CRI听力:AIDS Romance Film Dispells Prejudice

The film "Love for Life," also known as "Life Is a Miracle," which was released in May 2011 in China, tells a tragic love story between two AIDS-afflicted lovers. It has been selected as one of the ten new Chinese films that premiered at the second China-France Film Festival in Paris which lasts until June 12th.

The film's director Gu Changwei was in Paris for the festival. Starring actress Zhang Ziyi, actors Aaron Kwok and Pu Cunxin, who is also an anti-AIDS poster child in China, Gu also had some people living with HIV/AIDS play leading roles in his film.

"I believe that chemistry can arise between two people living with HIV/AIDS. The process of selecting real AIDS patients to play a part in my film was full of twists and turns. But finally we've made it. With three AIDS patients joining the entire shooting, the film conveys a very realistic, sincere, plain but vivid feeling."

As Gu and his production team scouted for real AIDS patients, many people expressed an interest. But few of them were willing to expose their identities, except the trio, which included a 12-year-old boy named Taotao.

After joining the cast, the three patients lived and worked with them for more than three months, during which they became close friends of the actors and filmmakers.

When Gu Changwei's son visited his father every weekend at the shooting location, he would play with Taotao. And these joyful moments have all been recorded in a documentary called "Together."

"Action always speaks louder than words. By working and living together day and night, we have gained some very different feelings especially because we had meals together. Therefore, we were willing to do something meaningful. I would like to call it a challenge that placed our cast and crew in a reality, working and living with a few people who are living with HIV/AIDS."

"Together," which premiered on 2010 World AIDS Day on December 1 in cinemas in Chinese mainland cities, also helped to promote "Love for Life" at the box office. Gu believes both his films will help foreign audiences understand that Chinese society is on the way to dispelling prejudice against people who live with HIV/AIDS.

For CRI, I'm Xu Fei.