ordinary people is to still live tenaciously and strive to survive." She believes that Zeng Meiyun is a "female role with great performance potential that she has always dreamed of." In order to hone the character, even in a live-streaming sales scene without any lines, she improvised to portray the texture of life, which made Zhang Songwen praise her repeatedly, saying, "Zhilei's preparation in private is solid and meticulous."
At the premiere, Xin Zhilei
Zhang Songwen described his character portrayal as "peeling away layer by layer to get straight to the core." He pointed out, "What ultimately moves the audience is always the common emotional connection among human beings." He praised Xin Zhilei's performance, believing that she infused the character's sense of guilt into her skin and bones like a slow poison, "Without any lines, she can convey the heavy past with just her evasive eyes."
Zhang Songwen plays Wu Baoshu, and Xin Zhilei plays Zeng Meiyun.
The post-screening Q&A session was met with enthusiastic responses, and many industry guests also showed up to show their support. Actor Huang Bo (who starred in Cai Shangjun's film "Under the Ice") remarked on the film's powerful impact, saying, "In the folds of life, we can see both the mud and the light. 'The Sun Rises at Noon' is just like that; the story is fantastic. The excellent performances of the actors further enhanced it, making me feel more and more towards the end that fate sometimes really is like the tag that Meiyun didn't have time to cut off from her clothes (in the film)—it swings back and forth, both absurd and real, and helpless."
Actor and director Chen Jianbin (who starred in Cai Shangjun's film "People Mountain People Sea") praised the two actresses for their "textbook-level acting skills," and jokingly added, "My praise doesn't mean you two will always be able to act this well in the future." When actress Gao Ye stood up to speak, she excitedly shouted to Xin Zhilei, "You deserve to win Best Actress!"
A touching moment occurred after their speeches, when Zhang Songwen and Xin Zhilei each gave a response.
“I took on the role in ‘The Sun Rises’ because of Mr. Chen Jianbin. In 2000, when I was studying at the Beijing Film Academy, I saw Mr. Chen’s play ‘Millennium Night, We Talked About Crosstalk’ in the small theater of the China Youth Art Theatre. I was a student in the audience at the time. In 2012, in Shenzhen, one day when I wasn’t filming, I was walking down the street and saw a poster for Mr. Chen’s film ‘People Mountain People Sea’. I bought a ticket and went in to see it, and that’s when I learned that it was a film directed by Cai Shangjun. So, when Director Cai gave me the script for ‘The Sun Rises’, I said, ‘I want to work with you.’” Zhang Songwen said.
“After watching ‘Nanjing Photo Studio’ a while ago, I sent a WeChat message to Ms. Gao Ye, saying that your acting was amazing. I admire you both for your acting skills and your personality. I’m really embarrassed that you’re here tonight and still praising me like this… Without further ado, let’s encourage each other and cheer each other on!” Xin Zhilei said.
During the Q&A session, someone asked the director about the origin of the film's title, "The Sun Rises at Noon." Director Cai Shangjun explained that the phrase comes from the Cantonese opera "The Purple Hairpin." "The film was shot in Guangdong, so we wanted to find lyrics from local popular songs or folk operas for the title. Initially, we thought of 'Autumn Regret on a Journey' and 'Good Men, Good Women,' which both fit the story. But then we realized that directors like Ann Hui and Hou Hsiao-hsien had already used those titles. Later, we found 'The Purple Hairpin.' The phrase 'The sun rises at noon' sounds beautiful in Cantonese, and the imagery of midday, with the sun high in the sky, also perfectly captured the atmosphere we wanted to present in the film."
At the prompting of a reporter from The Paper, Guangdong native and lead actor Zhang Songwen gladly accepted the invitation and recited the film title's source in fluent Cantonese: " The sun hangs high in the sky, its color exceptionally red; the waning moon will eventually be mended. "
