As one of the most anticipated Chinese-language films of 2025, Bi Gan's "Wild Era" was released on November 22 and has grossed 182 million yuan at the box office so far.
If you follow Chinese art films, you're sure to be familiar with the name Bi Gan. In 2015, he burst onto the scene with the low-budget film *Kaili Blues*, whose 40-minute long take stunned the internet. His later film, *Long Day's Journey into Night*, took audiences on a fantastical journey through memory in 3D long takes. Now, seven years later, he returns with *Wild Age*, winning the Special Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival. This has sparked curiosity about what breakthroughs this legendary young director of Chinese cinema has achieved.
"Wild Age" is incredibly timely this year as it marks the 130th anniversary of the film's release. Bi Gan pays homage to many of the great films he admires and attempts to respond to the emotions of this era through cinema. The most unique aspect of this film is that it uses images to complete a time-traveling journey across a century—Bi Gan has incorporated the stories and emotions that have unfolded on this land over the past century into this work. In terms of form, he creatively uses the "five senses" to build this sensory labyrinth spanning a century—you might smell the fragrance of oranges in the theater, hear an extremely long snore, or even follow the protagonist's sense of touch into a long-forgotten memory.
The film's widespread popularity is largely attributed to Jackson Yee's leading role, in which he plays five different characters. As the film's central figure, this young actor transforms into a "movie monster," traversing different time periods, from a naive youth to a weathered middle-aged man, delivering a highly challenging performance.
Of course, this film has also sparked a lot of controversy: "Why is it so hard to understand?" "Is Bi Gan too self-centered?" "Is the combination of popular actors and art films really feasible?" We will find the answers to these questions in today's interview.
Bi Gan
In this podcast episode, we are delighted to have invited director Bi Gan to talk about his film "Wild Age," which took seven years to complete, garnered global attention, but also faced considerable controversy after its release.
Podcast Timeline
00:00-02:25 A brief review of the Wild Era, including background information before the interview.
02:26-05:28 Bi Gan's New Film After Seven Years: What Has Changed and Remained the Same?
05:29-07:39 Bi Gan interprets the "father" element in the film
07:40-14:38 How to turn Yi Yangqianxi into a "monster"
14:40-17:58 Beyond sight and sound, reaching the world of cinema with all your senses.
From 18:00 to 21:12, Bi Gan felt somewhat "regretful".
21:30-23:36 Film has gone through a century, what will it become in the future?
