A hundred flowers bloom in Chinese cinema

A filmmaker should never lose touch with the audience

By Da Peng

Last summer, my film The Lychee Road was released in China. It tells the story of a Tang Dynasty (618-907) official tasked with delivering fresh Lingnan lychees to Chang'an, a journey that seems impossible because lychees spoil within days. The film offers a simple solution: keep the lychee on the branch.

I believe filmmakers have their own branch — the audience.

I did not come to filmmaking from a film school. With a degree in engineering management, I began my career making online videos, learning from viewer comments. If viewers said a joke did not work, I changed it. If they responded to an idea, I explored it further. This way, I learned a fundamental lesson: creators should first be viewers.

This is where the future of Chinese cinema lies. Films do not become meaningful because filmmakers make them or awards recognize them.

They become part of a culture when audiences respond, debate, remember and integrate them into their lives.

To stay fresh, filmmakers must stay connected with audiences.

Forgetting that we are audiences ourselves risks losing the very branch that sustains our work.

The author is a Chinese filmmaker, actor, comedian, and host. The views don't necessarily reflect those of China Daily.

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