American actress Zoe Saldana, who portrayed Neytiri in the Avatar film series, has shared her personal journey in performing the role for the latest film, which she describes as more emotional than the previous two installments.
"Avatar: Fire and Ash" was released in the Chinese mainland and North America on December 19, after the much-anticipated sci-fi epic had its initial Chinese premiere at the 7th Hainan Island International Film Festival in Sanya, south China's Hainan Province, on December 8.
Saldana discussed the film in an interview in Hainan with China Central Television (CCTV).
"It's definitely more emotional than 'The Way of Water,' more emotional than Avatar 1. It's the Sully family, not just Jake and Neytiri. They have their children. And they just buried one child. So, they are finding themselves in a place where they are having to pick up the pieces. And they don't really know what they are going to do," she said.
The themes of loss resonated deeply with her, causing her to reflect on her own blessings, she said.
"My life, in 2017, I had all of my children. And my last child was still a baby. He was only four months old. So, getting to experience such joy and happiness in my personal life, and then coming to work to embody the skin of a woman who is absolutely devastated after losing her child was really hard, but I always felt that I had the support," said the actress.
She also praised the ambition and storytelling prowess of James Cameron, writer and director of the Avatar series.
"I do believe that James' stories, though fantastical, are still very relatable. I very much can relate a lot of themes that Jim is highlighting in his film," she said.
Avatar 3 star highlights emotional depth of blockbuster film
Hong Kong's first astronaut lifted off into space on Sunday, sparking a wave of enthusiasm for space exploration in the special administrative region, while inspiring a new generation to look to the stars.
The Shenzhou-23 crewed spaceship, atop a Long March-2F carrier rocket, blasted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China at 23:08 (Beijing Time) on Sunday. The crew members include Lai Ka-ying, the first astronaut and payload specialist from Hong Kong to join a national space mission, whose achievements have motivated many Hong Kong residents.
"I feel so happy and thrilled. This is the first time a Hong Kong astronaut has gone to space, and to see a true Hong Konger, who is also a mother of three, just really touches my heart," said Chow, a local resident.
The successful spaceflight of Lai has especially captivated the younger generation to dream bigger about the future.
"I want to be an astronaut, because I want to discover more things about space," said a young student surnamed Chow.
"I have seen things related to spaceflights of astronauts. I hope when I grow up, I could receive training and go to space myself," said another student surnamed Koo.
To meet public expectations, the Hong Kong Space Museum has updated its space-themed exhibition with the latest development of the Shenzhou-23 mission, extending the display until July 6. Parents are seizing the moment to enrich their children's knowledge.
"At his age, I want him to be exposed to a wide range of information. With all the recent astronaut news, I brought him here specially to see for himself. We will also check out a film about space knowledge at the planetarium. I hope he can get more out of this from an early age," said Cheung, a father.
"We just watched the Shenzhou-23 launch at home with my son last night, and decided to take him to the Space Museum," a mother surnamed Chun shared.
"I saw on TV that so many people were cheering for the launch. When the rocket was launched, fire burst out from its body. I was really happy they succeeded," said Chun's son.
Hong Kong's first astronaut ignites citywide enthusiasm over space exploration
