Not Me follows the internal conflicts of a Chinese family living in Budapest, offering a glimpse into the daily life of a closed community governed by its own rules.

The lives of two siblings, 23-year-old piano prodigy Shanshan and her hedonistic younger brother, Lang, become inextricably linked after an accident and a mysterious supernatural event: Lang's spirit is forced into his sister’s body, sparking an intense struggle for control.

At a post-screening Q and A, Zhang Ge said: "In Hungary, I'm called Chinese; in China, I'm called Hungarian." Asked if the film's "two souls in one body" story stems from his dual identity, he replied that duality exists in everyone's identity, whether one "gets lost in inertia or chooses to make something of themselves".

 "At a certain age, you have to decide what you want," he added.

Zhang, who trained as a photographer and now works in Shanghai directing commercials, cited Stanley Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange (1971) as the film that most inspired his career in filmmaking. He and screenwriter Miklos Magai are already collaborating on their next project, set to be filmed in Budapest’s Chinese-Hungarian community.

Zhang described their partnership as a balance: "I was the sky, Miklos was the earth, channelling the story's abundant energy, ideas, and possibilities into a single narrative and genre."

The lead actors, Cui Sissy and Li Chade, underwent a year of rehearsals before filming. Zhang personally built the film's sets over six months. The two amateur actors noted that their real-life personalities contrasted sharply with their characters, forcing them to learn new ways of behaving, one having to act introverted, the other extroverted.

Producer Kati Csenyi, who previously worked with Zhang on the award-winning 2021 short film Mei Mirage, noted that Not Me is an independent production, made without state funding by a 45-person crew in 33 days. She said the project also aims to shed light on the little-known Chinese-Hungarian subculture of 20,000 people.

The cast includes Benjamin Fuchs and Csaba Polgar, with Csaba Banto as director of photography, Andras Taborosi as cinematographer and Szabolcs Kovari as editor. Mark Bartha composed the score and Janka Szecsenyi was the production designer.

Not Me had its world premiere at the 45th Hungarian Film Week in February and will be released in Hungarian cinemas on May 21.

Photo: Poster of Not Me - Facebook

Source: MTI – Hungary’s national news agency since 1881. While MTI articles are usually factual, some may contain political bias, and readers should be aware that such content does not reflect the position of XpatLoop, which is neutral and independent.

Since the goal of XpatLoop is to keep readers well briefed, right across the spectrum of opinions, MTI items are shared to ensure readers are aware of all narratives within the local media.

XpatLoop believes in empowering readers to form their own views through complete and comprehensive coverage. To facilitate this XpatLoop has a balanced range of news partners, as you can see when you surf around XpatLoop.com

*********************************************************************************************

You're very welcome to comment, discuss and enjoy more stories via our Facebook page: 

Facebook.com/XpatLoopNews + via XpatLoop’s groups: Budapest Expats / Expats Hungary

You can subscribe to our newsletter here: XpatLoop.com/Newsletters

Showcase Your Business to Expats in the Loop:

As an independent portal we’re grateful to all commercial supporters who help keep you in the loop with fresh insights and inspiration. Do you want your business to reach tens of thousands of potential high-value expat customers? If so please contact us here.