28th BIFF Fan Bingbing, back from hiatus, says lead role in 'Green Night' was deeply resonating
From left, actor Fan Bingbing, director Han Shuai, and actor Lee Joo-young pose during a press conference for the film "Green Night" in the KNN Tower Building, Thursday. Yonahp
BUSAN ― After years of putting her acting career on hold after a tax evasion issue in 2018, Chinese actor Fan Bingbing is taking on her first lead film since the hiatus, playing the role of Jin Xia in the Hong Kong film “Green Night.”
The actor shared that the female-oriented film especially resonated with her. The crime suspense film by director Han Shuai is invited for “Gala Presentation” at this year’s Busan International Film Festival (BIFF), held from Oct. 4 to 13 in Busan.
“The film features two women, who are completely opposite in terms of their image, personality and life experiences. My character, Jin Xia, is a cautious, quiet woman who keeps many layers of stories inside her. One day, she is attracted to a green-haired girl and over the days she goes through a change of emotions,” Fan said during a press conference in the KNN Tower Building, Thursday.
“I was drawn to the two female characters helping each other. It was touching. The story aligned with my personal issues and stories that I’ve had in the past few years. So it felt even more moving to me.”
“Green Night,” set in Korea, revolves around a Chinese woman, Jin Xia (Fan) who works at the security checkpoint of Incheon Port Passenger Terminal. One day, she meets an unpredictable, free-spirited girl with green hair (Lee Joo-young), who is a drug mule and the girlfriend of a Chinese-Korean drug dealer.
The two polar opposite people go on an adventure away from the harsh realities of poverty and sexual violence.
A scene from the film "Green Night" / Courtesy of BIFF
The film, which premiered at the 2023 Berlin International Film Festival, is director Shuai’s second feature film since her debut feature “Summer Blur,” which won the FIPRESCI Award at the 2020 BIFF.
The director said she wanted to see the two lead actors portraying characters completely different from the roles they previously played.
“I’ve seen two actors’ previous works and their roles in this film are exactly opposite of those. And I felt it would be a really interesting challenge for them. I believe this itself gives audiences a reason to watch the film,” she said.
Fan, who is known for playing strong, straight-forward characters, said her role as an introverted woman facing domestic violence, was interesting yet difficult to create.
“I have done various roles throughout 26 years of my career, which allowed me to grow. Amid that, I was surprised the director offered me the role of Jin Xia. Instinctually, I felt a strong urge to interpret the character,” she said.
“But, there was a gap between thinking about it and putting them into action is not an easy decision. The theme of this film tells women to not be afraid. The story of a woman facing difficulties, handling and overcoming them, and helping other women was something I found very compelling.”