Chinese actress Song Jia (right) explains her understanding of the role of writer Xiao Hong she portrays in the biopic "Xiao Hong" at a press conference held on Monday, March 4, 2013 in Beijing. [Photo: CRIENGLISH.com/Xu Fei]

A biopic about legendary female writer Xiao Hong debut in China on March 8, International Women's Day.

At a recent press conference, film director Huo Jianqi and actress Song Jia who portrays Xiao, explained their interpretations of her.

CRI's Shen Ting has more.

Xiao Hong is a well-known Chinese female writer of the Republican Era which began in 1912. Her long novel entitled "The Field of Life and Death," or "Sheng Si Chang" is a gripping account of the tortured lives of several peasant women, and is one of the first literary works to reflect Chinese life under Japanese rule.

The biopic, "Xiao Hong" is the first one about her. Director Huo Jianqi explains the film commemorates the 100 anniversary of Xiao's birth and also hits/hit the screen on International Women's Day so more can understand the charm and talent of this unique woman.

Huo said Xiao's romantic life is a key to understanding and appreciating her.

"I feel the real work of Xiao Hong is her life. My interpretation, for example, is that some people cannot understand how Xiao Hong could have fallen in love with another man whilst being pregnant with the baby of her former lover. I think this is a woman who longs for real love, so even when she was still carrying the baby of her ex-lover, she started the new relationship."
 

Director Huo Jianqi (second from left) and actress Song Jia (second from right) pose with a poster for the biopic about famed Chinese writer Xiao Hong at a press conference on Monday March 4, 2013 in Beijing. [Photo: CRIENGLISH.com/Xu Fei]

Chinese actress Song Jia portrays Xiao. Song, a nominee for the Best Actress award at the 15th Shanghai International Film Festival last year, explained why she feels the famous writer's role is important to her.

"The reason that people think she's avant-garde is that she never gave up her pursuit for love and beauty although she was always stricken by poverty and numerous hardships. Her unswerving spirit and strong love of life are the things which touch me the most."

The film focuses on the writer's tragic romance with her two husbands: Xiao Jun, a newspaper editor who once helped her when she was wretched, alone, and pregnant, and later, a husband she re-married Duanmu Hongliang.

However she died at the age of 30, without either of her two loves at her side. This made Huo very sympathetic towards her.

"I think she's really unique. She had complicated feelings and a strong love for life. Her stories made me feel as if we should all have sympathy for her tragedy."

Also released at the press conference was the film poster in which Xiao Hong, Xiao Jun and Duanmu Hongliang all share the same bed. Huo explained during the chaos of wartime, Xiao and her two husbands were forced to live together due to their financial difficulties.

Huo won strong initial praise for his 1999 film, "Postmen in the Mountains." The simple tale of a father and son traveling through the mountains of Hunan delivering mail was a success in China, where it won the Golden Rooster for best film, best director, and also drew critical praise at foreign film festivals.