A new movie explores the private and passionate side of a young Deng Xiaoping. The film's release coincides with celebrations to mark his 100th birthday, writes Michelle Qiao.

Who was Deng Xiaoping's first wife? What exactly was he doing in the 1920s Shanghai? And what tragic event led to years of grief? Film director Li Xiepu asked the audience at the recent launch of his new movie "Deng Xiaoping 1928."

The late Chinese President Deng has been shown in countless movies and TV dramas, generally, as an old man with a calm face and firm manner. Rarely do we see the young, good-looking Deng -- the passionate man.

The new film "Deng Xiaoping 1928" explores the life of the great man as a 24-year-old who has returned from France, full of ideas and ideals. During this time Deng was the general secretary in the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party -- then an underground organization. It's a period in Chinese history known as "white terror" when the Kuomintang regime did all it could to suppress the party. Li says the year of 1928 provides all the ingredients for a dramatic story full of suspense. "Deng's work was very important and he faced danger just trying to keep the committee going," says Li. "Traitors were everywhere. It was hard enough finding a safe place for them to meet, let alone conveying orders to members out of town -- but he did it.

"It was a time when great men were born," he adds. "Deng was a man of action not words. He was practical and realistic. Audiences will see his optimism and determination." Newcomer An Rongsheng from the Wuhan Children's Art Troupe plays the role of Deng and admits he has similar physical features to the former leader. "I happened to cut my hair very short five years ago, and my colleagues all remarked that I looked like Deng. Directors started asking me to perform as young Deng after that," says An. Another important character in the movie is Deng's assistant, played by Hong Kong actor Shawn Yue. It may seem odd for Yue, a pop star best-known for his role in the Hong Kong hit movies

"Infernal Affairs," to play a revolutionist, but "there's a pure quality that Yue shares with Deng, and the import of Yue can largely ensure the box office," says director Li. "I knew nothing about the history of the time but I watched the Czech film `Shanghai 1927' and it inspired me," says Yue. "My character is a naive and simple man who is devoted to the Party."

The movie also examines Deng's first love -- "a red marriage under white terror." In 1927, Deng fell in love with Zhang Xiyuan, a beautiful and gentle woman. They were married a year later but tragedy struck in the summer of 1929 when both Zhang and their newborn baby died just days after suffering problems during childbirth. A devastated Deng was thrown into deep grief and despair, and it took him 10 years before he found another wife, Zhuo Ling. It's a love story and a thriller, but we'll have to wait a few more months before getting the chance to see if these elements revolutionize their opinion of the leader. "Deng Xiaoping 1928" will premiere on August 22, as part of the nationwide celebrations to mark Deng's 100th birthday.

Source: Shanghai Daily