Director Yi Xiaoxing told China.org.cn that Chinese audiences have set a higher bar for filmmakers in the post-COVID era.
Director Yi Xiaoxing laughs while talking to an audience during
"In the current market, many movies being released act as tonics, supplementary medicines that can gradually restore market confidence and health, but it will take time. I believe that the future will definitely be better," Yi said.
"We need to use good movies to bring audiences back. They are now cautious because they have less disposable income after recent years of hardship, and every penny has to be spent carefully. This places high demands on us creators to produce quality works that can satisfy the audience," he added.
His new film is clearly satisfying audiences. Despite a lively May Day holiday, with a total of 18 films released, Yi's comedy "Godspeed," starring Qiao Shan, Fan Chengcheng, Ma Li, Zhang Jingyi, and others, rose to the top on May 1 to become champion of the holiday season box office. As of Sunday, the film had grossed nearly 700 million yuan at the box office.
"Godspeed" follows a prospective son-in-law, an online game designer, who tries to impress his future father-in-law, a truck driver, by lying about his job to minimize any prejudice from his elder. However, unforeseen events turn his well-intentioned attempts to please into a hilarious misadventure driven by the need to keep up appearances.
The comedy filmmaker Yi said that while the relationship between father-in-law and son-in-law has been explored in many films previously, he uses it in his movie to discuss the clash of values between younger generations born after 2000 and their elders. "I thought that this clash of values between the new and previous generations would be a good subject."
In his opinion, the relationship between father-in-law and son-in-law naturally carries a kind of "enmity" between the two men, which is a great vessel in which to create humor. "Moreover, I believe that the road itself is a metaphor for life – you know the end of the road, but you don't know what will happen on the way. These two characters explore their values during this journey. When young people confront these solidified social values, how should they respond, and where should they go?"
"The message I want to convey is that although you may not be familiar with life's road ahead, you should try your best to find your own path. This is the core theme of my movie," Yi added.
A poster for "Godspeed." [Image courtesy of Shanghai PMF Pictures]
It's interesting to note that 38-year-old Qiao Shan was asked to play a father-in-law character much older than his actual age. This was because the director felt Qiao naturally exuded an old man's demeanor. With the help of special effects makeup, such as sun spots, a beard, crow's feet, and bigger bags underneath his eyes, Qiao's appearance was transformed to make him look more like someone much older. His great and convincing performance really brought the character's mature mental state to the screen.
Initially, Qiao was hesitant to accept the role, but he eventually realized that if he wanted to make a breakthrough in his acting career, he needed to take it. He therefore accepted the challenge and went on to study the character's language, appearance, and behavior, even down to the tiniest facial expressions, to capture his age.
To vividly depict the lives of Chinese truck drivers and tech company programmers, Yi and his team interviewed dozens of real truck drivers and IT workers during the preparation period and reviewed numerous documentaries and news reports to gain a deeper understanding of the respective professions of the father-in-law and son-in-law in the film.
"Godspeed" marks Qiao's second collaboration with Yi after their successful comedy blockbuster "Bath Buddy." When asked about his latest experience working with Yi Xiaoxing, Qiao said: "Because we are the same age, our understanding of film may increasingly lean towards emotional expression. He is gradually maturing, and his understanding of film narratives has significantly improved."
Although the comedy genre is his favorite genre and forte, Yi said that he would continue to search for the best way to convey his message, regardless of genre, subject, or style. Not long ago, he produced "To Be Continued," directed by emerging horror film director Ma Kai, which blends comedy and horror genres to create a unique experience with plenty of highlights.
"And this time, I blended the road movie genre with comedy in 'Godspeed.' Road movies are primarily considered art-house films. Many of the classic road movies are like prose, with a narrative style that can easily convey poetic and abstract emotions and feelings. I decided to combine it with comedy, and it worked well. I have a passion for comedy, and when the audience laughs, I feel a tremendous sense of accomplishment," said Yi.
