'The One' depicts struggle between family needs, personal ambition

Director Wang Mu's new drama "The One" depicts a coming-of-age story about a hearing girl in a deaf family, drawing emotional responses at advance screenings across China.

A poster for "The One." [Photo courtesy of Beijing Enlight Pictures]

The film, a Chinese adaptation of the 2014 French film "The Bélier Family," follows 17-year-old Yu Yan, who serves as interpreter for her deaf parents and brother. However, when Yu discovers her own musical talent, she finds herself torn between family responsibility and personal ambition.

The original French story also inspired "CODA," the Academy Award winner for Best Picture in 2022.

Director and screenwriter Wang shared his inspiration for the film, saying a theater rehearsal with deaf actors profoundly moved him.

"As a hearing person who didn't understand sign language, I was deeply touched by the performers' radiant smiles and expressive physicality," he said. "This experience showed me how easily boundaries between the hearing and silent worlds can be transcended."

Actor Zhang Jingyi, who plays the lead role of Yu Yan, reflected on her character. 

"While the story revolves around a deaf family, everyone bears unique responsibilities in their own families," she said. "Yu Yan serves as the bridge for communication in her family, but adolescence inevitably brings difficult choices. These growing pains are universal, which I deeply relate to."

Veteran actor Jiang Qinqin shared behind-the-scenes details about building mother-daughter chemistry with Zhang.

"We're both introverts," Jiang revealed, "so initially we struggled to communicate openly. That changed when Zhang Jingyi opened up about her childhood. At that moment, I knew we were truly mother and daughter, and I understood how to nurture this bond authentically."

Jiang added, "Only in an environment of equality and love can we discover our most unique selves."

The cast and crew of "The One" pose for a photo with the audience at the film's premiere in Beijing, April 29, 2025. [Photo courtesy of Beijing Enlight Pictures]

"The One" will open in theaters nationwide on May 17.