Screentime: A Talk With Zheng Kuo

In the biopic of your life, which scene would be filmed in slow motion?
The time I rear-ended a car on the Second Ring Road. I can’t remember what happened exactly. I swerved to avoid a cat and suddenly there was a row of cars stopped in front of me. I didn’t brake in time. It would be nice to see exactly what happened.

And which scene should be filmed as a silent movie?
Every day of my life is a silent movie. I think people experience the same moments and different moments everyday without possessing a channel for communicating them as they happen. It’s like the old silent movies where everything is communicated visually.

Which movie character reminds you the most of yourself?
Noodles in Once Upon a Time in America.

Which character from TV or film would you most like to be?
Bruce Lee. I’m a huge fan. I’m terrible at kung fu but studied his moves from a young age.

What movie do you watch to remind yourself of home?
Platform by Jia Zhangke. Even though I’m from the Northeast, the scenes set in early 1980s Shanxi province really reminded of the atmosphere at home.

What was the first pirated film that you saw?
I remember very clearly when the first pirated VCDs came out. Up until the mid-’90s you couldn’t find movies for sale. You could only get them through friends or contacts. I went all the way to Zhongguancun to get a copy of Waterworld.

If you had your own reality show, what would be the title?
A Faraway Life. I’ve studied many different things and worked in many different jobs. Each of those chapters of my life seem far away from another.

Was there a film or TV show that helped you through a difficult period in your life?
In the ’80s, there was a Japanese show called Shaonü Yiyun, the first Japanese soap opera on Chinese television. I was in high school and under a lot of pressure for exams, studying things I didn’t like. The TV show, about a girl’s love life, gave me a place to escape to. I’ve been trying to find a copy of that show for ages.

Look out for screenings of Zheng’s latest documentary, 798 Station.

A version of this article appeared on page 55 in the April 2013 issue of the Beijinger.