After Years Away from Movie Premieres, Fan Bingbing Surrounded by Warmth

Chinese actress Fan Bingbing appeared at Pavilion Kuala Lumpur on the afternoon of the 10th, to promote her Golden Horse-winning Malaysian film “Mother of the Land.” Over a thousand fans packed the venue to welcome the goddess. As soon as she stepped onto the red carpet, the crowd erupted in screams. She was amazed by the sea of people and responded warmly throughout, waving and making hearts with her hands. Touched, she said, "Malaysia is a very warm place," and with a laugh added, "It's been a long time since I've attended a movie premiere, so it feels a bit fresh."

“Mother of the Land” will premiere throughout Malaysia on May 14th. Malaysian director Chong Keat Aun, along with Fan Bingbing, Taiwanese actor Pai Run-Yin, and veteran Malaysian actress Cai Baozhu attended the Kuala Lumpur fan meet. The event was scheduled for 4:30 p.m., but started about an hour late due to heavy rain. Still, the fans' enthusiasm didn't wane; screams and camera flashes erupted as soon as the team appeared, and Fan Bingbing found it hard to move through the crowd. Chants like "Bingbing is awesome, matchless under heaven" and cheers of "Fan Bingbing is China’s most beautiful actress" echoed at the scene, generating a feverish atmosphere.

Fan Bingbing remarked that Malaysia not only has an abundance of delicious food but also very warm people, making her feel fully supported and encouraged. She joked, “Every time I come to Malaysia, I get to eat a lot of delicious things. This place really is very, very warm. There’s great food, and so many warm friends. I hope people from around the world can come here.” She also expressed her love for Malaysian friends, food, and filmmakers, described everyone as worthy of respect and admiration, and emphasized that “Mother of the Land” is a work of sincerity and hopes for audience support.

Director Chong Keat Aun stated that “Mother of the Land” tells the story of Malaysian soil and hopes that audiences will support the film. He jokingly asked fans, “Do you want to see Fan Bingbing become a Malaysian?” The entire venue responded in unison, “Yes!” Fan Bingbing admitted her role this time is a huge breakthrough from her past image, as she plays a Kedah farmer’s wife, which was a completely new challenge for her. When asking audiences to support the film, she also praised Chong Keat Aun: “He is an excellent Malaysian director whom I greatly admire. Working with the Malaysian team this time has been very moving for me.”

Having not attended a film premiere in a long time, she admitted to feeling excited: “It's been a long time since I've done a film premiere. Today feels very fresh, but also really happy. What I look forward to most is everyone seeing a good story, character, and role. I hope everyone will be less critical and more supportive.”

At the fan meet, Pai Run-Yin and Chong Keat Aun demonstrated a Kedah Malay children’s rhyme from the film, and Pai Run-Yin also recited a segment of Pali scripture. After finishing, he laughed and said, “That's a peace blessing, so everyone please don’t worry!” bringing a fun atmosphere to the scene.