"Love Song 1980" had its premiere during the 3rd Hainan Island International Film Festival in Sanya on Sunday. Director and co-screenwriter Mei Feng, as well as producer Liu Jun and Song Yang, shared their thoughts and experiences of making the film.

A love story set in Beijing during the early 1980s, the film was also nominated for the Tokyo Premiere section at the 33rd Tokyo International Film Festival in 2020.

Starring Li Xian, Chun Xia and Maizi, the film is adapted from Yu Xiaodan's novel "The Lover in 1980." It tells the story of a young man and two women in Beijing in the 1980s, exploring how they learn to make life decisions as they deal with the loss of loved ones and face confusion during a time of the great change.

When asked during a Q&A Session after the premiere about the actors' performances, Mei said that they had done quite well and audiences will have a new appreciation of their acting skills.

"We tried to create a very subtle balance, like something chemical, when choosing actors and actresses."

Mei not only wanted to show how college students looked in 1980s Beijing, but also develop a modern sense so younger audiences could relate to them.

The crew filmed in Beijing, Dalian, Sichuan Province and Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region to re-create what it was like back in the 80s in terms of visual and aesthetic concepts, including scenes, clothing and props.

"It was very hard, but still the charm of filmmaking, that we were able to bring the old times back with imagination or through items that came from those days."

What's also noticeable is that the film was shot with a ratio of 4:3, just to get a closer feelings of how the 80s generation looked.

In Mei's words, the film was like a farewell to youth, the city of Beijing as well as the loved ones of life. Such a nostalgic interpretation of love and loss will see more feedback when it hits China's big screens next year.

(Cover image designed by Zhang Zhijie)