Interview with Xi Ren, award winning screenwriter of the series pilot script ‘2020‘
Hi Xi! Your script ‘2020’ won the Grand Jury Award in the category Series Pilot Script at the New York International Film Awards last year. Could you tell us more about this project?
It’s a screenplay features dual protagonists and dual storyline. The first storyline in 2020 is about a intersex girl who tries to escape her abusive family in Wuhan during COVID martial law. Another storyline is that the Diamond Princess becomes a floating prison that no one is allowed to leave, and people die in vain because of the bad calls made by government officials and the cruise owner and company. The second protagonist on the ship falls in love with a man without knowing their harsh density destroyed by COVID. Faith and resilience lose their functions, but the peace and kindness in the main characters’ hearts are the only redemptions. Even the second lead dies from COVID-19 on the ship, but she goes to heaven with no regret since she believes women like her will be freed by her God. The intersex girl from Wuhan is freed in inner peace.
Tell us a bit about your background. When did you decide you wanted to work in the film industry?
I was born and raised in Beijing, China, in 1995 and have pursued education in English as a second language in the USA since I was 15. I have been writing since I was a little girl. It all started with my young obsession with the book series, Goosebumps, which inspired me to write my own story in elementary school. It was total luck and destiny that I pursued this interest as a career and a life. Recently, within less than a year before and after graduating from graduate school, from March 2023 to January 2024, I won 8 major awards for 4 screenplays at several internationally renowned film festivals. I want to write social, political, and meaningful movies and TV shows that bring empathy and acknowledgment to the world and give silent people a voice.
Xi Ren screenwriter of the series pilot ‘2020’
Where did you get the inspiration from for creating your story?
At the beginning of 2020, COVID-19 broke out, especially in Wuhan, and the Diamond Princess became the focus of the world’s attention. A lot of heroic people died without leaving their stories behind. I want to talk about them. Also, is there anything worse in the world than the COVID-19 epidemic? This is a question that I always ask myself. My answer is “yes,” it inspired me to expose injustice in Eastern and Western societies. The 2020 script points out a crisis against human rights and a harsh reality for women and people with disabilities.
What did you enjoy the most about writing this script?
The script is about serious women’s rights issues, and I enjoyed making the script extraordinarily poetic and romantic to tone down the sadness. I incorporated a lot of visuals and colors into my writings, making Diamond Princess as beautiful as heaven.
What keeps you inspired to continue writing?
I always believe films and media are ways to educate and bring understanding and sympathy to the audience, our environment, and life. A script is not just what I want to say but what the world needs to hear. This thought keeps me going and creating.
Do you have a dream project or someone you would like to work with one day?
I’m working on a cultural feature script right now. The working title is Don’t Make Autumn Fall. It’s a script exposing the struggle and loss of the Chinese American community. Chinese American community suffers from discrimination uniquely and quietly, and I want the audience to empathize and understand our immigration pain. There are very few movies that talk about this issue, and there are very few people who know about this issue either. Many of us lose ourselves, values, and identities when trying to fit in or blend in with American society. America is a giant melting pot, but our happiness and pride sometimes are the things that get burned. Hopefully, this script can win awards.
What is the message that ‘2020’ conveys?
When nothing works, inner peace and kindness are our only redemption. We can be locked down or sealed in a room; if we have peace in our hearts, we will be free.
What’s next for you? What are you working on right now?
I’m writing another feature script. The working title is Superhuman. It is an action and suspense movie and will be finished in a week. Superhuman is one of my most exciting works because it has many twists and turns. It’s a plane hijack story that includes a lot of interesting, complicated, and suspicious characters, and the viewers have to guess who the perpetrator is and their motive. Once it’s finished, I will also submit it to film festivals, hoping for more significant wins.
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