Awards contender 'The Hedgehog' focuses on friendship between misfits

The director and cast of “The Hedgehog,” shortlisted for the Golden Goblet Awards Main Competition, talked about the film’s production at the 26th Shanghai International Film Festival on Thursday.

The drama, based on a novel by Zheng Zhi, is the latest offering from Chinese filmmaker Gu Changwei.

It revolves around the friendship and special bond between a pair of misfits down on their luck.

Chinese actor Ge You plays Wang Zhantuan, whose weird behavior and wacky ideas make him a social outcast.

Wang has only one understanding friend — Zhou Zheng, portrayed by Wang Junkai. But Zhou is ostracized by his family and people around him because of his embarrassing stutter.

Director Gu, whose credits include “Peacock,” “And the Spring Comes” and “Nice to Meet You,” said it wasn't easy for a filmmaker to encounter a good story.

“The film explores the value of an individual through the choices he makes in his life,” said Gu. “I usually imagine how wonderful a person's life can be, and what kind of challenges and difficulties might face him.”

Zheng Zhi, author of the original novel and the film’s scriptwriter, said Gu had added warmth and colors to the original novel which tells a sad story.

“The film is about how a pair of misfits find their inner strength to rediscover their value and direction of life,” said Zheng.

Ge said his character was quite different from all his former roles on screen. He spent a lot of time reading the script and thinking about the character. His diligence and devotion to acting impressed young actor Wang Junkai.

“I learned a lot from Ge during the shooting,” Wang said. “He and director Gu also gave me some advice on how to well portray a stutterer. The role I depict has low self-esteem but he still has a flame burning deep in his heart.”