Chinese Showbiz 1997: This Director Is All Over the Place

A failed web-drama director is reborn in 1997 as a directing student in the 1996 class at the Beijing Film Academy.

He does the math: This life is in the bag! Win Best Director, make blockbuster Chinese-language films, build up his career and reach new heights. He's already got the script written.

But then...

What? The crew of Spicy Love Soup wants me to play a high school student?

What? A record company heard the songs I wrote and insists on signing me as a singer?

What? Gao Yuanyuan is my co-star, and she likes listening to me sing?

What happened to my directing career?!

Before he can even catch his breath, that movie drags him into the spotlight. He starts acting and singing, leaving him little time to make films.

His teacher says in anguish, "Stop wasting your time acting and singing! Get back to making movies! The school's Hall of Fame (the restroom) is still empty!"