Triumph of idealism(2)

It's no secret that Liao holds himself to high standards when it comes to choosing roles. In the art film Ocean Flame (2008), nominated at the Hong Kong film awards and Taiwan's Golden Horse Awards, his role as a pimp led to some extremely bold performances and critical acclaim. He explains that he enjoys this challenge and often seeks out roles that appear difficult and challenging.

Perhaps this is why the role of Zhang excited him, "He is a lot like me. I feel like I too have experienced all that loss and pain myself," he said.

Lead actress Kwai Lun-mei described Liao saying, "He may be a quiet person, but he never stops considering and pursuing what he wants.

"It was very interesting that even when we were just relaxing and chatting, he was always like 'if I turn my head this way, the scene might be better.' He never stops trying to do better," she said.

Quiet dedication

Many moviegoers in China think that Black Coal, Thin Ice is Diao's first work, and are surprised to hear that his previous films Uniform (2003) won the Dragon and Tiger Awards at the Vancouver International Film Festival, while Night Train (2007) won best new director and new film at the Warsaw International Film Festival.

Unlike most films fiercely battling for box office numbers, Diao has dedicated himself to making independent art films that are usually seen by a small audience.

He first came up with the idea for Black Coal, Thin Ice back in 2005. Although it took eight years to produce, Diao never thought of giving up on the film. "Once I started, I couldn't stop," he said.

Chinese author A Yi commented on his Sina Weibo: "Black Coal, Thin Ice proves a very fair truth: The more you devote yourself, the better the harvest."

Joy of success

Of course the buzz surrounding the picture after it won two awards naturally led many to also discuss Kwai's performance. During the award ceremony Kwai was seen both laughing and crying; some say because she lost out on the best actress award.

However, Kwai laughed stating that she never thought about winning an award herself. "I was crying and laughing at the same time because I was so happy that our movie and Liao Fan had won. When somebody gets too happy, sometimes they don't know whether to laugh or cry," she explained.

Although she left Berlin without an award, Kwai reveals that praise from famed actor Leung Chiu-wai, one of the judges at the festival, meant the world to her.

"He told me during the after party that after they saw the film they felt they had finally seen a movie that wouldn't cause China to lose face. He also mentioned that the five actors among the judges commented on my performance in particular. That was really a big surprise for me," said Kwai.