On the afternoon of August 19, Li Xuejian Masterclass started with deep sentiments. The Masterclass invited Li Xuejian as the keynote speaker and the guest panelists included Chen Guoxing, director of Roaring Across the Horizon, Chen Huaiguo, the screenwriter, Li Youbin, the actor, Lin Chaoxiang, the art director, Zhang Li, the Cinematographer and Zhou Xinxia, the editor. Li Daoxin, a professor at Peking University, were invited as the guest moderator, to participate in the dialogue with the topics such as “stories behind the film production", “creation of film characters" and "theme films in the context of the new era”. All the guests shared what they had witnessed on the film development in China and led the young audiences in the new era to review their stories in the past.

Recalling Roaring Across the Horizon, a film based on missiles, nuclear bombs and artificial satellites released in 1999, Li Xuejian was still shocked and sighed by the "Malan Spirit". Talking about the selfless dedication of the older generation of scientists, Li Xuejian suggested the young people to pay a visit to the Malan Base and “they will be moved with tears in their eyes.” 

After the interview on Li Xuejian, all the witnesses reached a consensus—it is a journey to cleanse the soul.

The 12th Beijing International Film Festival (BJIFF) kicked off on August 13 and Li Xuejian, a People’s Artist, served as the Jury President of Tiantan Award. During the BJIFF, The Beijing News conducted an exclusive interview on him. The reporter talked with him about the BJIFF as well as his opinions and suggestions on the film industry and the young filmmakers. His vocal cords were seriously damaged due to the illness but he still tried hard to speak clearly. He once felt self-condemned and dysphoric because he couldn’t speak very clearly and the lines were hard to be understood by others. He was afraid of bringing troubles for everyone. However, he never felt entangled since he had accepted the reality years later and he tried very hard to speak and to act in films based on his personal motto of never bringing troubles to anyone in any case due to his own problems. He would rather wait for others than be waited. 

　　

　　Li Xuejian said he valued the profession of actor and he would keep it on forever. 

Li Xuejian didn’t know how to talk flattery; let alone the concept of “modern words” such as self-promotion and self-decoration… At the site of the interview, we hoped he could make a pose for our upcoming cover image. It was so simple for all the entertainment stars, but he felt it was a great challenge for him to make a pose. He seemed so nervous and even bewildered, “I am not good at it, I don’t know how to make it.” Thinking for a while, he decided to stand straightly with hands crossed and looked at the camera with a restrained, polite and a little shy smile. After the photo taking, he shook hands with the reporters and photographers for appreciation, which made us recall his attitude toward the photo album—“I’m not a handsome guy, is it really necessary?” 

However, he could do everything in all his life just for the sake of film acting. Talking about his life of film acting, he said that he was very happy because he had countless memories. He valued the profession and the name of the actor even more than his own health. When being asked why he was so obsessed with self-sacrifice, he kept silent for seconds and answered very slowly but very firmly, “we have a beautiful and great era. It’s fortunate to live in such an era. What do you think you can't sacrifice for it? Since we are lucky, so what's the point of making some contribution? I grew up in the rural area and I witness the starvation to death. People had no choice but to eat tree barks and soil to survive. Our living conditions are much better now. Without any contributions to the era, how can we face our great era? How can we face our relatives? How can we face ourselves? We should live up to expectations of our great era and our great people!” He said he had a lot of things to do for the art of acting in the future and “I will keep it on forever”. 

　　/ BJIFF /

　　

Li Xuejian used to be hesitant about the post of Jury President of BJIFF which cannot be described with any other word than "predetermination". 

From an award winner to an awarding guest and then to a judge, he has a predestined relationship with the BJIFF. At the 2nd BJIFF in 2012, he was awarded the Outstanding Contributor of the Year 2011. He was an award winner; at the 8th BJIFF, he served as an awarding guest; at the 12th BJIFF, he became a judge. “I’m willing to serve as the Jury President because the society, the industry and the audience are greatly concerned about the BJIFF. They expect to see whether the films selected by the jury are their favorite. Film festival can promote our culture and art, and bring spiritual food to the people. It comes from the people and contributes for the people. I have a responsibility to participate in the BJIFF to help film play its role.” 

　　

　　Jury members of the 12th BIJFF on the red carpet at the opening ceremony

At the opening ceremony of the 12th BJIFF, when the moderator announced the jury lineup, Li Xuejian walked to the center of the stage with quick steps and full vitality. All the audience stood up and applauded, paying their sincere respect to this talented filmmaker. When being asked about his feelings at that moment, Li Xuejian, grinning lightly, revealed a touch of emotion in his eyes. He humbly waved his hand and said, "I really don’t deserve it." He is a respected film artist wherever he goes and he is always called an “idol” by the young filmmakers. However, worship and praise seem to be meaningless in his eyes. After multiple self-examinations, he always feels “it’s necessary to make more progress”. Praise and encouragement can never change his ideas. He said it might have something to do with his character and experience: “In my artistic career, I value the current most. I was born in the rural area and became a worker and a literary soldier till I became a real actor later. It was really hard for me, but it helped me get mature in terms of my philosophy, aesthetics and worldview. Once being more mature, you will make sure to behave properly and fulfill responsibility. From the perspective of my experience, my understanding of society and my feelings about the ups and downs in life … (silent for a few seconds) Humility makes one progress, we need perseverance!” 

Some aphorisms spoken out of his mouth slowly will make us believe that no one has more say than an actor like him who "values artistic performance than everything”. In his artistic life more than 40 years, he has always persisted in the permanent truth with his words and deeds, his perceives and his experiences, "it is the truth as well as the true meaning of life".

As the Jury President of the BJIFF, Li Xuejian has a lot of issues to cope with. He has always been strict with himself, so he determined to do everything well. He must watch the 16 shortlisted films with the whole jury members; meanwhile, he has to attend a series of activities such as the jury debut, workshop & masterclass, etc. But no matter how busy or how tired he is, he always hopes to show his best state to everyone. Someone once persuaded him “to give up and have a good rest”, he refused, “I must go!” He told the The Beijing News reporter that he aimed to review and select the best films for Tiantan Award, and select the really best films to be recognized by the audiences. "Film is the face of a country as well as a concrete manifestation of the soul of a nation." At the opening ceremony, Li Xuejian delivered a forceful speech, and he also demonstrated the “United We Advance” with his actual actions. 

　　/ Talk with Li Xuejian /

Having been an actor in all his life, Li Xuejian firms believes he is inseparable from film. He has participated in nearly 90 films and television works in the past 40 years: he played Jiao Yulu and Yang Shanzhou, which have been classics in the film history of new China; he appeared in the films Roaring Across the Horizon and China Orbit, in which he commanded the satellites in the sky with experts, witnessing the "atomic explosion". In his eyes, filming is never an easy work or winning fame and fortune by means of characters. To play a role well, he must fully immerse himself in his mind. He said that acting was really sometimes tiring or he might feel "sad" for his carelessness, but every character he had created could purify his mind, it was indeed a great pleasure.

　　

　　Li Xuejian won the Golden Rooster Awards and the People’s Hundred Flowers Awards for Best Actor with his film Jiao Yulu

The Beijing News: You have played a lot of "great people" such as Li Dazhao, Jiao Yulu and Yang Shanzhou. You must have inevitably experienced their sufferings and fatigue during the filming, but why do you easily neglect your own efforts?

Li Xuejian: You are always a student in terms of your sentiment and your spirit no matter how close you approach to your characters. There are many “great people” in the world who are making contributions to the country and the people at their own posts. They have no fames, but they are doing the most dangerous and the most difficult things. Do you think scientific research is so easy? Launching to sky is so easy? Although I play them, I am nothing compared with them. No matter how well I perform, am I superior to them? Never! Scientists, astronauts, poverty alleviation cadres... which one has suffered less than me? I played a scientist and a control man, and I witnessed how much difficulty they suffered in those days. The development of aerospace technology now really benefits from their struggles. Take Jiao Yulu as an example, he served the people with his life. My efforts can never compare with his sufferings. No matter how well I act, I'm just learning from them, creating them and benefiting from them.

　　

Having been a crew member for decades, Li Xuejian blurted out "the life in the crew" when talking about the most enjoyable time. In his mind, filming was such a pure thing that you never had to worry about too much, you just mingled with those who loved artistic creation. For himself, it was also simple, just made preparation, dressed up with makeups and “perform in front camera”. He loved to see the world with the crew, hoping to express his ideas by character creation. He often felt very tired after the filming but he always tried to recall the experience. The happiest moment was to queue up for food with the crew after all his physical strength had been exhausted. He liked the appearance when he was holding hot food because it meant he was working for the character again. 

Over the years, many people often complained that he never took care of himself too much and never took his "status" seriously. He appeared too humble when talking about his contributions. In this regard, Li Xuejian didn’t think anything wrong with his attitude. Even in 1990 which was regarded as the pinnacle of his artistic career (TV series Desire and the film Jiao Yulu he starred were screened that year, with which he won the Golden Rooster Awards, the People’s Hundred Flowers Awards, Flying Apsaras Awards and Golden Eagle Awards), he didn’t think there was anything different, because he was just a member of the crew. Without the efforts of the whole staff, how would it be possible for him to win awards? 

　　

　　Li Xuejian said he was lucky. For instance, in the TV series Desire, Song Dacheng (first from the left) was only a supporting character, but the audience liked him so much that they regarded him as the protagonist.  

The Beijing News: The 1990s is commonly recognized as the first pinnacle of your career. How come you are so indifferent to your achievements and honors?

Li Xuejian: I have never thought about the so-called pinnacle. Why? We had no such awareness in those years.

I was only 36 years old that year and I never thought I was special as a young man. However, I have two discoveries. On one hand, I really think myself very lucky. For example, I was a supporting actor in the TV series Desire, but the audience regarded Song Dacheng (played by Li Xuejian) as the protagonist. It was due to the director Lu Xiaowei who trusted me very much. When I joined the Drama Troupe of PLA Air Force Political Department, his father wrote a letter of recommendation for me. Relatively speaking, he knew me and he believed that I could play the role well; otherwise, I couldn’t have the chance to play Song Dacheng. On the other hand, all the characters I have played are so good that the grassroots shift their love for them to the actor. It’s my benefit from these heroes that I win the love of the audience. As a matter of fact, I'm just an actor laborer who "should perform well".

Film creation is the art of directing. It’s the leadership and organization of the director that the entire crew can conduct creation collectively. They are the core of the film and they lead all the crew to conduct active creation. I never think the honor belongs to some individual; instead, it should be a compliment to the artistic crystallization created by the crew. We should cherish and respect the collective efforts. It’s really not worth mentioning as for the personal effort of an actor.

In terms of all the questions related to the dedication, the words Li Xuejian most frequently mentioned are “should” and “must”. 

It's hard for him to explain why he likes acting so much. He only knows that once he starts to perform in a play, his instinct will force himself into the character at all costs. He seems most excited when talking about all the characters he has created and he will never forget the expressions and even the lines of those characters. For example, in terms of the character creation of Jiao Yulu and Yang Shanzhou, as he said many times when he was young, it’s necessary to find and express the true feelings of the actor during the performance. After the filming, he always said repeatedly that we would never enjoy such a comfortable life now without the dedication and sacrifice of these heroes. The red flag is dyed with the blood of martyrs and ancestors. How could I be so hesitant to play these great people? "If I have the chance to play, I will try my best to play the role well. This is my job without any preconditions. I must do my best to play him well." However, he also felt regretful. For example, he felt himself too fat in the film Roaring Across the Horizon, and he couldn’t use his original voice when playing Song Jiang in the TV series All Men Are Brothers...

As a young man, he would go all out when he got the chance so that he could felt self-fulfillment; but now as an aged man, he cannot be a “workaholic” as before. He will care about the success of the play and he prefers to the attractive character which he can control.  

　　

　　Li Xuejian believes that an actor must have a conscience and he should live up to the audience as well as himself.  

The Beijing News: You said that there were still a lot of characters you hoped to play till the end of your life. What is the motto for your performance?

Li Xuejian: Actors need to portray characters whether they are good or bad, but they must have vitality. For a role in the film, an actor should be devout with full preparation. He should perform with great passion as well as the conscience for his career. No matter how minor a role is or how much it has been advocated and hyped, it’s not as good as creating a role favored and recognized by the masses through your wonderful performance. It is the audience that is the judge of your success and your effort will be meaningless if they feel unsatisfied. Besides, if the role you play can bring a positive impact on the audience, all the hardships you suffered behind the screen are worthwhile. Don’t you think so? When we were filming in Malan (military base), there was really nothing there except for wasteland and poverty, but they still insisted on fulfilling their scientific dreams. The “Malan Spirit” deeply moved me: be anonymous man with earth-shattering contributions. 

　　

Those who have worked with Li Xuejian will be infected by his dedication and professionalism. In Curtain Up, the main trailer of the BJIFF this year, Li Xuejian regarded it as important as a film although he only showed up in four shots and three scenes. He prepared multiple clothes in advance at home and brought them to the studio to show to director Lu Chuan one after another. He thought the aged projectionist he played in the film should have a sense of vicissitudes, so he wore a pair of glasses; he should wear a hat for the role, so he tried it on over and over again for the director to decide. Lu Chuan also witnessed his dedication to the role. Although the projectionist was always silent in the trailer, his several expressions and emotions were enough to express a filmmaker's passion for films. 

　　

　　Li Xuejian plays an aged projectionist in Curtain Up, the main trailer of the BJIFF this year. 

When being asked to share his acting experience, he tightened his waist and said, “Actor is a career entrusted by the state, the people and the society. The title of an actor only came into being after the founding of new China. When an actor has done his work well with great contributions to the people and the state, then he can be called an artist or a spiritual engineer, but his work is always the foundation of his life.” When the reporter mentioned the problem of non-dedication in the industry, he was also angry without any words. He just asked a question, "Then how can they become actors?"

The Beijing News: Due to the general environment at present, the profession of an actor is so special that many practitioners have changed their original intentions. They neglect and even desecrate this profession for the sake of fame and fortune. Do you hope such a problem to be changed?

Li Xuejian: This problem has come into being long ago. The industrialization, marketization and commercialization of culture and art have indeed resulted in great changes. Some actors without professionalism are just like a fly in a pot of porridge. They always ponder about the fame and easy work. Who should be blamed for this problem? It's the society, the interests, the commodities. They never care about the quality of acting, they only care about the click through rate and what they can benefit from the characters, just like their competitors who will always be defamed no matter how well they have performed. This problem should be focused on by the whole society so as to find the solution. Even if I have proposed advice for them, will they accept it? Who will accept it? For example, when I participated in a program Voice years ago, a young actor questioned "how can a famous actor get hundreds of thousands of yuan for a single show". It was a rumor that I got 400,000 yuan for a single show, and some time later the rumor said that I got 600,000. I said that was not the truth and you could also check it out who had benefited from it. The rumor has been widely spread for many years, and I feel very sad about it. 

Therefore, many problems have occurred in our industry due to the interests. To tell the truth, you (the media) have the most say to stop the evil trends. You have more vision, more knowledge, more ideas and more discoveries than I do. You also have the platform with more persuasion, so you are playing a very important role. Moreover, the joint efforts of the whole society are needed to solve these problems. It is necessary to promote the truth, the goodness and the beauty while to scold the falsehood, the evilness and the viciousness. They cannot be thoroughly changed only with some words by an actor. More importantly, you just behave yourself well if you cannot change anything, that’s surely what you can do! Set an example for others and stick to your original aspiration. 

　　

　　/ Notes by Reporter /

It was before the opening of the BJIFF that The Beijing News conducted the first interview with Li Xuejian. He happened to participate in the filming of Curtain Up, the main trailer of the BJIFF, that day. Our interview crew scheduled makeup for him at 7:30AM, but just after 7:00AM that day, our reporter was told that "Mr. Li has arrived at 6:00AM". He arrived more than one hour earlier than the schedule, and even the makeup artist felt ashamed, “Mr. Li arrived earlier than all the staff.” When being asked whether being late was the greatest taboo for him, he said it must have something to do with his experience in the troops in early years. If he is late for something, he finds it hard to forgive himself. In addition, he lives very far away from the filming location, so he "would rather arriver earlier than later" due to the possible traffic jam. Every time he takes a plane, he will always arrive at the airport early even if he has to spend two hours in the rest area. He feels it’s worthwhile. 

When being asked “do you feel excited to make the main trailer?” He put his palms together and got close to the reporter’s ear with a smile, gesturing that he didn’t hear it very clearly and begged a pardon. That’s a sequela of radiotherapy. Without hearing aids, it would be very difficult for him to hear clearly. The speaker has to approach his right ear and speak very loudly and slowly so that he can understand. 

He often lowers his identity and stands up with a bow to show respect to the listeners after answering questions in public. He never refuses anyone who asks for a group photo. When reviewing the film late at night during the BJIFF, he worried that he might have disturbed the hotel staff due to his work late at night, so he offered to take a group photo with them. 

It was on the day scheduled for the interview that we met again. He welcomed the reporter to his desk with a smile, took out the outline printed by his assistant from the folder and said proudly, "I have the schedule in my mind", but the time might be “not enough” based on the actual situation. On the interview outline with nearly 40 questions, he carefully wrote the answers he might reply for every question, which he insisted on doing so despite the persuasions by others. The interview was scheduled to last for only 45 minutes, but it was finally extended to one hour and a half. We stopped proposing new questions so that he could go back to have a rest earlier. After the interview, he insisted on seeing us off at the door, saying, "Come on, give me five". At that moment, he smiled like an innocent child.