Chinese Actress Fan Bingbing and Malaysian director Zhang Jian’s new film “Mother Bhumi” officially wrapped up on the 16th, a month ahead of the previously rumored completion date. Fan Bingbing, who had shed her farmer’s attire, bid farewell to Taiwanese actor Bai Runyin and Hong Kong actor Xu Enyi, who played her children in the film. The movie is expected to make its way to international film festivals next year.
According to the American media outlet “Variety,” Fan Bingbing portrays a farmer in “Mother Bhumi,” speaking in Fujianese, Malay, and Thai, and even gained weight for the role. Bai Runyin from Taiwan and Xu Enyi from Hong Kong play her children in the film. The film crew is diverse, and fans are eagerly anticipating the release of the movie next year.
The story of “Mother Bhumi” is set in a village at the border of Malaysia and Thailand, where Fan Bingbing’s character, a farmer, uses exorcism to help villagers with various issues. One day, she encounters a ghost, unraveling the mystery of her husband’s death. Due to the film’s exploration of mystical and horror themes, many movie enthusiasts have high hopes for its potential success at international film festivals in the latter half of next year.
Fan Bingbing’s entertainment career took a nosedive in 2018 when she was embroiled in a tax evasion scandal involving the infamous “yin yang contracts.” Although she managed to settle over 880 million yuan in back taxes, fines, and penalties within the mandated timeframe as per the directive of the Chinese Communist Party, she has since disappeared from mainland China’s entertainment industry.
Struggling on the brink of a comeback in recent years, Fan Bingbing lamented at the Berlin International Film Festival last year, saying, “Not acting for 5 years is quite cruel for an actor.” Seeing no hope for a domestic comeback, Fan Bingbing not only appeared in the South Korean film “Night in Paradise,” which was nominated at the Berlin International Film Festival but also made guest appearances in the Korean drama “The Negotiation” starring Hyun Bin and Son Ye-jin, as well as co-starring with Hollywood star Liam Neeson in “The Ice Road 2.” Reports suggest that Fan Bingbing is displaying ambitions to conquer the international film scene.
According to the Malaysian media outlet “Sin Chew Daily,” director Zhang Jian is known for his efficiency in filmmaking. His first feature film “Nan Wu” was completed in 25 days, and the critically acclaimed “May Snow” which was nominated at the 60th Golden Horse Awards took around 30 days to shoot. “Mother Bhumi” once again finished ahead of schedule, earning praise from fans for delivering high-quality work despite the short production period.