Chinese dramas and films

The 40-episode drama "Main Character" (主角), produced with the involvement of renowned filmmaker Zhang Yimou as executive producer, will premiere on May 10 on CCTV-1 and Tencent Video.

The series, based on the novel of the same name by Chen Yan, follows the life of a famed qinqiang performer whose career spans more than four decades against the backdrop of China’s reform and opening-up era.

Qinqiang (秦腔, literally "melody of Qin"), to which the series is dedicated, is one of the oldest genres of traditional Chinese opera, originating in the Yellow River valley in what is now Shaanxi and Gansu provinces. In 2006, qinqiang was inscribed on the first national list of intangible cultural heritage of China.

Distinctive features of qinqiang include piercing, powerful vocal lines and an expressive performance style with heavy use of percussion instruments, setting it apart from more chamber-like opera forms. Qinqiang music is characterised by a division into "joyful" and "sad" melodies. The key accompanying instrument is the banzi, a wooden clapper that sets the rhythm; it is from this instrument that the genre derives its alternative name, "banziqiang" (opera with wooden castanets).

The traditional qinqiang repertoire comprises about three thousand stories, drawn from historical events, folk legends and classical tales. Qinqiang is regarded as the forefather of Chinese operas, having directly influenced the formation of Peking opera and other genres.

Leading roles are played by Liu Hao Cun ("The Seven Relics of Omen", "Be Passionately in Love"), Zhang Jia Yi ("Growing Together", "Wonderful Life"), Qin Hai Lu ("Be Your Own Light", "Start Here"), Dou Xiao ("Supersensory Maze", "Kill My Sins") and Zhai Zi Lu ("Her Blaze", "Lost Track of Time"). The drama is directed by Li Shao Fei ("Growing Together", "Fight for Beauty").

To ensure authenticity, filming took place on real locations, with more than 60% of scenes shot on site — from rammed-earth farmhouses to the old premises of a county opera troupe where performers rehearse vocal parts. Dialogues are primarily delivered in the Shaanxi dialect, highlighting regional identity and immersing viewers in the unique cultural atmosphere of Shaanxi province.

The theme song for the series is performed by Faye Wong, whose ethereal voice is often described as a timeless phenomenon in Chinese music. In the track composed specifically for "Main Character", Faye Wong adopts a rare qinqiang technique, seamlessly weaving traditional operatic inflections into a contemporary soundscape.

Executive producer of the drama is Zhang Yimou, a titan of Chinese cinema and a native of Shaanxi province. He is one of the key figures of China’s “fifth generation” of film directors. His debut came in 1987 with the film "Red Sorghum". Three of his films have been nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film: "Ju Dou" (1991), "Raise the Red Lantern" (1992) and "Hero" (2003). "Shanghai Triad" and "House of Flying Daggers" received Oscar nominations for Best Cinematography, while "Curse of the Golden Flower" was nominated for Best Costume Design.

In 2024, Zhang Yimou won the national Golden Rooster Award for Best Feature Film for "Article 20". In 2025, he was named Most Influential International Director of the Year at the Weibo Night ceremony.

Zhang Yimou is far from the only representative of high-end Chinese cinema to have turned to the television format. Earlier, his fellow “fifth generation” director Chen Kaige, known for "Farewell My Concubine" and "The Emperor and the Assassin", served as producer of the eight-episode drama "The Eight" (2020) for iQiyi, set in Paris and early republican China. Hong Kong director Wong Karwai, a Palme d’Or winner for "In The Mood For Love", presented the 30-episode drama "Blossoms Shanghai" (2023), set in Shanghai in the 1990s. The series was a resounding success in China.

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