From Red Sorghum in early days to recently screened Leap, Gong demonstrates her persistence in acting with practical actions: "Actors who continue to break new ground, innovate, and work hard will be respected by audiences all over the world." With a love for performance, she deliberately makes alive every character. On the journey from China to the world, Gong wins over her audience from the four corners of the earth with characters and earns praise from the world with outstanding acting.

 

In 2019, Saturday Fiction starring Gong premiered at the 76th Venice International Film Festival. Youth Film Handbook even named it the most anticipated film of the year in 2021. Notably, the title will also be screened as the closing film of this year’s BJIFF.

The Gong Li Masterclass invites Lou Ye, the director of Saturday Fiction, and the film’s leading actors Zhang Songwen and Mark Chao as "teaching assistants" to talk about acting.

 

Lou Ye, director, screenwriter and producer in the Chinese mainland, graduated from the Directing Department of Beijing Film Academy. In 1993, he completed his debut feature film Weekend Lover. Since then, his directorial works such as Purple Butterfly and Mystery have repeatedly been shortlisted for internationally renowned film festivals. In 2014, Lou’s Blind Massage was awarded the Silver Bear for Outstanding Artistic Contribution for the cinematographer at the 64th Berlin International Film Festival. His crime drama film The Shadow Play was released on April 4, 2019 and was nominated for the 11th China Film Director’s Guild Awards for Best Director.