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The past and present of the girl
On a spring day in 1985, in a small village in Chicheng County, Hebei Province, an ordinary baby girl was born, she was Wei Minzhi, who was later known as "Mou Girl".
Since she was a child, she has lived the life of an ordinary rural child, going to and from school every day, helping with housework, quiet and content.
In 1999, the famous director Zhang Yimou was at a low point in his career and was determined to resume the creation of films with rural themes. In the process of repeated searches, he stumbled upon the Wei Minzhi sisters from Chicheng County and was attracted by their innocent and natural temperament.
In a chance meeting, Director Zhang was deeply shocked by Wei Minzhi's immature theatrical talent, and resolutely decided to portray her as the heroine of the movie "No One is Missing".
13-year-old Wei Minzhi has never been to the cinema, but with her talented acting skills, under the careful training of Director Zhang, she has created an unforgettable image of a rural female teacher.
After the film was released, she became popular overnight and was affectionately called "Mou Girl" by the audience. But at such a moment, unexpectedly, Zhang Yimou took the initiative to persuade this talented girl to give up her acting career and devote herself to her studies.
In the blink of an eye, time flies, and the 37-year-old Wei Minzhi has now become an accomplished film and television practitioner. She not only wrote and directed the critically acclaimed documentary "The Miracle Daughter", but also reunited with director Zhang Yimou, who discovered her back then.
This former "Mou girl" has now reached the pinnacle of her life, which is sincerely admirable.
Talent and destiny
On a winter day in 1998, the famous director Zhang Yimou was looking for a suitable heroine for the upcoming movie "No One is Missing". As a perennial veteran in the film industry, he has always been good at discovering new stars and giving them unusual roles.
This time, he was determined to find a country girl with a natural talent for drama among ordinary people to star in the film.
At this moment, Director Zhang's eyes fell on the two sisters Wei Minzhi and Wei Congzhi from Chicheng County. Although the twins are from ordinary backgrounds and thin in stature, they have a unique temperament and charm.
When asked if she could sing and dance, Wei Minzhi did not hesitate to perform a poetic song for everyone. Although the audience present was a little puzzled, Director Zhang saw the unique charm of this girl and decided that she was the most suitable candidate for the heroine.
13-year-old Wei Minzhi couldn't hide her excitement in her heart, this rural girl who had never set foot in the cinema, had the opportunity to become the "Mou Girl" that many fans dreamed of at this moment.
Under the careful guidance of Director Zhang, she has injected a unique charm into this award-winning masterpiece with her natural theatrical talent and innocent and simple performance.
Just when Wei Minzhi was just emerging from the limelight, unexpectedly, Zhang Yimou took the initiative to persuade this talented girl to give up her acting career and devote herself to her studies.
At that time, Director Zhang sincerely told Wei Minzhi: "Temporary success cannot completely change your fate, but the knowledge and knowledge left in your heart will likely affect the development trajectory of your life in the future."
These words were like a slap in the face, which violently shattered the yearning for the dream of stardom in Wei Minzhi's heart. But this strong country girl did not back down because of this, but plucked up the courage to give up the temptation of the entertainment industry and devote herself to her studies.
At this time, Shijiazhuang Elite High School took the initiative to lend a helping hand and provided Wei Minzhi with favorable conditions such as free tuition and monthly living allowance, which paved the way for her to study.
Wei Minzhi studied hard and was finally admitted to the University of International Business and Economics majoring in film and television media. During her college years, she transformed from a pure acting enthusiast to a professional director and screenwriter.
In 2006, she was admitted to Brigham Young University in the United States for further studies with excellent results, opening a new chapter in her life. This is undoubtedly a major turning point in fate for the former "Mou Girl".
Love and career are both harvested
While studying at Brigham Young University in the United States, Wei Minzhi met a young man David (Chinese name Liu Jinhui), also from China. Two like-minded young people, encouraged by each other, gradually sprouted a deep relationship.
In 2008, Wei Minzhi and David tied the knot, entered the palace of marriage, and had two lovely children. Today's Wei Minzhi has become an excellent film and television practitioner, and she is also a conscientious wife and loving mother.
In 2010, when Zhang Yimou and the new "Mou Girl" Zhou Dongyu appeared at the premiere of the Hawaiian film together, Wei Minzhi sat quietly in the audience at this time, listening quietly.
However, this is not the case. In that year, the 37-year-old young female director was preparing to write and direct a documentary called "The Miracle Daughter", which was based on her own personal experience.
When Wei Minzhi heard this, she was also excited in her heart. She recalled that under the guidance of Director Zhang, she became the lingering "Mou Girl" in the hearts of the audience by herself.
Today, she not only has a successful career, but also reaps happiness in family life. She sincerely thanked Director Zhang for his valuable guidance back then, which enabled her to move towards a new chapter in her life.
Recalling the past, Wei Minzhi couldn't help but feel emotional. Those students who have starred with her in "No One is Missing" have different statuses. Some people are working hard outside, and some people are still farming in their hometowns.
And now she has been completely reborn, and her life has undergone earth-shaking changes. She deeply feels that she is indeed the darling of fate, and if it were not for the key guidance of director Zhang Yimou, her life trajectory would have been completely different.
Life Inspiration
Wei's life story is undoubtedly an inspiring story. From an ordinary country girl to a star in the film industry, and now to an excellent film and television worker, her life trajectory can be described as ups and downs.
But it was this experience that made her more determined to move towards her own life path.
When 13-year-old Wei Minzhi became famous overnight because of a movie, many people were shocked and envious. But director Zhang Yimou had insight into the problem of this girl's lack of formal training.
He sincerely suggested that Wei Minzhi should concentrate on studying, instead of rashly devoting himself to the entertainment industry. For a young girl who has not yet fully understood society, this is undoubtedly a slap in the face.
However, Wei Minzhi did not give up on his dream because of this. On the contrary, she chose to tenaciously accept Director Zhang's suggestion, resolutely gave up the invitation from all walks of life, and devoted herself to learning.
At this critical moment, the warm invitation of Shijiazhuang Elite High School gave her great support and encouragement. Since then, this former "Mou Girl" has started a new path of study, and finally successfully admitted to the University of International Business and Economics.
During her college years, Wei Minzhi continued to enrich herself, transforming from a simple performance enthusiast to a professional film and television worker. In 2006, she began a new chapter in her overseas studies by receiving a full scholarship to Brigham Young University in the United States for her outstanding English skills.
This has undoubtedly added new possibilities to her life.
Looking back on the past, Wei Minzhi couldn't help but feel a lot of emotion. If she hadn't accepted director Zhang Yimou's advice and had instead devoted herself to the entertainment industry, what would her life be like? Maybe she would have become a famous star, but she might have lost her way in the endless pursuit of fame and fortune.
However, it was Director Zhang's key guidance that allowed this ordinary rural girl to find the right path to self-achievement.
As a netizen said, although the movie gave Wei Minzhi inspiration, it was her own choice that really determined where she went. At the critical moment of her choice, this young girl chose to arm herself with knowledge and firmly walked towards the other side of her dream.
It is this perseverance that enabled her to finally achieve the transformation of her life.