"Children in social distress" is a slightly tragic concept, which refers to a group of children who are trapped in difficulties such as disability, poverty, and abandonment. They are still young, but they have already faced many hardships that are difficult for adults to cope wit

"Children in social difficulties" is a slightly tragic concept, which refers to a group of children who are trapped in difficulties such as disability, poverty, abandonment, etc. They are still young, but they have already faced many hardships that are difficult for adults to cope with. They are located in a dark place on the edge of a city. In most cases, most people do not notice this vulnerable group that needs care. Fortunately, a recent reality-themed movie " Wild Children " focused the camera on them.

This film is based on the true story of the "Wandering Brothers" reported in an issue of "Today's Statement" in 2019. This report mentioned a pair of unrelated brothers, 21-year-old Ma Liang and 8-year-old Xuan Xuan. Both of them were abandoned by their mothers when they were children. Later, they witnessed their parents forming a new family. The same life experience made them Hug together for warmth. Although the two are not related by blood, they rely on each other during their wandering and form a special "family" relationship. Ma Liang uses the money he stole to support Xuan Xuan. Although life is difficult, he insists on not letting Xuan Xuan steal, hoping that Xuan Xuan can have a better future. After this episode was aired, the story of the two attracted many netizens. This extremely dramatic story has once again brought the issue of "socially disadvantaged children" to the public.

Director Yin Ruoxin, who once directed "My Sister", decided to use this as a blueprint to shoot realistic themes again, trying to make more people pay attention to this group. Despite the many difficulties encountered and the unsatisfactory final film, "Wild Child" is still very valuable in terms of social significance. In an interview with a reporter from Nandu, Yin Ruoxin revealed a lot of creative ideas and social concerns. In her opinion, only when these social phenomena can be seen can they affect every individual, and the world can change in a better direction. .

Nandu Entertainment: The story of "Wild Child" is based on a report of "Wandering Brothers" in "Today's Statement". In this report, the part you are most curious about is What?

Yin Ruoxin: I read this report myself in the winter, so I would think that there are too many specific moments in their lives to face. Ma Liang had to take care of a seven or eight-year-old child when it was so difficult to take care of himself. I found it amazing that these two people in extreme difficulties could have such a deeply interdependent relationship. I really wanted to pay attention to their experiences and how they became who they are now and how they formed this set of relationships.

Nandu Entertainment: In a real incident, Ma Liang raised a younger brother who was completely unrelated by blood. If you had to give an explanation, as a director, how would you explain the relationship between these brothers?

Yin Ruoxin: I cannot explain the original truth of the matter. My understanding of them is one-sided, fragmented, pieced together, and contains our subjective speculations. But in our current creation, It must be presented in the form of a film narrative. As far as this creation is concerned, first of all, I feel that when Ma Liang saw Xuan Xuan, he seemed to see himself when he was a child. Their situations did have many similarities. This child threw himself at him as an intruder. The possibility of this relationship arises, so that he acts as a discoverer and a passive figure to understand and become more familiar with the child. In this process, he also saw his past bit by bit, and the possibility of a better future that he expected to appear in this child; on the other hand, I wanted to leave some inner feelings for Ma Liang Bottom line, I think that in his heart, he still longs for the initial intimate connection between people. He still hopes to be loved and to take responsibility. So I think the experience of the first intimate relationships in life still remained in his memory, and he projected these expectations onto this child.

Nandu Entertainment: At what point in the movie do you think Ma Liang regarded Xuan Xuan as his younger brother?

Yin Ruoxin: I think Ma Liang’s feelings for Xuan Xuan and the definition of their relationship are uncertain. Even though Ma Liang and Xuan Xuan have a certain close relationship, a feeling similar to that of family, this relationship is still between a relatively strong stranger and a help to a weaker weakling. In such a short period of time, it was unlikely that Ma Liang would identify Xuan Xuan as a relative beyond blood ties, not to this extent. Some of Ma Liang's feelings and thoughts related to intimate relationships were stirred up by this child. In the process of his experience with this child, he gained a sense of responsibility and self-will. These experiences may be more important than the relationships that define them.

Nandu Entertainment: When adapting this film, I noticed that you gave a lot of details to portray Ma Liang. How did you come up with the detailed design of taking lunch boxes away and throwing them in the trash can?

Yin Ruoxin: The prototype character Ma Liang did not leave home until he was a teenager. He actually received education, and he was born after the 1990s, closer to modern young people. Discipline was established in his growth process, he is also a member of our civilized society, and he is also around us in our lives. So this is something that he has learned. Furthermore, I hope that there is some light and order in his heart, and that one day he will have a plan for his life. I also consciously set some details for him. For example, he likes to put green plants in his house. Although many things are second-hand, he will place them in an orderly manner, and his pots will also be distinguished. What is for washing clothes, what is for fetching water, and what is for bathing? He has a plan for life itself. As long as a person is not despairing and has a little hope for life, it will be reflected in his daily life.

So when dealing with the details of eating, I don’t think he is a person who throws away garbage casually. He must know what to throw into the trash can. I feel like this is part of his daily routine.

Nandu Entertainment: Xuan Xuan, played by Guan Zixie , has many scenes of hungry eating, such as licking and sucking fingers. Is this the instinctive reaction of the young actor, or is it designed? What attracts you most about this young actor?

Yin Ruoxin: Eating is the first human need. Xuanxuan is in the stage of transition from infant to child. Infants will cry in order to satisfy their instinctive needs. In Xuanxuan's growth experience, due to the lack of companionship, attention and guidance from the adults around him, he may still retain part of the mind of an infant and toddler, retaining the desire to eat at the bottom of the pyramid, especially in his daily life. The food is very monotonous, so he will be particularly hungry after being exposed to richer food. At this time, he needs to express his true feelings when he just ate it. During the performance, I will also guide the children to perform this kind of desire and joy.

Speaking of the actor himself, Guan Zixie is only 7 years old, so when he eats delicious food, he tries his best to experience the texture and taste of the food, so the natural part is the majority. I just need Just guide him to complete the performance task. It did take five or six rounds to select Guan Zixie, but he was actually my first choice. I only watched a low-resolution video recorded by his family at that time, and I felt that this child was very natural, basically a blank slate, retaining a lot of his nature. In terms of appearance, his appearance is very distinctive, his eyes are very sharp, and his big ears make me feel that he has a wild and animal-like feeling.Later, after several rounds of selection, Guan Zixie's performance in each round was indeed outstanding. In the end, I determined that my first choice would be the final candidate.

Nandu Entertainment: You chose Wang Junkai as the protagonist. Do he have anything in common with Ma Liang?

Yin Ruoxin: None of us have ever seen Ma Liang. The image itself is thorny, hidden in darkness, with a lot of violence and anger suppressed in his heart, and even some cunning. It is impossible to meet an exact same person in life, so the creation of the character itself is also very important. I can feel the Ma Liang I created in some of Xiao Kai's past screen works, so when the first draft of the script entered the second draft stage, I thought of Xiao Kai. By getting to know Xiaokai, I found that his temperament is somewhere between a boy and a young man. He is a little repressed, forbearing and vigilant when he is calm, but when he is cheerful, he is also bright, especially relaxed and bright. That kind of delicate warmth is Xiaokai's advantage. Based on mutual trust, we jointly created this character.

Nandu Entertainment: Da Mao, played by Chen Yongsheng in the film, is also an impressive character. Is there a prototype for this character? Can you reveal more about this character’s backstory?

Yin Ruoxin: The group portrait we constructed in the story, including Uncle Wen and his gang, is fictional. But this part of the fiction was created after I read some non-fiction, real reports, and some situations I learned around me. Through interactions with relevant police officers, she learned that she had come into contact with many cases of young people going astray in crime. There was one thing that shocked me and the producer. There was a child whose family conditions were very good, but he was very rebellious. He went out to the Internet cafe every day, played with various friends, and never came home. Eventually the temptation became too great and he sinned. When the police officers found his parents, they said directly: "We don't want to control him. The more sentences the better, and it would be better not to come out. You can control him for us." After listening, I put the relevant feelings into the character Da Mao. on the body. If his parents came to see him again, how would he face them? Will his parents still come to recognize him? With doubts, I created the image of Da Mao.

Nandu Entertainment: There are several plots in the first half of the movie that use a more cheerful soundtrack. For example, at the beginning, Xuan Xuan was chased by other children, and Xuan Xuan and Ma Liang were looking for and cleaning vacancies. When it came to the house, what was the thinking behind why it was handled this way?

Yin Ruoxin: Music is part of the narrative. I initially thought that it was necessary to truly show their inner emotions at that time. I didn’t want to stand in a distant perspective or look down. I am willing to cherish the time when they get along. When Ma Liang and Xuan Xuan want to build their own home, they are happy inside, and that moment is warm and the sun is bright. I hope to pass on this feeling to The audience conveys their emotional undertones.

When our team was doing Xuan Xuan running and being chased, we also used a cheerful music with a little classical rhythm. When Teacher Gao Xiaoyang and I were making this piece of music, we polished it three or four times before finalizing the key. I needed to create the wildness of a seven- or eight-year-old child, with mostly cheerful parts, but these children didn’t know what they were doing. Approaching violence, thinking it's just a slapstick. Xuanxuan himself sometimes feels that it is a slap in the face, because no one tells him the appropriateness. In fact, Xuanxuan will be afraid in his heart. He will hide at some point or walk in the dark. He will feel worried and afraid. So when I was polishing this piece of music with Teacher Gao, I emphasized adding some sense of danger, especially in the second half. This kind of violence seems to be playfulness between children, but it is very likely to evolve into bullying if it continues.

Nandu Entertainment: This movie focuses on a group of "children in social distress", and Ma Liang is one of them. How did this character embark on a lawless path? Are there any parts that haven’t been filmed yet?

Yin Ruoxin: Before creating the character, I will definitely enrich the historical experience of the character to a great extent. When it comes to presentation, there will be some trade-offs, which part should be used as the bright line and the dark line. I retained some of Ma Liang's musical hobbies, which can be seen from the objects around him, including a guitar, a broken Walkman, and a radio. He would listen to some music channels.

Because he did not have the support of his father and did not have the conditions, he was unable to study music. After he ran away from home, he might have worked on a construction site, or sold songs, or he might have experienced unemployment, lived with his sister, and only relied on some of the money he had saved before... These things may be when I enrich the background of the characters. I thought about it, but in the end I didn’t show it in the film.

Nandu Entertainment: Although Uncle Wen is taking advantage of the children, he does give the children a means of livelihood to a certain extent. How do you evaluate this very abnormal symbiotic relationship?

Yin Ruoxin: When I choose to create a story based on realism, I let myself enter each character and think about their affairs according to each character's way of thinking, rather than letting the characters become a tool for my creation. Or just my alter ego. From Uncle Wen's perspective, he is indeed committing a crime and using some minors to satisfy his own selfish desires. When he was doing these things, he also defined a set of spiritual laws for himself: I give them food and drink, and I actually have a conscience and morality. But he only satisfied the child's basic needs and did not recognize the individual value. This would not be a real home. The symbiosis here was more about the chain of interests, even if he did not do anything very cruel. , but what drives him to do this is profit. I think Uncle Wen will have some wobbly moments, but there's no denying that he's just committing a crime.

"Children in social distress" are " emotional orphans" to a certain extent.

Nandu Entertainment: In addition to parents' failure to raise children, "children in social distress" also have more complex social structural factors such as the urban-rural gap. What are you doing? How are factors considered and weighed?

Yin Ruoxin: Through the group portraits of Ma Liang and Xuan Xuan, including Uncle Wen and his criminal gang, we actually saw the front and back of a city. In an urban village, the population structure and other structures are very complexly mixed together. The children chasing Xuanxuan on the street at the beginning of the movie are actually children in the surrounding shops and they are also in the urban village. In fact, after their parents went out to work, they rarely had time to accompany them. Most of them were free-range and ran freely on the streets. In an era of rapid urban development and population changes, especially when our current living structure and traditional work methods are changing, many people will move outward, trying to move from lower places to higher places. In this kind of flow, there are "children in social difficulties" who are "emotional orphans" to a certain extent. These children who neglect companionship and education may actually enter a gray area. Uncle Wen took advantage of these children and led them into the gray area. I hope these social phenomena can be seen, and they may affect every individual.

Nandu Entertainment: What aspects of thinking do you hope "Wild Child" can inspire everyone?

Yin Ruoxin: The destiny of human beings is closely related. Each of us is connected and related to the people around us. Why does Xuanxuan say "can't see me"? In fact, we don't see them. They are around us in our lives and share the same world with us. Let these children be seen, this is what I particularly hope to convey.If we see and care about it, starting from the spread of each of us, starting from the smallest structure in the family, starting from our intimate relationships, and then spreading to schools and social institutions, we can make this society better. As for the small part of the communication I do through movies, I hope everyone can see it and pay more attention to it.

Written by: Nandu reporter Liu Yifan intern Ling Junxin

Pictures: provided by the interviewee