Teacher's fight for rural girls' education focus of new biopic

"What are the benefits of studying outside your mountain homes? It means that you can take advantage of the opportunities that you would not have had otherwise," said Zhang Guimei, principal of a free all-girls high school in southwest China, as she offered inspiration to her students, most of whom come from poverty-stricken families living deep in the mountains there.

The 66-year-old teacher who has worked in Yunnan Province for over 40 years was awarded the July 1 Medal in 2021, an honor given to 29 outstanding Communist Party members, for her contribution in sending nearly 2,000 female students to colleges from her school.

This year, Zhang is under the spotlight in the new film "Beyond the Clouds," which is scheduled for release on November 24, with veteran actress Hai Qing portraying the respected headmaster.

"I was constantly touched by her selfless devotion during the shooting process," said Hai Qing who traveled on several occasions to the Huaping High School for Girls founded by Zhang in 2008, where she held in-depth interviews with her. "By talking to her and then portraying her, I felt I could better comprehend the meaning of courage, persistence and selfless love."

At a prescreening event recently held in Beijing, 85-year-old award-winning actress Wu Yanshu was among a group of film industry insiders who watched the film more than a week ahead of its official release. She praised Hai Qing's acting, saying: "The challenges were quite obviously there for an actress working along with those ordinary youngsters who had no acting experiences. I really admire your courage. After watching this movie, I think your portrayal of the revered teacher’s selfless dedication is very vivid and reveals the depths of her soul."

"To educate a girl is to change the destinies of three generations. A cultured, responsible mother won't let her daughter drop out of school," is a famous quote from Zhang Guimei, who also watched the film along with her students at a cinema in Huaping County, where the celebrated educator has long been working and living, before founding an all-girls high school with the firm belief that education provides the key to realizing gender equality in the country’s rural regions.

"I was built to be a mountain, not a creek, rising to the high peaks with the small valleys at my feet. I was born to be great, not worthless, standing on the shoulders of the giants, the petty cowards beneath me," is the powerful female empowerment motto of the Huaping High School for Girls that Zhang led her students to recite after watching "Beyond the Clouds."

This motto, which also features in the new biopic, has also been described by some film critics as a message of motivation for anyone looking to fight for what they dream of and believe in.