On the evening of December 27, "Flowers", originally produced in Shanghai and produced in Shanghai, with Wong Kar-wai serving as the director of a domestic TV series for the first time, starring Hu Ge, Ma Yili, Tang Yan, Xin Zhilei, Zheng Kai and other actors, was broadcast. Before the broadcast, the main creators gathered at the Peace Hotel, where Mr. Bao was located in the play, to hold a premiere. The main characters on Huanghe Road and Jinxian Road were all present to talk about the people and things in the story of "Flowers".

Hu Ge as Abao

Hu Ge plays the protagonist A Bao in the play. A Bao catches up with the tide of the times, and soon becomes Mr. Bao. Hu Ge explained that in his heart, it is difficult to summarize Abao in one or two sentences, "He is an ambitious person and a motivated person in the Pentium era, but no matter the ups and downs, the most important thing in his heart is friendship." He said It is revealed that Mr. Bao’s emphasis on emotion will also be something that will touch the audience at the end of the series.

Hu Ge said that one of his favorite stills and posters is of Abao walking in the corridor of the Peace Hotel, with his back to the camera. "This photo shows Abao's back. There are many aspects in his heart that are not easily revealed to him. For outsiders, it reflects the complexity of this character and also reflects the charm of this character.”

"Flowers" poster

Mr. Bao has three women who are closely related to him in Shanghai, namely Lingzi, the proprietress of Night Tokyo, Ms. Wang, a staff member of the Foreign Trade Building, and Li Li, the proprietress of Zhizhenyuan.

Character relationship chart of "Flowers"

Ma Yili plays the role of Lingzi, the proprietress of Jinxian Road Hotel in Tokyo at night. Abao describes himself as Zhu Bajie, and Lingzi is Sun Wukong. Hu Ge explained that he described it this way because in the play, Lingzi is very capable. Every time there is a quarrel, Abao loses, and in any case, "it is Lingzi who goes to smooth things over for Abao."

Regarding the relationship between A Bao and Lingzi, Hu Ge said, "Mr. Bao and Lingzi feel very at ease, relaxed and safe together." There is something in Night Tokyo that particularly attracts A Bao. As for what it is, the audience can find it in the play. "To Mr. Bao, Night Tokyo is a bit like a sheltered harbor, while Yellow River Road is like a battlefield."

Ma Yili also affirmed this statement, "After a man fights, he needs a place to rest." In one poster, Lingzi took Mr. Bao to Zhujiajiao to hold a late-night shareholder meeting in Tokyo, and she was still holding some shopping for Mr. Bao. The fermented fermented bean curd and pickled cucumbers, it can be seen that at the same time that the accounts are well settled, Reiko also takes great care of Mr. Bao.

Po and Reiko

Ms. Wang, who works in the Foreign Trade Building, is another trusted friend of Mr. Bao. In a poster displayed at the scene, Mr. Bao is sitting on the roadside with Ms. Wang.

A Bao and Miss Wang

Hu Ge explained, "A Bao and Miss Wang were childhood sweethearts. They were very young when they first met. She helped A Bao with a lot of things." In Tang Yan's own heart, "Miss Wang is very straightforward, principled and has a bottom line in everything she does. , Dare to rush, and be responsible.”

Zheng Kai plays Boss Wei, Abao's rival in the play. He also affirmed Ms. Wang's character, "For export trade, you have to go to No. 27 on the Bund, and you have to find Ms. Wang and Mei Ping, but they are very principled, and customers send hams. They were all thrown out.”

This is Tang Yan's first performance in Shanghainese. Zheng Kai joked that Tang Yan speaks Shanghainese very fast, "Her speaking speed is second only to Fan Tiantian, and she is one of the fastest-speaking actresses I have ever seen." Even I was worried that Tang Yan would not be able to speak Mandarin in time during the match. Tang Yan said that she was also worried about what to do during dubbing. Later, when she actually did the dubbing, she found that as long as she entered the scene and was still the same character, it would be no problem if she acted again.

Tang Yan also said that before joining the cast, she did some homework on the work of the Foreign Trade Building in the 1990s and listened to her parents telling stories about that era. The cast also invited white-collar prototypes who worked at No. 27 on the Bund to tell the actors about it. Talk about history. Dong Yong, who plays a small boss in Hangzhou in the play, said, "No. 27 on the Bund is a witness to the history of that era. All imports and exports must pass through this building."

Xin Zhilei plays Mr. Bao’s important rival: Li Li, the owner of Zhizhenyuan. Speaking of this character, in a poster, Li Li seems to be walking side by side with Mr. Bao. Xin Zhilei explained that in fact, Li Li is always one step ahead of Bao. This is also what the director asked Xin Zhilei to do on the scene, "The director said Li Li It feels like one step to suppress Baozong, one step to suppress him."

A Bao and Li Li

Hu Ge explained, "Most of the scenes with Xin Zhilei were very tense and had a strong sense of confrontation. The director asked Xin Zhilei to give her a sense of oppression and I couldn't let go. It felt like hostility. But as we got to know each other better, I discovered that she There is a long story behind it, and Mr. Bao seems to have seen himself in this story." Xin Zhilei described that Li Li and Mr. Bao are like a pair of magnets, repelling and attracting each other.

In addition to the interpretation of the characters, some interesting anecdotes about roads and food were also told. An important stronghold of "Flowers" in the play is Jinxian Road. Ma Yili explained that this is a very quiet road, "The smell of fireworks is very strong, and everyone is like a family. In addition to Tao Tao, there is Ling Hong, and the landlord Teacher Ge , they all ate like a family in Tokyo at night, especially the popular and warm road." Actors such as Hu Ge, Chen Long and others said that this road provides peace and quiet in the bustle, and they often go shopping. Huang Jue also recalled that the first meal he had in Shanghai was served to him by his good friend Liao Fan on Jinxian Road.

The actors were also served the "famous dish" in the play - Night Tokyo Baozong Rice. This is a simple dish that often appears on the dining tables of a generation in Shanghai, but it is a beautiful childhood memory for many people. Ma Yili, who plays the role of Lingzi, the owner of Night Tokyo, who made this dish in the play, was on hand. She still often eats pao rice for breakfast, "I want to eat pao rice at any time of the day. Every year during the Chinese New Year, when I visit relatives and eat a lot, Be sure to take out the remaining cold rice, soak it in boiling water, and serve it with side dishes. A bowl of rice will make your stomach drop."

Although Director Wong Kar-Wai was not present, the VCR was also transmitted. He said, ""Flowers" tells the story between 1993 and 1994. 1994 was a fruitful year. 30 years have passed. I hope 2024 will be just as wonderful for everyone."

"Flowers" has been launched on CCTV-8 prime time slot at 19:30 on December 27, and will be broadcast exclusively on Tencent Video. Starting from January 2, 2024, Dragon TV and Jiangsu Satellite TV will follow the broadcast at 19:30 every day. Viewers can choose to watch the Mandarin version or the Shanghainese version on different platforms.