From Country Bumpkin to Airline Captain

Most farmers tend to their fields, but this one takes to the skies.

In Qiao Liang’s Flying, the eccentric land laborer Liu Baigang abandons his roots in favor of the heavens after teaching himself how to build an airplane. The film soars atop this ridiculous premise and eventually lands on rural China’s quirky yearnings.

See the film at Culture Yard on Jan 13, where the director – a longtime local TV auteur and Beijing Film Academy (BFA) alumnus – will also be present for a Q+A. But for now, please keep your seatbelt fastened and your tray in the upright position. This is your captain speaking, and Qiao Liang will now take our questions.

What inspired you to make a film about a farmer flying?
It was the screenplay writer's idea initially. And to be honest, the first time I saw it, I rejected this script. I didn't think it made sense for a farmer to make a plane. But after researching online I found there are actually many people trying to make planes themselves. It was then that I started to consider this story regardless of the absurdity, and saw the idealism in it.

But Liu’s situation is far from ideal – his neighbors have always called him a lunatic, and the bullying only gets worse when he tries to build an airplane.
People are judgmental, especially in the countryside. They think someone is insane as long as they're different. Many people are stressed out from this and choose a job they don't like or marry someone they don't have true feelings for. They'll often take comfort in thinking, “Everyone is doing the same thing, so why don't I?”

That kind of thinking must drive creative minds like yours crazy. Do you often debate or field questions about fighting conformity with film while lecturing at the BFA?
The most unforgettable and yet disappointing part is the fact that students don't raise questions. The cruelty of real life cut their wings long before they graduated from high school.

What research went into this film, did you talk to pilots and mechanics?
I think if I did talk to any pilots or mechanics, then I wouldn't have believed in this story where a farmer could build his own plane. What I'm interested in is the logic of Chinese farmers - "I want to have a plane but I can't afford it, so I might as well just make one on my own." And of course I like the mother's logic, that her son making a plane is far better than him playing mahjong.

What do you think is a farmer's place in society today?
Although things have improved for them materially, there's still a huge gap in fortune between the western and eastern parts of China. Spiritually, that's degrading for them.

But the farmers also degrade each other in your movie, in the way that they pick on Liu. What were you trying to capture in those scenes?
You'll get laughed at when you do something different. That’s how people deal with the compromises they make to avoid being laughed at by others. This is absurd to me, that idealism would be something that people laugh at. I’m an idealist, just like this film’s hero. So it's not a realistic film, but more like a fable revealing an idealist's inner world.

Event info:
Friday, Jan 13
Film: Flying
A sad, uplifting filmic fable about a farmer who wants to fly. Followed by Q+A with director Qiao Liang. Reservations required: email contact@cultureyard.net or workshop@cultureyard.net, or call. RMB 60. 8pm. Culture Yard (8404 4166)

Photo: Jfdaily.com, http://wenwen.soso.com