“Take Off” director Pengfei talks about entering the Tokyo competition
Director Pengvi’s “Take Off,” which had its world premiere in competition at the Tokyo International Film Festival, represents a continuation and evolution of the director’s artistic preoccupations.
Adapted from Shuang Shuitao’s novel Aviation Pioneer, the film follows Li Mingqi (Jiang Keming), an ordinary worker in northeastern China who inherited his late father’s obsession with aviation – a dream that would span decades and test the limits of his determination.
The story takes place against the backdrop of the dramatic economic transformation that China has witnessed from the 1970s to the present. After a homemade flying machine crashes and leaves his brother-in-law disabled, Li Mingqi and his wife (Li Xueqin) try to rebuild their lives by opening a dance hall in an abandoned factory museum, using a hot air balloon as a tourist attraction. But when his nephew falls seriously ill, Lee is faced with an impossible choice: accept the limitations of his existence on Earth or risk everything for one last journey.
For Pengfei, whose previous films Underground Perfume and Taste of Cedar Flower explored working-class and marginalized communities, the project represents his first literary adaptation – and a deepening of his thematic interests. “I think Take Off combines emotional themes from my previous films, including love and family,” the director explains. “But this film delves into a deeper layer by incorporating the emotional dynamic between individuals and their dreams, which gives the story greater depth.”
The film’s central tension—between the established reality of factory workers’ lives and the transcendent force of escape—demands what Pengvi describes as unflinching honesty. “From the very beginning of the screenwriting process, we were striving for authenticity and honesty in the story, characters and emotions,” he says. “‘Take-off’ contains the element of flight – which represents a dream, and is imbued with a strong sense of romanticism. But what supports this spirit is concrete and realistic life on the ground. Without this foundation, the element of flight will not reach the heart.”
Translating Shuang Xuetao’s literary world to the screen presented unique challenges. “The characters in Shuang Xiuetao’s works are full of humor and wisdom, just like the author himself,” Pengfei points out. “When I read his novels, I often find myself laughing out loud. But the challenge is the strength of his characters and stories – they are like a shot of espresso.”
To understand the source of the emotional material, Pengfei conducted extensive field research in northeastern China, interviewing retired factory workers. “Although they were retired, they reflected on their past with vigor and an undiminished sense of humor,” he recalls. “It inspired me to bring that same sense of warmth and intelligence to the film.”
The casting proved crucial to the film’s emotional authenticity. Pengfei found the lead in Jiang Qiming, known for “Journey to the West” and “Long Season”. “Jiang Qiming is an outstanding and very focused actor, with a certain sense of detachment that perfectly matches how Li Mingqi is described in the novel and script,” says the director. “Even their names sound similar.”
The moment of recognition came during the first fitting of the costume. “When he came out after fitting for his first costume,” Pengfei recalls, “I immediately thought: ‘He’s the guy straight out of the novel.’” The cast also includes veteran actor Jiang Wu, whose natural chemistry with Jiang Qiming required minimal direction. “In the scene where he and Jiang Qiming share a meal, I barely needed to direct at all; Just watching them was really fun.”
Working with cinematographer Lv Songye, Pengfei achieved a major stylistic departure from his previous work. “In my previous films, I often used still shots, but after discussing with him, we decided to shoot Take Off entirely using moving cameras, both handheld and on tracks, keeping the camera as close to the actors as possible to catch their breaths,” he explains.
Production designer Liu Qing, who collaborated with Chen Kaiji and Jiang Wen, added his own touch to the period details. “He is very passionate about that era, and in Take Off, he poured all his memories into the film,” says Benghvi. “Memory itself is a combination of lived experience and romantic imagination.”
For the score, Pengfei returned to Japanese composer Suzuki Keiichi for their third collaboration, despite the language barrier—or perhaps because of it. “I actually see an advantage in that,” the director says. “We communicate in the simplest way possible. For this project, I gave him just one key phrase, ‘romantic dream,’ and he understood that immediately.”
Pengfei’s background includes working with Taiwanese director Tsai Ming-liang on the film “Stray Dogs,” an experience that shaped his filmmaking style. “Director Tsai Mingliang had such a profound influence on me that it took me a long time to focus on my own path,” he admits. “What I learned from him, his seriousness about cinema and his obsessive attention to detail, served me for life.”
When asked about “Forrest Gump” as a point of reference, Pengfei identified perseverance as the common thread, with important differences. “Forrest is probably unintentional, while Li Mingqi is completely conscious,” he explains. “In my film, I chose to depict persistence through an act of abandonment: the character stops talking about his dream and stops thinking about it, but that does not mean that his love is over. In the end, when he is faced with a moment that requires all or nothing effort, he picks up the dream again without hesitation.”
Ultimately, Benghevi sees Take Off beyond its specific setting to address universal questions about dreams and dignity. “Yes, I think this is a mythological story, with a touch of fairy tale in it,” he says. “What moves me is that a dream does not have to be pursued all the time. Sometimes, when you reach middle age and life has exhausted you, a moment suddenly arises that awakens the dream you had in your youth. You may have to pay a heavy price for it, but the question is whether you are still willing to take that step and fight for it. My answer is, I am.”
Looking to the future, the director plans to continue his cooperation with Shuang Xuetao. “I’ve barely scratched the surface of his world,” he says, suggesting that this journey into working-class life in northeastern China is far from over.