On October 18th, after a six-year hiatus from filming in mainland China due to a tax evasion scandal, Fan Bingbing made her return at a press conference for the new movie “Earth Mother” in Malaysia alongside renowned director Zhang Jijian. Fan Bingbing revealed that she had watched Zhang Jijian’s films “Nanwu” and “May Snow” in her early years and admired his directorial style. Last year, during her stint as a tourism ambassador in Malaysia, she took the opportunity to inquire about Zhang Jijian’s contact information. A casual conversation between the two eventually led to their collaboration on this project.
During the press conference, Zhang Jijian expressed his initial awe upon meeting Fan Bingbing: “This woman is so beautiful that in movies, everyone only sees her beauty and overlooks the story.” He mentioned his usual avoidance of actors with strong celebrity presence. However, Fan Bingbing reassured him by stating, “When I appear at film festivals or on the red carpet, I am a star and must present my best self. But in movies, you can treat me like trash, mess me up as you please.” This statement put Zhang Jijian at ease.
In the movie “Earth Mother,” as reported by Malaysian media, Fan Bingbing portrays a farmer and a witch who has lost her husband. To embody her character, she started preparing for the film in June by learning Malay, Fujianese dialect, Malaysian Mandarin accent, Thai script, Pali script, and gained 6 kilograms.
Interestingly, after news broke out about Fan Bingbing filming in Malaysia, a large number of local residents gathered to watch. One passerby, looking at a picture of Fan Bingbing on their phone, couldn’t believe it upon being informed by staff that “she” was in the vicinity: “Doesn’t look at all like her, it’s fake!”
Being a former A-list celebrity in China, Fan Bingbing was asked if she accepted a “friendship discount” to appear in the film. She clarified that in the past, she had taken on roles in art films for a low fee, emphasizing that “the paycheck isn’t the most crucial aspect; it’s the characters that leave a mark in the audience’s memory.” She bluntly added, “Generally, high pay comes with lousy roles. When you’re reluctant to take a role, producers will try to persuade you by offering more money.”
Concerning a significant amount of scenes in the film where Fan Bingbing is shown farming in the fields, Zhang Jijian had initially arranged for a body double with a similar silhouette. However, Fan Bingbing willingly embraced the farming scenes. Prior to filming, they visited Kedah to experience planting rice, where Fan Bingbing finished the task in half a day, “from start to finish.”
In the movie, Fan Bingbing also personally rode a motorcycle through the paddy fields. Zhang Jijian noted, “As the film is set in the 1990s, the crew brought in very old motorcycles. Despite having a stand-in prepared, it was ultimately unnecessary.”
Following the 2018 scandal involving a dual contract and tax evasion issues, Fan Bingbing’s entertainment career took a downturn. Despite complying with the Chinese authorities by paying over 880 million yuan in owed taxes and fines within the stipulated timeframe, she has since faded from the mainland Chinese entertainment scene. Struggling for a comeback in recent years, Fan Bingbing lamented at the Berlin International Film Festival last year, stating, “Not filming for five years is quite cruel for an actor.”
Zhang Jijian revealed that during the pandemic, he completed the scripts for five productions in a row, with “Earth Mother” being the first. He disclosed that post-production work on the film has commenced, with a target release date of July or August next year. Fan Bingbing jokingly inquired, “Will I star in the other four movies?” and urged the director to finish them quickly, playfully saying in Malaysian English, “Then cast me in them, thank you ah!” exhibiting the warm camaraderie between them.