Chinese bid farewell to late film director Wu Tianming

Director Li Shaohong makes a speech at the memorial. Photo by Deng Zhangyu / For chinadaily.com.cn

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Despite the chill and smog in the air, many ordinary people also came to say goodbye to Wu, laying wreath and yellow chrysanthemum bouquets outside the hall, among whom were 75-year-old Zhang Shouyi and his wife.

"We had been classmates for three years in primary school and five years in middle school," he told Xinhua. "He is a mild person, talented and persistent."

Zhang was shocked at the news of Wu's death. "He was in good health," he said. "We met every year and he had always been well."

Another old man, 71, only gave his surname as Wang. He lived in Xi'an and was classmates with Wu in the middle school. He happened to be in Beijing while learning about the bad news from newspaper. "Last time when I met him, it was in 2006," he said. "He had his head shaven and appeared energetic. He told us his ambition and I gave him a photo, which made him very happy."

Wang recalled that Wu had his own dreams and didn't like to follow the majority. "We have lots of homework to do at school. When we were struggling with the homework, he was drawing," he said. The retired teacher remembered that there was a cinema around the corner at that time and Wu went there a lot. "Maybe that is why he loved film so much."

Li Miao didn't know Wu in person, but was a fan of his films. "I like his Old Well," said the 31-year-old woman from Shanxi province, adjacent to Wu's hometown Shaanxi. "Many scenes appeared in the film were reminiscent of my hometown,"she said.

Li's major in college was literature and now she worked as an editor in a small film studio. "Wu is a guide for me."