Qin Yi: A lifetime of shaping a good role for the screen (struggle for a hundred years to set sail for a new journey ·" People's Artist" National Honorary Title Winner)

Source: People's Daily - People's Daily

In 2019, on the occasion of celebrating the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, a famous performing artist from the Shanghai Film Actors Troupe was awarded the national honorary title of "People's Artist". She is Qin Yi (see above, image of China).

Born in Shanghai in 1922, Qin Yi has loved literature and film since childhood. After the outbreak of the Anti-Japanese War, 16-year-old Qin Yi left her family to go to the front line of the Anti-Japanese War and came to Chongqing. Qin Yi, encouraged by the famous directors Shi Dongshan and Ying Yunwei at the time, entered the Chinese film studio and became a trainee actor, participating in his first film "Good Husband". As for why he wanted to engage in literary and artistic work, Qin Yi slowly realized it after a meeting with Comrade Zhou Enlai in 1941.

"Comrade Zhou Enlai said that your work is very meaningful. Thousands of people, inspired by your songs, have gone to the front line, fought bloody battles, and won victories, you know? "Since then, acting in dramas, making movies, and singing revolutionary songs has been a form of her participation in the revolution in Qin Yi's view." When the enemy plane came, we hid under the chair; as soon as the enemy plane flew away, we came out from under the chair and then played again. ”

Qin Yi chose one thing and lived his whole life. She wrote in the autobiographical essay collection "Running Dragon Set" that from the beginning of the art to today, she has always played no matter what role. When acting in dramas in the 1940s, he acted in everything and often ran dragon sets. Whether it is a drama or a movie, even if there is only one line, or one or two shots, it will be full of emotions and meticulously portray the character as real and touching.

She once said that doing literature and art is not "for making a living", but "for the ideal", which requires a strong spiritual force inside, and the source of strength lies in the people. "As an actor, the ideal that you pursue all your life should be all the touching spiritual strength you get from literature and art, and then give it to others through your own performance." In 1945, after the victory of the Anti-Japanese War, Qin Yi returned to Shanghai, and she successfully created one role after another: the brave child bride in the northern countryside in "Two Springs", fang lin sister-in-law in "Railway Guerrilla", and the resolute scraper worker Ma Lan in "Ma Lan Blossom"... In 1957, Qin Yi starred in new China's first sports-themed color feature film "Women's Basketball No. 5", her beauty and strength, her dare to love and hate for a long time left on the screen of New China.

At the age of 96, Qin Yi said: "I am 96 years old, but I feel in my heart that I am still 69 years old. After becoming a film actor, I don't want to do anything else, and I don't want to give up the work of film. ”

A few years ago, Qin Yi disregarded his age of more than ninety years old, self-financed and self-wrote and filmed the movie "Qinghai Lakeside". At that time, some people were concerned about Qin Yi's health and advised her to shoot in the studio in Shanghai so as not to run. "Artistic creation is inseparable from the truth, and I must shoot on the spot to move the audience and be worthy of the audience." Therefore, regardless of her age and body, she insisted on climbing the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau with the crew members and insisted on working in the front line of filming.

In addition to her high artistic attainment and modest artistic attitude, Qin Yi's love for "small family" and "everyone" also explains her noble character. For decades, she took good care of her son, who was seriously ill, and carried the burden of the family on her weak shoulders.

Qin Yi also said: "From the perspective of big love, you can overcome the difficulties of small love and let yourself have a broader mind." Therefore, when there is a difficulty on one side, she does not hesitate to sublimate her love for her family into a great love for society again and again. She actively participates in various social welfare activities, cares about charity, cares for children with disabilities, and has donated generously and selflessly for many times. After the Wenchuan earthquake, she donated 210,000 yuan successively, and despite the doctor's objections, she went to Dujiangyan to attend the opening ceremony of Shanghai Aid construction primary school shortly after completing lumbar spine surgery. After the Yushu earthquake in Qinghai, she donated 30,000 yuan again and participated in public welfare activities such as the large-scale charity auction of "Praying for Yushu and Loving Pujiang".

Ren Zhonglun, chairman of the Shanghai Filmmakers Association, lamented about Qin Yi: "She has created many excellent roles in her life, the most successful of which is that she has rigorously shaped her own image - an artist with both moral integrity and art. ”

People's Daily (October 29, 2021, 11th edition)