ThemovieisaboutaFrenchsportsteachernamedAnthonywhocomestoalocalQuzhouschoolaspartofanexchangeprogram.Duringhisstintattheschool,hebefriendsthelocalChinesestaff,amongthemaChinesesportsteachernamedJackie,playedbymyboyfriend.AnthonyintroducestheFrenchsportofp茅tanquetoJackieandthewholeschoolandgetshisChinesehostsexcitedaboutthesport,whichinvolvesthrowingmetalballstowardatargetballonacourt.
ThefilmisacomedyaboutEast-meetsWestandinterculturalfriendshipsthatarefosteredthroughsport.Despiteinitialslipupsandcross-culturalmisunderstandings,AnthonyeventuallyforgesclosetiestothelocalChinesecommunity.
FilminglocationsincludedtheQuzhouNo.2HighSchool,theQuzhouConfuciusTemple,whereAnthony鈥檚newChinesefriendsintroducehimtolocalcultureandalocalrestaurant,wherehestruggleswithchopsticksandChinesetoastinghabitsandhasahardtimetryingaQuzhouspecialty,duck鈥檚head.ThemoviealsocontainsreferencestopopularFrenchactorsandtheFrenchpeople鈥檚proverbialloveofromance.
ThefilmwaswrittenanddirectedbyFrenchmanAnthonyGavard,whoplayedthemainrole,theeponymoussportsteacher.HisChinesewifeinreallife,FuHong,alsoplayedakeypartinmakingthefilm,whichcouldbecalledthecrossculturalcouple鈥檚鈥淐hinesedream.鈥漈hecouplehastwoyoungchildren,Oscar,whoheldtheclapperboardinbetweenscenes,andMelody,whocharmedeveryoneonsetandboostedmoralewithhercuteness.
Thefilmemployedsomelocaltalenttoo.Fu,whoisfromQuzhou,doubledasanactressandplayedLily,ateacherenamoredwithallthingsFrenchwhobecomesJackie鈥檚loveinterest.SheandJackiemakeAnthonyfeelathomeinChinaandfamiliarwithChineseculture.Ateacheratthehighschoolactedasthefatherofoneofthestudents,whoisdispleasedthathisdaughterismoreinterestedinp茅tanquethanhermathstudiesandargueswithheronthesportsfield.Someofthehighschoolerswerealsocastinthemoviewearingtheirschooluniform.
Iwassurprisedathowwelltheyperformed,consideringtheywerefirst-timeactors!Inaddition,aprolificlocalactressnamedHanYueqiaoplayedastudent鈥檚wheelchair-boundgrandmother,andIwassurprisedtodiscoverthatshehasplayedbothSoongChingLingandSoongMeiLing(thesisters,respectivelymarriedtoSunYat-senandChiangKai-shek)inpreviousChineseTVseries,amongmanyotherroles.
AFrenchmannamedBenoitwasflowninfromFrancetodothecamerawork.BenoitusedtobeaBroadwayballetdancerinhisyoungerdays.Hehadarelaxedstyleandworkedbarefootdespiterainpuddlesandcaterpillarsunderfoot,obviouslyenjoyinghisChinesesurroundings.GavardgavesomeinstructionsinFrench,whichmademefeelIwasataculturalcrossroadswithChinese,FrenchandEnglishontheset.AsanAmerican,Isatbackandenjoyedtheinterplaybetweendifferentcultures.
Iadmiredtheon-camerachemistrybetweenGavardandtheChineseactors,withthiscreativeprojectbringingthetwoculturesclosertogetherduringthecourseofseveralweeks.GavardremindedmeofablendbetweentheFrenchactorGerardDepardieu鈥檚personalityandtheItalianactorRobertoBenigni鈥檚presencetransportedtoChina;butofcourse,hehadacamerapresencethatwasallhisown.
WhenIvisitedthesetforseveraldays,theyweremainlyfilmingattheschool.ItwasmyfirsttimevisitingaChinesedormitory(theschoolacceptsboarders),completewithfourwoodenbunkbedsandnumberedstoolsineachroom.Ialsoatemealsintheschoolcanteenandwasintriguedbythemetaltrays,whichremindedmeofmystudentdaysbackintheWest.Finally,Ienjoyedtalkingtothestudents,whoseEnglishwasexceptional,consideringtheirlimitedinteractionswithforeigners.
IenjoyedtheQuzhouNo.2HighSchool鈥檚beautifulgrounds,lushvegetationandChinesepondheronsflappingthroughthetrees.AnEnglishteacherattheschoolnamedPhiliptoldme,鈥淵oucanfeeltheharmonybetweenhumansandnaturehere,鈥漈hesamecouldlargelybesaidaboutthedifferentculturesinteractingonset.
TheauthorisanAmericanlivinginBeijingCopyeditedbyLaurenceCoultonCommentsto