Deng Xiaoping is a documentary drama which opens with the national day congregation in 1984, followed by flashbacks to 1976 when people took to the streets after the cultural revolution ended and wrote on the walls: "Deng Xiaoping, where are you?". The movie brings back major historical moments in the course of China's economic reform, including the resumption of college entrance examinations, launch of a collective production and quota system for rural areas, return of students to the cities, establishment of economic zones, the series of Sino-British talks and the well-known Southern Tour.

Nine years in the making with an investment of RMB$26 million, Deng Xiaoping has collected a number of prestigious film awards including the Best Film and Best Actor Awards in Hundred-Flower Awards 2003, and Special Award for Best Screenplay and Best Makeup in Golden Rooster Awards 2003. Director Ding Yinnan is a celebrated "fourth-generation director" of China. His award-winning works include Sun Yatsen and Zhou Enlai. This movie also marks lead actor Lu Qi's 30th performance in the role of Deng in his 15 years of career in performing arts. More than 150,000 people and 70 government agencies had participated in the shooting of the film.

Director Ding Yinnan cited the selection of historical events as the greatest challenge in making the film. With Deng's vast contributions to modern China, the production unit has to undertake extensive research to decide on the scenes that best depict the life of this legendary man. It was finally decided that the film would be made in the theme of "Xiaoping grows old as China is rejuvenated". Ding paid particular attention to historical authenticity, which was not compromised for drama considerations.

Lu Qi portrayed the young Deng for the first time in 1988 in movie Baise Revolution. Since then, he has played the role of Deng in close to 30 movies including Founding Ceremony, The Final Battle, Zhou Enlai, Chongqing Talks, The Breakthrough and Great March. Lu described Deng Xiaoping as his most testing performance because of his major role in the film and the attempt to play Deng in his old age. It was also a most demanding task for the makeup team to turn 50-year-old Lu into an elderly man in his 80s. Makeup work once took seven hours to complete.

Lu also spared great efforts to study the language and bodily movements of Deng in his latter years. Deng's wife Zhuo Lin and children had offered their first-hand observations in this aspect to help add details to the performance.

The movie received overwhelming response when it was shown in China last year. Critics attached great significance to the film as most other works on Deng were on his early war-time years. However, Deng's most profound influence on China took place after 1976 when the cultural revolution came to an end. His final years were in fact the prime time of his political career. As the events featured were still in the memories of most Chinese people, the movie has spurred a fresh round of critical review of historical events on the Mainland. As noted by an audience in a cinema after the show: "The world has changed and China has been accessed to the WTO - bringing new problems and uncertainties, but Deng Xiaoping's bold initiatives to breakthrough and accommodating approach to reform will benefit China forever."

Mr Shiu Sin-por, Director of One Country Two Systems Research Institute, said: "Hong Kong's unique 'one country, two systems' status is a major legacy of Deng Xiaoping, a great reformer who had also brought China and Hong Kong on a course of irreversible development. The film brings much for us to ponder on."

Key Facts of the Film

Planning	Central Literature Research Center
	Propaganda Department of CPC Committee of Guangdong Province
	Municipal Party Committee and Municipal Government of Shenzhen
Joint producers	Guangdong Broadcasting, Film & TV Bureau
	Propaganda Department of Shenzhen Municipal Party Committee
	Film Channel Program Center
	Pearl River Film Production Corporation
Works of	Pearl River Film Production Corporation
	Film Channel Program Center
Sponsor	Salon Films (HK) Ltd
Website	http://www.southcn.com/ent/zhuanti/dengxiaoping/

About One Country Two Systems Research Institute
The One Country Two Systems Research Institute (the Institute) is a privately-funded research institute, founded in 1990 by individuals who are concerned with the well-being of Hong Kong. It is registered in Hong Kong as a non-profit-making company with limited liability, and has been granted the status of a charitable organization of public interest by the Hong Kong Government. For almost a decade, the Institute had focused its research efforts on public policies in relation to the transition of Hong Kong and the implementation of the Basic Law. After the establishment of the HKSAR on July 1, 1997, the Institute has shifted its focus of research to major social and economic issues of the SAR, as well as economic collaboration between the HKSAR and its neighboring areas, particularly, the Mainland. It continues to serve as a non-government public policy think tank.

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