Hi everyone. I’m Zhu Yilong
I act as Mo Sanmei in the film Funeral Family
The story is mainly about the man, nicknamed Sange, and a kid
Sange was in the funeral industry
He met Xiaowen while he was doing the encoffination ceremony for her grandmother
At first
Sange didn’t feel he was important
Until he gradually found he was needed by Xiaowen
And later he realized he couldn’t leave Xiaowen too
They helped each other and grew
He had been numb
Funeral director was not a good job for him
He just did it to support himself
However, after he met Xiaowen
And his father passed away
His attitude towards death and the occupation changed
His father said the funeral industry needed compassion and kindness
The story was set in Wuhan
I was born in Wuhan
Wuhanese are straightforward and passionate
They are down-to-earth
And Sange was a typical Wuhan man
Observing and experiencing are important
We saw a man who looked exactly like Sange
In the parking lot of the funeral parlor
How he walked and talked
I put those features on Sange
I tried to make my acting look less choreographed
I wished it would be natural
And convince the audience
Wuhan is really hot and damp
Steaming hot
I cut a buzz cut for the film
It made me feel quite cool
No. Because that was not me. That was Sange
I would surely... em...
Yeah. But Sange would be totally cool with that
This is my first time to be in a feature film with a kid
Youyou is a clever girl
And she is talented in acting
Because she believes in it
So that makes my responses more real too
Basically, we got along as Sange and Xiaowen
Throughout the whole filming process
After we put on makeup and costumes
We would have breakfast together when we had time
Such as hot dry noodles or rice noodles
I hadn’t thought for too long
Before I decided to take the role
After I talked to the director and producer
The role struck a chord in me
And the theme was rare
I prepared for three to four months
For the role
I didn’t make a U-turn in appearance or character
It was the story that touched me
And it made me feel warm
I think that’s the most important thing
To be honest, when I was a kid
If I saw a store offering funeral service
I would make a detour
I tried to avoid it because I didn’t know about it
Through the film, I know better about the occupation
We came to this world in a descent way
And they can make us leave the world in a descent way too
So I’m now respectful to the industry