On the afternoon of August 14, 2022, the film Off the Stage shortlisted for the competition section of the 12th BJIFF Tiantan Award was screened and producer Hu Zhifeng, director Qiao Liang, starring He Saifei, Lou Yujian and other cast & crew participated in the screening and conducted after-event exchanges with the audience.

　　Before the official screening, producer Hu Zhifeng and director Qiao Liang extended welcome to all the audience present, and looked forward to communicating with them after the screening. Then, the lights dimmed and the film was screened. The cast & crew as well as the audience set out on the emotional journey that "life is a stage where every man and woman is an actor and actress.” 

　　

　　The meet-and-greet with cast & crew began. The Douyin streamer "Ke Mo Loves Xiao Ye" once again invited the producer Hu Zhifeng, director Qiao Liang, starring He Saifei, Lou Yujian and other cast & crew to the stage to conduct after-event exchanges with the audience. In the heated atmosphere on the site, the cast & crew shared their moving stories behind the screen. Hearing the affectionate appreciation from the audience, He Saifei and other cast couldn't hide their excitement. 

　　

　　The producer Hu Zhifeng said that what impressed him first was the predicament displayed in the film—the entanglement between ideals and reality. The mother in the film was a sincere artist, a real opera fan with full enthusiasm. She contributed all her emotions and ideals to her career, expected for her family and love. He believed that the film was very ingenious because it resolved the profound entanglement between ideal and reality. "It’s a rare plot in the new era which perfectly resolves the dilemma in real life with Chinese wisdom of 'neutralization and harmony'.”

　　

　　Director Qiao Liang said that he had realized the importance of memories for the film during the process of film creation. "I’ve considered a lot of processing methods, but finally decided to present it in the form of a stage. Such a kind of expression can ensure the accuracy of the performance as well as the continuity and authenticity of the narrative. I hope to display such a feeling that life is a stage where every man and woman is an actor and actress.” He said he also grew up off the stage since his childhood, so he always dreamed of shooting a film about the backstage. That was why he was attracted by the script at the very beginning. When he talked the candidate for the heroine with the producer Hu Zhifeng for the first time, they both agreed that Ms. He Saifei was the best candidate to play Ms. Qi.

　　

　　Before answering the questions, Ms. He Saifei said that she also loved this as an audience, and she was greatly touched to tears during the watching. She believed that the narration and the structure adopted by the director had such distinct characteristics and styles that the film could convey rich emotions in accurate manner. "Career and family are the eternal propositions of life. Nobody in the film has made a mistake and there is no final result, either. This is the most moving aspect of this film to me." Hearing the appreciation from the audience, she responded with a curtsy and a smile. Such an interaction is the most sincere, the most moving and the highest evaluation for a film.

　　When being asked about the difference of the performance on the stage and on the screen, Lou Yujian, an actor with outstanding performance in both film and Yue Opera, believed that it was necessary to create distinct characters although they were two different forms of art. "The performance on stage needs to be exaggerated due to the form of expression while the screen demands a more internal and realistic performance, so as to convey the implicit emotions of the Chinese in a better way to touch the audience."

　　

　　In the end, the cast & crew took a group photo with the audience and they wished the film a great success in the competition for Tiantan Award. Let’s look forward to official screening of this film as soon as possible so as to appreciate the charm of Yue Opera on the big screen!