Long coastline at Longwangtou, Pingtan – Where sky and sea merge into one

Pingtan, China's second international tourism island off the coast of Fujian Province and the mainland's closest point to the island of Taiwan, serves as a key pilot zone for cross-Straits integration. Beyond its strategic and tourism roles, the island has recently gained artistic attention—its iconic natural phenomenon "Blue Tears" (a bioluminescent sea glow that lights up coastal waters in late spring and early summer) has inspired a film script that is now standing out and gaining recognition on the Asian cinematic stage. 

Certificate of script Blue Tears for being shortlisted in the Project Pitching Unit of the Asian Art Film Festival

Cover of the film script Blue Tears

The script Blue Tears, penned by veteran screenwriter and painter Wen Ge, has been selected for the Project Pitching Unit of the Asian Art Film Festival, emerging from hundreds of international submissions. Wen Ge, with over 20 years in the industry and well-known works such as Unbreakable Bond and Eldest Sister at Home to his name, traces the inspiration for the script back to an unplanned trip to Pingtan in August 2024.

Photo of stone houses taken by Wen Ge during a field trip to Pingtan

Time-honored stone houses: Carriers of the island's nostalgic memories

"My first visit to Pingtan wasn't for work—I came at a friend's invitation," Wen Ge recalled. "But the island's raw, unfiltered life hit me hard: the endless blue sea, weathered stone houses, fishing rafts bobbing offshore, and fishermen mending nets as the sun beat down. It was a stark contrast to the colorful chaos of my recent art exhibition in Malaysia, and that 'unintentional trip' planted the seed for Blue Tears."

A month later, in September 2024, Wen Ge returned for immersive field research, partnering with Chen Weilü—a Pingtan native working in Macau who served as producer. The pair visited fishing villages, talked to locals, and consulted folk culture scholars to capture the island's unique heritage, from its dialect to the resilience of its residents.

Over six months of polishing, Wen Ge refined the script to center on three generations bound by love and perseverance. The story follows Lin Feng, a local jet ski operator, and Xiao Lan, a woman seeking creative inspiration, as they help an elderly woman named Mother Liao—who is terminally ill—search for her husband. He disappeared over 20 years ago while trying to film the "Blue Tears" phenomenon.

For Wen Ge, the "Blue Tears" are more than a scenic backdrop. "They're like an emotional developer," he explained. "They don't just glow in the sea—they reveal what's in people's hearts: the husband's dedication to capturing beauty, Mother Liao's lifelong wait, and even Lin Feng and Xiao Lan's hesitation to face their own feelings. The script isn't about pretty postcards; it's about the real marks life leaves on this island."

Helming the film will be Liu Bingjian, a renowned Sixth Generation director known for his profound humanistic care and visual poetry. His works have won China's Golden Rooster Award and been selected for the Cannes Film Festival—credentials that align with the script's focus on depth and authenticity.

Wen Ge poses at Pingtan's old cinema.

To bring the "Blue Tears" to life, the team plans to use top-tier visual effects, ensuring the bioluminescent sea is portrayed with the same awe it inspires in real life. The film will also highlight Pingtan's iconic stone houses and the daily struggles of its fishermen, grounding the story in the island's identity.