Chinese actor and director Wang Baoqiang has directed his second film, “Never Say Never.”
It is based on the true story of children who live in the mountains. Wang plays ex-fighter Xiang Tenhui in the film and trains orphans living on Dalong Mountain to fight. As word spreads, Xiang faces growing opposition. Villagers ask how he can keep these kids safe. How can the kids find their future?
Wang aspires to portray ordinary people. In the film, many of the actors are local, non-professional people.

The children are from different places, and Wang screened thousands of them before making his choice.

“This film relies on these children,” he said. “We had to keep searching if we couldn’t find the perfect match. It had to be genuine.”
Through the film, Wang expresses his own life experiences. A farm boy, Wang struggled to find a foothold in the entertainment industry with no support from family or friends.

“I only relied on myself. I convinced myself there was light and a future ahead and kept going,” he said.

Wang, who found success with his first film, “Buddies in India,” learned the art of filmmaking on his own. As he matures, his views on film keep changing, and he wants to focus on the difficulties that ordinary people face and encourage them to be stronger.

“I hope that those who have hit rock bottom can find some answers in this film,” Wang said.
“Never Say Never” was released on July 6.