Director Jiang Haiyang
On the 30th, the domestic epic film *The College Entrance Exam 1977* held its premiere ceremony at Shanghai Normal University. This film tells a touching story about a group of educated youth who prepared for and took the college entrance exam in 1977, the year it was reinstated. After a nationwide tour of preview screenings, the creators of the film were even more moved when they spoke about it at the premiere event. Director Jiang Haiyang was choked up several times, making the premiere ceremony particularly emotional.
The director and screenwriter of the film, Jiang Haiyang, is one of the earliest participants in the college entrance exam. After completing the round of touring screenings, what pained him most was that many people from the post-80s and post-90s generations no longer know about that period of history. "Losing memory is the most tragic thing for a country. I'm not against parody, nor am I against blockbusters. However, if 90% of the films on the market are commercial films, can we reserve 10% for works that awaken memories, reflect on history, and soothe the soul! There's something I want to say, even though it might make me sound like a hero, but if this movie doesn't sell well, it's not just a tragedy for our film, but a tragedy for the entire market."
What comforted Jiang Haiyang was that during screenings at several universities, the post-80s and post-90s generations had strong emotional reactions. At Peking University, due to student demand, an additional screening was added. The projectionist at Peking University said this was a scene unseen in the last 20 years. During the nationwide tour of preview screenings, many middle-aged viewers shared their own touching experiences of taking the exam back then. Some broke their own feet on purpose to get a 20-day sick leave for review time, while others hand-copied review materials and sent them to their sisters in the countryside. When Jiang Haiyang talked about these stories at the premiere, young actors such as Wang Xuebing, who played the role of an educated youth in the film, began to secretly wipe away tears.
The emotional atmosphere at the premiere was slightly changed by Sun Haiying's speech. He passionately adopted a "cannonade" stance: "What use is it for those big-budget films to make 300 million or 200 million yuan! In recent years, *The College Entrance Exam 1977* is the only film that has truly moved me!"