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On August 11, the movie "A Dream of Red Mansions Part Two" premiered in Beijing. Director Hu Mei, actors Lin Peng (as Wang Xifeng), Bian Cheng (as Jia Baoyu), Zhang Miaoyi (as Lin Daiyu), Huang Jiarong (as Xue Baochai), Yang Qiru (as Xiren), Jiang Anjing (as Shi Xiangyun), Wang Yixiao (as Li Wan), Ma Fei (as Qingwen), Shen Qian (as Xiangling), Su Qianwei (as Youshi), Wang Ban (as Jia Yucun), Yang Tongshu (as Mrs. Wang), Zhang Guangbei (as Jia Zheng), art director Huo Tingxiao, and original music composer Zhang Ye all attended the premiere.

Yu Dong, Chairman of Bona Film Group, with director Hu Mei and actors. Photo provided by the film company

At the premiere, an audience member asked director Hu Mei if she was worried about causing controversy in this remake of Dream of the Red Chamber. Hu Mei said frankly that causing controversy was "just what I wanted" because her motivation for creating the film was to make Dream of the Red Chamber a hot topic in reality again, hoping to attract everyone's attention again, especially to make more young people go back and reread the original work after watching the film to feel the charm of the classic.

Talking about her own film, Hu Mei modestly said that the film is just "one person's opinion": "It is said that there are a thousand Hamlets in the hearts of a thousand people. Similarly, a thousand people have different interpretations of "Dream of Red Mansions". In this case, let this version remain here. Even if there are regrets, it doesn't matter. I hope that it can inspire more and better works related to "Dream of Red Mansions" in the future."

“If you could do it again, would you remake Dream of the Red Chamber?” Hu Mei responded without hesitation to the audience’s question: “Of course I would!” She said that she would have different feelings when watching Dream of the Red Chamber at different ages, and at the same time she also noticed that there were fewer and fewer young people around her who were willing to calm down and watch Dream of the Red Chamber: “So I want to bring Dream of the Red Chamber to the screen in my lifetime, so that it can become a social hot spot again after more than 200 years of its birth. As long as people pay attention, people will pick up the book again.”

"Wow! Why are there so many audiences here today!" Lin Peng, who plays Wang Xifeng in the film, "shocked" the audience with Wang Xifeng's voice as soon as he appeared on stage that day. When Lin Peng learned that his performance in the film was recognized by the audience, he first thanked director Hu Mei: "I am very grateful to director Hu Mei for choosing me to play Wang Xifeng. For this role, I did all the homework I could do and read all the materials I could. The director told me, 'You are Wang Xifeng', but I know that only by fully preparing can I make myself and the audience believe that I am Wang Xifeng."

Yang Tongshu, who plays Mrs. Wang, said that she was "secretly happy" for a long time when she learned that she would play Mrs. Wang in this film: "This is Dream of the Red Chamber. In this respect, I have to follow my 'teacher' (Zhang Guangbei, who plays Jia Zheng in the film). He has acted in several famous works. Although I only acted in this one, I have done my best!" Zhang Guangbei also said that it is a pride to be able to act in a film and television work adapted from Dream of the Red Chamber. "As actors, we want the audience to feel the charm of the character and the charm of Chinese culture through our performance."

Director Hu Mei, original composer Zhang Ye, art director Huo Tingxiao, actors Zhang Guangbei, Wang Ban, and Yang Tongshu. Photo courtesy of the film production team

Wang Ban, who plays Jia Yucun in the film, revealed that he has a deep connection with Dream of the Red Chamber: "The first movie I watched was Dream of the Red Chamber. When I was a child, I played Xue Ke in the film version of Dream of the Red Chamber directed by Xie Tieli. This is my second time to participate in the filming of the film version of Dream of the Red Chamber. I am very grateful and hope that everyone will pay more attention to Dream of the Red Chamber, a classic masterpiece that belongs to our nation and the world."

There are many young actors in the movie "A Dream of Red Mansions: A Golden Marriage". They were all inexperienced newcomers when they participated in the filming of the film 6 years ago. This was their first play in their lives. After 6 years, everyone reunited and everyone had their own masterpieces. Recalling the filming experience of that year, everyone expressed their gratitude to Director Hu Mei. Yang Qiru, who played Xiren, said that Director Hu Mei gave a lot of help during the filming of her first play in her life, and she was fortunate to feel the charm of the original work of "A Dream of Red Mansions" by playing the role of Xiren.

Leading actors Bian Cheng and Zhang Miaoyi. Photo provided by the production team

Talking about the process of getting involved with the film, Bian Cheng, who plays Jia Baoyu, said that he once had a lot of pressure, but fortunately he later received a long-term training course, which gave him the courage to challenge this role; Huang Jiarong, who plays Xue Baochai, also mentioned that she was only 16 years old at the time, and that she could complete the role of Xue Baochai without the support and guidance of the director; Zhang Miaoyi, who plays Lin Daiyu, was still a student with baby fat 6 years ago. Recalling the most impressive filming experience at the time, she revealed that in order to make herself closer to Lin Daiyu's appearance, she did not eat for several months and finally lost more than 80 kilograms. On the same day, Zhang Miaoyi also restored the "classic lines of Daiyu" that became popular on the Internet: "What a perfect match!" "If I had known he was coming, I would not have come." "Is it just for me, or are there other girls?" After a few words, some viewers said that they "sweat".

After watching the film, Professor Duan Xiaoxiong from the Chinese Academy of Traditional Chinese Opera said that the film was "very beautiful and shocking", and he also saw the contemporary significance in it: "The new version of Dream of Red Mansions not only reinterprets the classic from a modern perspective, but also bravely tackles many "hard bones" that predecessors dared not discuss, which has played a great role in the dissemination of Dream of Red Mansions in the new era."