Director Chen Zheyi Responds to Negative Reviews of "Winter Ignites": Personal Impact Profound

Singaporean director Chen Zheyi, known for works like "Parents Away" and "Tropical Rain," has recently released the film "Winter Ignites," starring Zhou Dongyu, Liu Haoran, and Qu Chuyan. Despite being nominated for the Certain Regard section at the Cannes Film Festival, the film's reception has been polarized, with both positive and negative reviews from the audience.

Chen Zheyi attended a public lecture recently, discussing his filmmaking experiences with the audience. He revealed that the emotional fluctuations caused by the audience's feedback have taken a toll on him these days, resulting in significant emotional impact that he's currently trying to recover from.

Chen Zheyi expressed, "The feedback we've received about this film makes me wonder if we are truly watching the same movie. Even someone like me, who doesn't smoke or drink excessively, and is gentle and refined, has been subject to baseless criticism and attacks. It's truly hurtful."

He emphasized that he always approaches interactions with others sincerely, and trust is built on this foundation. Whether on-screen or off-screen, all the creators involved have undergone a spiritual journey, discovering more possibilities within themselves.

For Chen Zheyi, "Winter Ignites" marks his return to pure artistic creation, aiming to tell the story through pure visual and auditory experiences, adhering to the essence of cinema. He hopes that the audience will interpret the film in a cinematic manner.

He added, "Audiences often seek out plotlines and logic, overlooking the intricate emotional expressions of characters. Some viewers might not be the intended audience for this film. Much of what I want to convey isn't within the dialogue, it's even embedded in the subtext."

"You can criticize its imperfections, but you can't deny its sincerity. The emotional expressions and genuine sentiments within the film are authentic. The three lead actors have delivered their best, most candid, purest, most fluid, and most natural performances in recent years. Unfortunately, these merits might have been overshadowed by the cacophony of opinions."