Recently, media reports sparked widespread discussion about Mr. Cui, a 40-year-old mathematics teacher from Henan Province, who invested over 3 million yuan to produce a theatrical film solely to fulfill his cinematic dream.
The film "We Seem to Have Met Somewhere" received a cold reception after its nationwide release on September 11, with total box office earnings of only over 20,000 yuan in its first three days.
On September 17, Mr. Cui posted a video on social media stating, "I am saying goodbye to the film industry, I am saying goodbye to my film dream."
It is understood that he is a senior mathematics teacher who, driven by his love for movies and a film dream held for over 20 years, finally had the means to realize it after achieving career stability.
Last year, he used his personal savings and took out loans, accumulating an investment of over 3 million yuan. Filming took place in Xinyang, Henan. As the film's producer, Mr. Cui supervised the entire shooting process. From project initiation and filming to obtaining public screening permission, the whole process took nearly a year.
According to the film's synopsis: The protagonist, Xia Xue, encounters her campus crush, Gu Zhaoran, and falls for him at first sight but is too insecure to confess her feelings. Her deskmate, Lin Xi, helps her transform and bravely pursue love, staging a "ugly duckling" comeback that ultimately brings her closer to her beloved. Just when it seems the story has reached its conclusion, twists and suspense are only just beginning.
The film had its premiere in Henan on August 22 and was released nationwide on September 11. During the initial release period, cinemas across the country scheduled over 900 screenings, but attendance was low, with first-day box office earnings totaling only over 8,000 yuan.
Subsequent screening numbers plummeted dramatically, with now only around a hundred screenings per day. Total box office revenue after three days remained under 30,000 yuan. Although the film is still showing, he feels powerless to change the situation.
He stated that this journey of chasing his dream plunged him into financial difficulties, not only exhausting his savings accumulated over many years but also leaving him with hundreds of thousands of yuan in debt, significantly increasing pressure from work and daily life.