Zhou Enlai as you've never seen him before

For generations of Chinese, Zhou Enlai was their respected premier. To his wife Deng Yingchao, he was a loving husband. In his buddies' eyes, he was a sincere friend.

Ruan Liuhong, director of In Love with Zhou Enlai (Qinggui Zhou Enlai), bore these facts in mind over the 18 months it took to shoot the documentary.

"We have seen Zhou pictured as a great statesman in many films," Ruan told China Daily. "But with this documentary we tried to present a real person."

The documentary, which premiered yesterday, the 110th birthday of the late Chinese premier, approaches Zhou's life from the point of view of his 50 years with Deng.

The film gathers photos and film footage never shown to the public before. Viewers will see Zhou dressed as a woman on a stage when he was a student at a boys' school, while Deng wears a man's outfit as part of a student drama performance.

How did the two fall in love? The late Deng told viewers they got to know each other during the May 4th Movement in 1919, when Deng made speeches. In 1923, Deng received a letter from Zhou, who was then studying in France, suggesting a "change in their relations to love".

The couple's love letters feature in the documentary. In them Deng calls Zhou "dear person" and Zhou calls her "Xiao Chao", which often indicates a child's name in Chinese. Like most lovers they expressed their love for each other and made up jokes. When Zhou did not reply to a letter in time, he said his laziness deserved a beating. Deng replied she forgave his "crime".

Aside from the happy moments, there is previously unseen footage of Zhou standing on the Tian'anmen rostrum on National Day 1970, midway through the "cultural revolution". He looks stressed. A voiceover said that in the same year he told Edgar Snow: "I am beaten. My health is weakening, because I sleep little."

Also portrayed on screen was Zhou's loyalty to friends such as Snow, his efforts to protect as many comrades as possible during the "cultural revolution", and his devotion to his country and its people.

Zhou's relatives, secretary, nurse and guard have shared their memories, too.

His former secretary Zhao Wei succinctly summarizes Zhou's life thus: "Zhou is the person who dedicated all his love and obtained love from all in return."

(China Daily 03/06/2008 page20)