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Why Try to Change Me Now

Berlinale Series 2023
© iQIYI, Inc
An industrial city in north-eastern China in the early 1990s. Work, pragmatism and getting the job done are the values of the age. For people like ambitious cigarette factory employee Dezeng Zhuang, problems are solved with bribes and evenings are spent drinking and doing karaoke. His wife Dongxin Fu, on the other hand, is quiet and shy, a dreamer who escapes reality by delving into her books. She may not be on the same wavelength as her rowdy son Shu Zhuang, but recognises a kindred spirit in her neighbour’s quiet daughter Fei Li, whose mentor she becomes.
However, as different as the two children are, there is a connection between them that begins with a fascination for matches. Then murders start occuring: the manager of the beer factory and his wife are found dead in their flat. A little later, the police discover the body of a taxi driver in his burnt-out vehicle.
Director Dalei Zhang won the Silver Bear in 2021 with his short film Xia Wu Guo Qu Le Yi Ban. In Why Try to Change Me Now, he has created an adaptation of the award-winning novel “Moses on the Plain” by Xuetao Shuang that is as meticulous as it is poetic.
by Yu Gong, Xiaohui Wang, Dalei Zhang
with Zijian Dong, Qing Hai, Tian Qiu, Baoshi Dong, Chen Zhang, Jingdong Liang, Zheng Wang, Haosen Zheng, Xiameng Zhang, Jing Ai People’s Republic of China 2023 Mandarin 175’ Colour

With

  • Zijian Dong (Shu Zhuang)
  • Qing Hai (Dongxin Fu)
  • Tian Qiu (Fei Li)
  • Baoshi Dong (Dezeng Zhuang)
  • Chen Zhang (Xiaodong Zhao)
  • Jingdong Liang (Shoulian Li)
  • Zheng Wang (Bufan Jiang)
  • Haosen Zheng (Younger Shu Zhuang)
  • Xiameng Zhang (Younger Fei Li)
  • Jing Ai (Donghua Fu)

Crew

Creator Yu Gong
Showrunner Xiaohui Wang
Director Dalei Zhang
Screenplay Dalei Zhang, Tao Guo, Rui Xiao, Rongrong Hu, Anyang Zhang, Bo Pang based on the novel by Xuetao Shuang
Cinematography Songye Lv
Editing Ching-Sung Liao
Music Hanno Yoshihiro
Sound Gang Hao
Costumes Lingyuan Kong
Production Design Zhiqiang Lan
Line Producers Zirui Yuan, Weichen Shang
Producer Kang Qi
Executive Producer Yinan Diao

World sales

iQIYI, Inc

Produced by

iQIYI, Inc

Additional information

Broadcaster: iQIYI, Inc

Photos