Grassroots performers chase dreams of stardom

Fond memories

At night, Hui Xiangyi's bar on Wansheng Street, Hengdian, is always crowded. One wall is covered with autographed photographs of film and TV stars.

Over the years, the bar has witnessed the bustling life of Hengdian, with many customers chatting with friends over a glass of wine, watching projected movies outdoors, and even drawing inspiration from their surroundings.

Hui arrived in Hengdian in early 2000. Initially, he worked as a film projectionist, but then branched out to become a businessman who can also direct and act.

"I have experienced the ups and downs of the film and TV industry in Hengdian, which has now been my home for a long time," Hui said.

He cherishes memories of hengpiao starting work at 4 am amid clusters of floodlights, and free movies being shown every night at the cinema, where these performers dreamed about the future.

Ma Kai was once a hengpiao who lacked professional training. As a rookie director, his first feature movie, The Possessed Exorcism, was screened at the Cannes Film Festival.

"In Hengdian, life has more possibilities," said Ma, who first arrived in the town in 2011. "I never expected there to be such a large film and television base in China," he added.

Ma's time in Hengdian has been like an uncharted adventure for Ma. He meets different groups every day, has taught himself screenwriting, and watches five movies a day. He has greatly benefited from his experience Hengdian, which served as a source of inspiration for his movie.

"As long as you do what you want to do, find a direction, and give full play to your talent, you don't necessarily become a star, but isn't that in itself a kind of success?" Ma said.

Adam Chung-Tai Chan, a veteran action director in Hong Kong, bought a house in Hengdian two years ago, as he had been traveling to the town frequently from Hong Kong.

He has been nominated for Best Action Design at the 53rd Golden Horse Awards in Taiwan.

In 2003, Chung arrived in Hengdian for the first time, along with other film crews. Development of the film and TV industry in Hong Kong was enjoying a golden age at that time, with Chung and his team traveling to Hollywood and major film and TV shooting locations in Southeast Asia.

"The Hengdian development model is different from that of foreign film and television production bases. For example, Hollywood is located in Los Angeles, a bustling city, which is not only the center of the global music and film industry, but also home to the world's top entertainment," Chung said.

"Hengdian used to be just a small town. There was only Wansheng Street and just one restaurant serving Cantonese cuisine," he said.

Since then, the film and TV industry in China has developed rapidly. Chung's friends include more than 20 Hong Kong stars who have settled in Hengdian, which holds a bright future for them.

Liu Shiyun, a Hong Kong art film producer nominated for the Best Art Award at the 33rd China Film Golden Rooster Awards in Xiamen, Fujian province, in 2020, said film and TV professionals from Hong Kong must go to Hengdian when they visit China.

"Hengdian is home to many projects and professional groups. It has obvious advantages, which have seen the industry's production levels rapidly improve," Liu said.

"In Hengdian, an art team comprising 500 or 600 people can work together at the same time, something you don't see anywhere else."

In January 2016, the Dongyang Hengdian Film and Television City Actors Association was established, with the aim of making Dongyang the world's most competitive film and TV industry base.

Since 2016, the local government has introduced a series of policies to offer livelihood subsidies for extras and also provide job opportunities.

In 2018, the Actors Guild enhanced its professional management of extras and launched monthly meetings for administrators and assistants to promptly resolve problems for hengdian performers.

Fang Xiaoying in Hangzhou contributed to this story.