A scene from the film Song of the Phoenix featuring veteran actor Tao Zeru in the main role. [Photo provided to China Daily]

When River Road, a quiet, beautiful film he funded, grossed less than 1 million yuan in 2014, he did not think of begging the exhibitors.

Even though he is one of the producers of Song of the Phoenix, he has no financial stake in the film. He calls himself "a volunteer producer" who provided resources, including some marketing expenses and his team, as a donation.

Fang's act was for Wu Tianming, the director of the film.

Wu, a renowned filmmaker whose credits include Old Well and Life, a hugely influential work from the 1980s, is widely considered the godfather of China's fifth-generation directors.

When he was in charge of Xi'an Film Studio back then, he broke convention by bankrolling rookies like Zhang Yimou.

For those asking the hypothetical question "Would Wu have knelt for more screenings?" the answer is here－as studio head Wu knelt to beg mediocre peers to not hoard resources so that talented newcomers would have a chance.

Wu died in 2014, a few days after Song of the Phoenix was completed.