Li Xiaofeng, Nezha

The two girls, Xiaobing and Xiaolu, bond over their rebellious natures, but drift apart during high school. Years later, when Xiaolu tries to track down Xiaobing, she finds that even her friend’s mother doesn’t know her whereabouts.

Born in Anhui province, Li studied filmmaking at Hogeschool Saint-Lukas in Brussels and has also written film criticism under the pen name “Liar”. His debut feature participated in the projects market at Shanghai International Film Festival in 2013, where it received the award for most creative project.

Nezha is produced by Rui Feng (Lacuna) and Shen Yang (Black Coal, Thin Ice) with backing from five companies: Way Good Entertainment, BHBD Culture Diffusion, Engine Capital, Fantasy Entertainment and Smartline Communications.

Why did you decide to make a film about female friendship? 

Superficially, the film is about female friendship, but actually the core of this film doesn’t have much to do with sex or gender issues. Gender was never really an issue when we were growing up in the 1990s. It’s more about two very independent spirits and the interaction between them.

Are you also commenting on changes in Chinese society from the 1990s to the present day?

It’s not a film about Chinese society, but I wanted to depict changes in society through the changes within the two girls; the changes in their relationship with each other, and also between the two girls and their surrounding environment. The ‘90s was a time when old values and new values had some conflict with each other. In our film, we explore three specific value systems – morality, freedom and emotions. We didn’t want to lay too much emphasis on these value systems, but you see them reflected through the background of these two girls as they’re growing up.

Where was the film shot and do you have a personal connection to the locations?

The film is adapted from a novel of the same name by Lu Yao – I adapted it with two other writers. The novel is set in a fictional city in Henan province, but I wanted to set it in Anhui because I was born there and I’m more familiar with the environment.

We chose the city of Wuhu in Anhui because we needed a place that is somewhere between being modern and traditional; urban and rural. The novel is mostly comprised of letters that the two girls have written to each other. What impressed me most about the novel is that the letters reveal the loneliness of the heart and the purity of the soul.

How did you finance the film?

We raised the budget through a small group of friends in the Chinese film industry. Although it’s an arthouse film, we had five companies on board to raise the money. We didn’t want it to look like a low-budget film. We spent seven months in pre-production and spent a long time storyboarding the film. We also have a Dutch DoP [Joewi Verhoeven] and American composer [Drew Hanratty], so it’s an international collaboration.

Is it becoming easier for first-time and independent filmmakers in China?

It’s easy to shoot a film, but finding distribution and being seen by audiences is another thing. Actually now in China, it’s easy to shoot a film if the project passes censorship. In our case it was easier because we submitted the script in Shanghai rather than Beijing. But we need to find a new distribution model for independent films, combining cinemas and the internet. Youku’s new film arm, Heyi Film, has invested in our film, and we’re also talking to China Mobile, so we’ll find a new way. 

What’s next for you?

Nezha has two nominations at the Golden Horse Awards, for best new director and adapted script. I’m also working on another project, a drama mixed with thriller elements, which I’m hoping to shoot next summer.