[Busan = E-Daily Starin Choi Hee-jae Reporter] Actress Fan Bingbing cited “whether I can have fun” as her criterion for choosing roles and characters.

Fan Bingbing made these remarks during a press conference for the 31st Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) held on the 7th at BIFF Hill in the Busan Cinema Center in Haeundae-gu, Busan, stating, “As an actress, when choosing a character, I like to play characters who are in danger because such roles are rare.”

Fan Bingbing attended this year’s BIFF with two films: “The Diary of a Mad Old Man” and the short film “She Said.” “The Diary of a Mad Old Man” is the latest film by director Wayne Wang, who has maintained his Asian identity throughout his career in Hollywood. The film tells the story of Utsugi, a stroke patient, who insists on staying home alone with his Chinese daughter-in-law, Shu Shu, while his family is away on vacation, leading to an unexpected turn of events.

Following its screening at the Toronto International Film Festival, the film was hailed as “groundbreaking.” Reflecting on her collaboration with Director Wayne Wang, Fan Bingbing recalled, “When the director approached me, I felt it was a special connection.” She added, “I was impressed by his passion for creating, even in his 70s. The original work itself is a meaningful piece that explores profound themes.”

She also shared a particular anecdote about the director. Fan Bingbing said, “Even though the director is in his 70s, he created his own cinematic world right in front of the monitor,” adding, “While we were filming, he mentioned that this would be his final film, but after we finished shooting, he said he felt he could make more films.”

She also highlighted the characters’ desires in the film. Fan Bingbing explained, “It’s crucial that while their bodies have deteriorated, the characters’ desires remain alive,” adding, “I don’t think we’ve paid much attention to the desires of our parents or grandparents. It made me wonder if we’ve been ignoring human desires and needs.”

She continued, “Even amidst mental breakdown, we see a new spark emerge through the character’s own willpower and desires,” adding, “I think this new spark comes from dangerous relationships. I believe the director portrays this in a black comedy style.”

He also addressed the mixed reactions to *The Diary of a Mad Old Man*. “I don’t think a movie is one-dimensional,” he said. “Some people may like it, while others may dislike it.” He explained his perspective, saying, “It’s about how viewers perceive the elements and changes in the film based on their state of mind at the time of viewing.”

Another film, *She Said*, is a short film by Singaporean first-time director Ivan Tan. It tells the story of Ling, who receives a marriage proposal while hiding a terrible past, and the events that unfold as she confesses her secret.

Fan Bingbing said, “When the producer introduced the director, he described him as an ‘academic’ director,” adding, “It looked really interesting, so I agreed to do it, and I think I had a lot of fun working on this film.”

She continued, “Although the filming process was tough, it paid off with invitations to various international film festivals, including the Busan International Film Festival,” adding, “As a filmmaker, I feel I should support such efforts.”

For Fan Bingbing, the most important criterion for choosing a project was “enjoyment.” She explained, “The main criterion is whether I can have fun with it,” noting, “While encountering good characters and scripts is important, the joy of exploring new characters and scripts—the happy process itself—is what matters most.”

The 31st Busan International Film Festival will be held throughout Busan until the 15th at venues including the Busan Cinema Center, CGV Centum City, Lotte Cinema Centum City, the Korean Film Council’s Standard Screening Room, the Sohyang Theater Woori Bank Hall, and the Busan Viewers’ Media Center Public Hall.