Silver Screen Dreams, the latest feature-length art film by New Century Films, premiered in Sydney on Nov. 6.
Paul Fletcher MP, Shadow Minister for Science, Arts, Government Services, and the Digital Economy, met with the production team before the premiere, thanking them for coming to Australia and saying that the film illustrates a “timeless, universal message” of “human themes.”
Fletcher said the character who suffers adversity chooses to forgive those who hurt her before, expressing “universal human themes”.
“Forgiveness is a value that is celebrated by every one of the world’s great religions, and there’s a good reason for that,” he said. “It is a timeless message, a universal message, forgiveness, compassion.”
“Bringing such a story to life through the power of film, through the power of the screen, as is done in this movie Silver Screen Dreams… I think is performing a great service. I’m sure that audiences will not only very much enjoy a compelling story, but we‘ll learn, and we’ll take away some valuable lessons.”
Fletcher, who served as art minister in the Morrison administration, said he worked with many filmmakers and that filmmaking takes a lot of time, money, and creative focus.
Lead Actresses: Good Actors Have Moral and Artistic Qualities
Alyssa Zheng, who plays Guo Xinyu in the film and Leah Feng, who plays Lin Meiyue, won awards for best actress at Canada Alternative Film Festival and American Golden Picture International Film Festival, respectively. They both said that truly good actors should have both moral and artistic qualities.
“An actor should not only have good skills, but also good moral character,” said Alyssa Zheng.
Zheng, who played an actress in the film, said she felt from the character that a good performance “must be a manifestation of pure truth, pure goodness, and pure beauty”.
She shared her experience of filming that “in order to bring good, positive messages to the audience, the actors themselves should have such qualities” because “external expressions only cannot move people.”
“Art is endless, so I keep encouraging myself to be a humble person who keeps trying to learn, to be better and purer in all aspects,” she said.
Leah Feng said that a good actor “should not only improve herself in terms of skills but also in terms of character” so that she can really “pass on positive energy and goodness to the audience”.
Audience Moved To Tears
The two consecutive screenings of the film in Australia deeply touched the audience.Robert Balzola, a solicitor, said that he was moved to tears by the kindness of the actress in the film.
“At the very end of the movie, towards the ultimate climax, the reconciliation,” he said. “That point, where the tide turns through forbearance and forgiveness at that critical moment; What was an openly hostile, irreconcilably hostile situation is broken.”
“100 percent performance. I can’t fault it,” he praised the actress. “She made me cry, and I don’t [usually] cry. I was very taken by it.”
TV Broadcaster: Never Give Up Dreams
Davy Nguyen, the executive producer and director for HeyYa TV, a Sydney-based media company, said that Silver Screen Dreams sends “a very good message” out: “never give up on your dreams.”As a TV and radio presenter, Nguyen said that the film is “very touching” and “very empowering.”
“A lot of people should watch this movie to be able to see that no matter what life throws at you, don’t give up on hope,” he said.
“What’s so empowering about the story at the end, she forgives,” he continued. “I think that is a very empowering message. Sometimes a lot of people do things that upset us or hurt [us], but the power of forgiveness is so powerful.”
“That’s something I took away from this movie today. It’s an amazing film.”
After the premiere of the film, eight members of the cast and crew, who flew from Canada to Australia, attended an audience meeting, posing for photos and sharing a dinner party with the audience.
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