Youth Film Handbook interview with director Yang Yazhe
Film debut "囧 Boy"
Choreographer: Yang Yazhe
Starring: Pan Qinyu / Li Guanyi / Ma Zhixiang / Mei Fang / Ruan Jingtian /
Story: The schoolboy "Liar" No. 1 and No. 2, who are tired of being together all day long, are dead parties, both of their families are incomplete, No. 1's mother is missing, his father is insane, No. 2 is simply living with the "selfish, not loving him" Grandma, he hates his uncle and sends a little sister who is waiting to be fed to Grandma. No. 2 loves Kada The Greatest, and No. 1 teases him with "The King of Qatar sent from Hawaii" to amuse him. The two often joined forces to make up lies to fool their classmates, and the teacher did not hesitate, repeatedly punishing them to stay in the library after school and stick books, so they had a colorful fairy tale world. In order to live in the world they call "other dimensions", the two try to start ten large fans at the same time to create a huge tornado, but although they fail, they are temporarily away from the pain of growing up with Lin Ellie, a classmate who always has a sweet smile. Hearing that a hundred times in a playground's horror slide can fly to the "other dimension", the two decided to save money and grow up together. But No. 2 could not withstand the temptation of playing gacha and smoking a large card, and the difference in thought betrayed the common dream, which became the fuse for the rupture of the friendship between the two, and then No. 1 made a surprising decision to save the friendship. The behavior of the two boys may be super "囧", but the emotions are a hundred times more real than those of adults.
Brochure: Mainland audiences have known you since your boyfriend, girlfriend, what was your first big screen work?
Yang Yazhe: "囧 Boy".
Manual: Why did you choose this story as your directorial debut?
Yang Yazhe: Because the cost is low, and the theme is more popular, and Taiwan has not produced a children's film for a long time, there should be a good sound in the market.
Brochure: What do you want to express in this debut work?
Yang Yazhe: The courage of childhood is infinite.
Brochure: Where did the money for the shoot come from?
Yang Yazhe: Producer Li Lie is responsible for fundraising, as well as government counseling funds.
Manual: Did you write the screenplay yourself or did you find someone to write it?
Yang Yazhe: Written by herself.
Brochure: What was the biggest difficulty in making a film debut?
Yang Yazhe: Having courage and self-confidence naturally has no difficulties.
Brochure: What was the fate of your first work? Has it been released? How's it going?
Yang Yazhe: There are releases, there are awards, and there are productions that make money.
Brochure: Who has helped you the most by shooting your debut?
Yang Yazhe: The protagonist children.
Manual: Which of your other directorial debuts did you like the most? Why?
Yang Yazhe: I don't know which films are the debuts of which directors, and the debuts do not represent any meaning, because before that, we will not know how much the director has practiced.
Brochure: What advice do you have for young directors who are making a film for the first time?
Yang Yazhe: First practice well in other short films before shooting long films, don't worry.
Director's Resume:
Yang Yazhe, born in 1971, graduated from the Department of Mass Communication of Tamkang University. His works include novels, stage plays, documentaries, unit plays and series.
In 2008, he directed his debut film "囧仔". She won the Best Director at the Taipei Film Festival and the Golden Horse Award for Best Supporting Actress.
In 2012, he directed "Girlfriend Boyfriend". Won the "Youth Film Handbook" 2012 "Top Ten Chinese Films".