Director Fei Zhenxiang, a veteran with a filmmaking career spanning over 20 years, said that the new drama represents his first foray into shooting a biographical tale, making the creative process a cherished memory for himself.
Still serving as the principal of Huaping Senior High School for Girls in Huaping county in Southwest China's Yunnan province, Zhang, 67, has maintained a routine of singing with students, engaging in fitness exercises with them, and having a brief conversation every morning, according to Fei.
"She is not in good health and has many chores to handle. Therefore, we utilized the 30 to 60-minute break after the morning routine to converse with her, enabling us to hear stories about the high school," Fei recalled about how they collected valuable information.
Yuan Zidan, the scriptwriter, recalled that her initial reaction upon being invited on board was one of fear and stress.
Yuan was concerned about whether she could successfully balance the entertainment requirements of a TV drama with authentic portrayal of Zhang, a recipient of the July 1 Medal, the highest honor of the Communist Party of China.
Through intensive research, involving retracing the mountain routes that Zhang took to visit the families of her students in remote villages in the past decade, Yuan recalled that she had amassed a wealth of material. This has enabled her to create the protagonist, whom Yuan describes as a powerful woman with a big heart.
