The movie "Welcome to the Dragon's Restaurant" has gained rapid reputation since its release in mainland China, and its box office continues to rise. According to Beacon Professional Edition data, as of 17:00 on August 18, the cumulative box office of the film has reached 1.044 billion yuan.
In this film, a special guest actor aroused the curiosity of many viewers-China Arab Satellite TV reporter and Iraqi actor Fang Haoming. On August 18, in an exclusive interview with a reporter from China News Service, Fang Haoming shared his first "electric shock" experience and the childhood memories that the film touched deep in his heart.
“Eating well is a luxury”
When he was young, Fang Haoming witnessed the war in Iraq. The fear caused by the war was unforgettable. Living a stable life was his greatest wish. In 2011, 11-year-old Fang Haoming moved to Yinchuan, Ningxia. In 2017, he was admitted to Northern University for Nationalities, and a teacher from his alma mater gave him a Chinese name - "Fang" was taken from "Northern University for Nationalities" as his surname, and "Haoming" means vastness and brightness.
After graduating from university in 2022, Fang Haoming went to Beijing to become a reporter for China Arab Satellite TV in China and was active in many major news scenes. In 2026, he published the Chinese book "The Place I Was Born Again" and appeared on the main station's Spring Festival Gala as an announcer. Wearing a suit that had witnessed the 1993 military parade, he conveyed peace prayers at home and abroad. Today, Fang Haoming has long regarded China as his "real home."
In Fang Haoming's view, the value of "Welcome to Dragon Restaurant" goes far beyond entertainment. "What everyone sees is not just a movie," but a real story.
A recurring line in the film, "Eat well," struck a deep chord in him. "When I was young, our house would be shattered every day. Our only dream in life at that time was to have a good meal." Fang Haoming said: "For many people, eating well is a simple thing, but for many people living in war (for), eating well is a luxury."
When talking about the degree of restoration of war scenes in the movie, Fang Haoming said that compared to the Iraq War that he witnessed as a child, the movie is actually "very restrained." The entire movie allows everyone to see what war really looks like and the changes in local people after experiencing the war.
In the film, a soldier said to "Xu Fu" played by Shen Teng: "Do you really think this war has nothing to do with you?" Fang Haoming deeply resonated with this, "In fact, as long as it breaks out, as long as you are there, it will definitely have something to do with you." "This is war, and it will have something to do with everyone."
Acting with Shen Teng for more than 20 days was like "a dream"
This participation is Fang Haoming's first time setting foot on the big screen. He said frankly that he had watched a movie directed by Wen Muye before, and it was "really like a dream" to learn that he could participate in his work.
"I worked with Teacher Shen Teng for more than 20 days. Time passed so fast. It felt like I was in a dream." Fang Haoming shared his experience of working with Shen Teng on the set. "Every time Brother Teng opens his mouth, everyone on the set will laugh."
He said that Shen Teng is a very professional actor and "acted so well" in the movie. Before turning on the camera, he was still smiling and chatting with everyone, and he was very low-key and easy-going; as soon as the camera was turned on, he immediately switched states and quickly entered the character. In addition, the characters such as "Little Saifu", "Old Zha" and "Susu" in the film also left a deep impression on him.
Fang Haoming mentioned that "Welcome to Dragon's Restaurant" not only triggered a movie-watching craze in China, but also gained a lot of attention overseas. "Many foreign netizens are saying that the subject they have been waiting for many years has finally been filmed, and they are looking forward to the film being released abroad."
Fang Haoming hopes that this film can go abroad and "let more people see what happened in the Middle East at that time", not just the number of casualties in the news, but real people and their broken lives.
