There’s a moving personal story behind Huang Ji’s remarkable feature debut. By Edward Lawrenson
Huang Ji’s heartfelt and powerful drama
Egg and Stone is set in a remote village in southern China and revolves around Honggui, a fragile-looking 14-year-old girl sent to live with her aunt and uncle by parents working in another province. The story, the bright and engaging Huang says, is largely autobiographical; an admission that is unsettling when you realise that her lead character is the victim of terrible sexual abuse.
“The girl’s story is mine,” says Huang. “My movies all relate to my personal experience. My last short, The Warmth of Orange Peel, was about my relationship with my father. If you handle a difficult subject matter, then you can sort of box it in and leave it behind,” she says.
What made the process especially delicate was the fact she’d never before spoken about her childhood abuse, so telling her parents and other relatives – who appear in the movie, which she shot in her home village – was difficult. She adds (this time breaking into English instead of using the interpreter): “I felt shame bringing it up but I now feel I can talk about it.” Her boyfriend, Ryuji Otusuka – who shot the film and is with her in Rotterdam – didn’t know about this either. “We’ve been living together for six years. I want to marry him and have a baby. And so this was an opportunity to tell him”, the director says.
Non-professional Yao Hong-gui gives a remarkable performance playing Honggui. Huang found her at a nearby school. “I went to a lot of middle schools in the area and looked at about 500 girls. Because I’m not a famous director I can’t just hold an audition, so I’d just stand at the school entrance and watch the students as they came out! They all though I was some kind of imposter!”
Huang was impressed upon seeing Yao entering the school and waited until lunchtime to see her again. “I followed her home,” she laughs. “I approached her family and I said I am at the Beijing Film Academy, I’m interested in your daughter, can I eat with you? Chinese people won’t refuse such requests – although they thought I was crazy! But I was just looking at her the whole time during the meal, and then I decided to use her for sure.” What was it about Yao that made her want to cast the teenager? “Her eyes looked really lonely,” Huang says.
The crew consisted just of Huang and Ryuji, who lends the film a sparse, sombre beauty. Ryuji also financed the film himself. Sitting alongside Huang, he laughs: “Originally I was going to make a feature film – I’m also a director – but instead I gave her a chance, and all my money!”
The film is yet to be picked up by a sales agent, but Huang hopes it might acquire one here at the IFFR.
More about Egg and Stone here.