There are more deeper meaning than just a Youth film :)

As I wasnt able to watch it on the movies screen, I had the time to watch tons of BTS and interviews after it was first launched and got to know and understand what is the true meaning of this story illustrated by the directors and acting crew.

It is a production made together with the intent of sharing a meaning which perhaps only after you had experienced it (perhaps only after yours 20s/30s then you can look back and understand) but yet the setting and scenes were illustrating what the current generation of high schoolers (16 - 18 YO) are going through. The director had shared before that his initial start to do a movie like this was because inspired by Zifeng who filmed in his previous movie and some parts of the plots was following the hearts of a 30s as he is 30s but he also realised thru his process of working with Zifeng and Wu Lei - the perspective are different and he was willing to listen to them and changed the plot accordingly. Thus it was a real collaboration between a 19 years old (Zhang Zifeng), 21 years old (Wu Lei) and 38 years old (Director) which have a combination of what is happening in the current generation but the future lies in your 20s and 30s when you looked back and realised what had happened was for your future.

Story - a setting between 2 high schoolers who flunk their high school exams which is the most important exam for the students. They both failed because of their choices made in their life for something they believe they wanted to pursue back then at that age. Chen Chen failed the papers because she wanted her parents to remain the same and be with her. Zheng Yu Xing failed the papers because he didn't attend - as he was too upset with his girlfriend breaking up with him and went to find her to ask for a reason. Because of this coincidence, CC had the golden excuse to lie to her parents and ZYX become her accomplice to this lie. A friendship grew and sparkled in the brightest time of their lives (in our high school). A beautiful journey where they are able to share their deepest secrets with each other and form a bond and trust which they both didn't realized until later. Sometimes, in those age, we don't know whether it is love but we know it is someone whom we trusted the most back then. Through the journey, they brave their greatest fear and learnt to face themselves and grow more mature to be responsible for their acts. Facing the punishment not because they are immature, but because they are mature to face themselves. That is the beauty of growing up.

Setting - definitely it is in a setting which is talking about the current generation which has access to iPhones, electronic dance music, parents busy working, Douyin (Tik Tok). It talks about the current generation which has the ability to express themselves thru social media and also through music, and also the essence of being more forth coming in expressing themselves like the way how they have their own version of logics talking to their teachers. The strange - but yet cold and warm relationships within both families are also displayed. Both Chen Chen and Zheng Yu Xing family isn't something out of the norm - it is definitely very realistic but yet something we don't talk about much. Single parents family and also family which are already strained - the struggles which parents also don't talk about much had shown in this movie.

Twist - A lie which was not meant to hurt anyone, but yet it was meant to protect herself. A friend who was willing to burden the lie together because he also wanted her to feel accepted. A lie which was meant to keep another lie hidden but yet when the truth is revealed, all the truth are revealed too.

Moral of this story - like what the ending says - When will the future arrive? If right here, right now - the one you like happen to like you back, then right now, is the future. The symbol of like / love can be simply defined not just as a person be it a boy or a girl. The symbol of like / love can be career, studies, family, brotherhood, sisterhood, friends, lifestyle, a dream and many other desires we have in life. MING in this story was defined as that like / love symbol but can be in many forms. The one I or you like can be a boy, a girl or a lifestyle I look forward in that future - and when that time comes aka the timing matches - my future is here. Chen Chen found her future by doing what she likes - studying and do well & her mother to be happy, as for Zheng Yu Xing, he had desired a lifestyle and career as a DJ - his excitement brightens up every time he talks about DJ-ing - that was the dream he wanted and desired. Sometimes we don't realise that we may thought we like that person but it can be the lifestyle we want like that person instead.

What I really love the most - the extensive EDM event they created - the stage setting, the drones, the lightings, the props and setup and even the soundtracks which they had got it for the movie is epic! And the non-usual youth plot but yet realistic to the point which is happening in the current state of life. Whatever the teacher says, what ZYX does / says or what CC does or says had all happened in my life before so I can relate so well to this movie and know it is realistic. I really glad there is a breakthrough done for the plot - which is then be able to called "Youth Film of the Year".

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Back to the 1990s!

Our Times (Set Sail : When the wind rises) immediately brings you back into the era of 1990s where IT and internet started to boom during that time. The realistic props, music, scenes zoomed me back to where I personally grew up with Cantonese music and Hong Kong shows, brings me lots of memories of those times.
Props - The props team had put in a lot of thoughts thru the streets, signages, TV, train station, PA system, VCR tapes, cassette tapes, clothing, the different languages used from various parts of china, you can hear the crews speaking in Shanghainese, Dongbei language, Mandarin and even with Leo (Wu Lei) mimic-ing a Hong Kong star as he speaks in Cantonese. So much heart work had brought into this show with the little details.

Casting – loving the teamwork between the 5 of them in Lab 3; very good partners for the show – each of them has their unique character. The brotherhood between Xiao Chuang & Pei Jing Hua really hit it off even though they didn’t start well in the beginning but through the thick and thin of life – they learn to appreciate each other’s strengths and weaknesses in this revolution period in China to bring about changes in their future for themselves and their country. It is a story which tells of the bravery and the courage which China today has achieved through people like them who braves through the fire and the storms.

Love Story – Love relationship built up through the period where females are not known to be independent but it was also a time of change for them to be braver in their choices where they can learn to be more independent and stronger which also paves a way for woman today. Loving the small details that the lovebirds communicate through letters (via mail boxes) and phone calls, seeing each other off at the train stations and watching video tapes in a mini screening room together, walking down a park - Very romantic which hardly we can get to experience in our time of fast communication through text and video calls. The beautiful moments of having to wait for your love ones to send you a message or having to wait by the phone booth for them to return call – heart melts!!

Thank you team for making such a brilliant plot with lots of heart work put into this~

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