An inspiring journey

"Wu had a passion for cinematography since a young age. Once, when he was 19, he built a tiny 'dark room' under his dormitory's bed to develop rolls of film when he was studying in a Shanghai art college," recalls Tian.

Recalling that Wu, as a dedicated filmmaker, always pursued perfection, Tian says he spent a lot of time researching her facial characteristics to find the best camera angles while shooting Dr Norman Bethune, which was released in 1977. Tian plays a supporting character, a Chinese doctor, in the movie.

Aside from Tian, Meng Yu, a 100-year-old soloist from the China Oriental Performing Arts Group, also features in the program. During her talks with the young actor Wu Lei in the show, Meng recalls that she was selected to join a 500-person chorus to perform the Yellow River Cantata in Yan'an in 1939.

"It was my first performance in Yan'an, which redefined my understanding about music," says Meng, recalling that she had the precious experience of meeting Xian Xinghai, the composer of the Yellow River Cantata, who personally guided and instructed them during rehearsals.