China News Service, Beijing, October 4. Title: Actor Xu Wenguang: Hope to connect the two sides of the Taiwan Strait with more works that carry national memory and full of feelings about home and country.
China News Service reporter Li Baijia
After decades of working in the industry, actor Xu Wenguang has created many impressive screen images - Ding Yizhen in "In the Name of the People", Xu Hongbing in "The World"... Nowadays, he is also active in the field of micro-short dramas.
"No matter what the form, the original intention of creation has never changed." Xu Wenguang said in an exclusive interview with a reporter from China News Service that he hopes to create more works that carry national memory and feelings of home and country, and use this to connect the two sides of the Taiwan Strait.
Recently, "Crossing the Sea", a mini-series focusing on the return of veterans from Taiwan, was launched. In it, Xu Wenguang plays Hou Bingquan, an old man who is waiting for his brother Hou Qinian to return home from Taiwan.
The picture shows actor Xu Wenguang at the filming site of the micro-short drama "Crossing the Sea". (Photo courtesy of the film producer)
In the series, brothers Hou Bingquan and Hou Qinian are separated on both sides of the Taiwan Strait by the torrent of the times. Years passed by, and Hou Bingquan entered an old age. His mind was often confused, but he always clearly remembered the appearance of his younger brother when he left home.
"He said, 'Brother, I'll be back in a few days.' But how long does this 'a few days' mean?" Xu Wenguang recited the character's lines. In the play, Hou Bingquan has been watching for half his life, just waiting for a jar of ashes. He held the ashes in his arms as if he were holding his brother himself, and cried bitterly.
"At that time, all the staff on the set were moved by it. My emotions fluctuated greatly, and I couldn't let it go for a long time." Xu Wenguang said that this is just one example of countless separated beings on both sides of the Taiwan Strait.
In 2017, Xu Wenguang went to Taiwan with the National Theater of China to perform plays such as "Beijing Fayuan Temple" and "Four Generations Under One Roof". "The venue was full and it was hard to get a ticket." When the audience saw the interesting parts, they unconsciously imitated the actors' Beijing accent; when they were moved by the emotion, they burst into tears. After the performance, many people gathered around the troupe's vehicle and took the initiative to talk about their ancestral home.
In the same year, he went to Taiwan again to film the revolutionary historical drama "Changing the World", playing the role of General Wu Shi. After hearing the news, many Taiwanese veterans came to watch. "Some people described their home in Fujian, some talked about being separated from their wives who stayed in mainland China forever; others said that 50% to 60% of their colleagues have passed away, and only ashes are left behind when they can return home, but I believe there are still family members waiting for them."
"The strait is so close in front of us, but so far apart." Xu Wenguang said that these experiences made him firm in his idea of conveying the hope of cross-strait reunion through literary and artistic works. For this reason, he readily accepted the role of "Crossing the Sea" and also invited veteran actors such as Zhang Kaili and Zhao Shuzhen to star together.
This is not Xu Wenguang’s first attempt in the field of micro-short dramas. In July this year, he served as the artistic director and starred in the mini-series "Light of the Unknown", which was launched. The drama tells the story of the unknown heroes on the hidden front and has received considerable attention.
The picture shows actor Xu Wenguang at the filming site of the micro-short drama "The Light of the Unknown". (Photo courtesy of the film producer)
Xu Wenguang said that micro-short plays provide a new space for content expression with a lighter rhythm and stronger ability to mobilize emotions, and have huge potential.
"In the future, "Light of the Unknown" will be filmed into a series, and there are also filming plans on national security themes that need to be improved urgently." Xu Wenguang said that he wanted to put more "weighty" content into this track. Although it was a lot of pressure, "I have a group of like-minded old friends around me. We can do it together, and I feel confident."
"I hope to use more and better works to express the common emotions and memories of both sides of the Taiwan Strait in light and shadow," he said. (over)
