People are like, Make more TV shows director Guo
We would really love more shows like “Da Zhai Men”
Sorry, no can do
That’s my best
You got one good work in your life
Those great writers
They got just one or two representative works of themselves
In recent years, except for eight hours of sleep
I spend 80% of my time writing
“Dou Shi Da Jue Se” is about people I have met
It’s a complement to the characters in “Da Zhai Men”
“Lao Pi is notoriously stingy”
“No, he’s not just stingy”
“I never saw him spend a dime”
“He saves up and takes every penny home”
“He has a big family back there”
“Liao Bu Qi de You Xi”
It’s actually about what I’ve been thinking for decades
My understanding of Peking Opera
“Look, it’s so dark out front”
“It must be their lair”
“Let me go check”
“And kill them all”
I work at least 10 hours a day, usually up to 12 hours
Go to bed at 2am and get up at 10 in the morning
I finish my meal at 11
And start writing as it pasts 12
Until midnight
People are curious, why are you doing this to yourself at this age
But I just can’t let go
I even dream about it
I grew up watching operas
It should be over seven decades since the age of five
I practically grew up in theater
I never want to leave a theater
Peking Opera “Da Zhai Men”, we look at it through modern eyes
So do the actors, as they’ve all watched the TV show “Da Zhai Men”
In Peking Opera “Da Zhai Men”, we have cuff dance
Back then on the street or in shops
People bargain in their cuffs secretly
“Qi Ye, I really can’t accept this price”
“You can’t?”
Roll up the sleeves
Two people haggle over the price with their fingers
And after they finish bargaining
People are surprised at the result
“Nobody wants me, nobody cares about me”
“I’m an orphan without parents”
“You have me”
In the remake play of “Da Zhai Men”
Xiangxiu (the inspiration was drawn from Guo Baochang's mother) has three scenes
I recall her bringing up of me
It's completely different from education today
She didn’t ask me about my homework, I had so much fun, and I gambled
That would never happen today
She said no matter how much you lost
You must maintain your composure
What does it mean? You must be a good loser
If you don’t know how to lose
You can never win
People say, if you can’t make better play than “Da Zhai Men”, then you shouldn’t make anything at all
But my life has to continue, I must do what I want
If it’s what I want, I’d do it anyway
I still write
I’ve been doing what I want for all my life
So it’s a life well-lived