FROM STARRING IN A FILM GIRLS ON WIRE, WHICH PREMIERED AT THIS YEAR’S BERLINALE FESTIVAL, TO APPEARING IN A BALENCIAGA CAMPAIGN, ZHOU YOU VALUES EXPERIMENTATION OVER TAKING THE SAFE ROAD. PLAYING A FATHER STRUGGLING WITH A DRUG ADDICTION, THE CHINESE ACTOR INFUSES HIS CHARACTER WITH DEPTH THAT REFLECTS HIS NUANCED SITUATION. FOR BTB DIGITAL, HE TALKS TO US ABOUT HIS RECENT VISIT TO BERLIN TO PRESENT THE MOVIE, FASHION’S POWER IN ADDRESSING SOCIAL ISSUES, AND HIS FAVOURITE PLACE ON EARTH.

Left Full look **Prada**
Right Top **Givenchy**

You recently appeared in a movie called ‘Girls on Wire’, which premiered at this year's Berlin Film Festival. What was your experience of screening this movie in Berlin like for you?

Coming to Berlin was of great significance to me. Before going there, I knew that Berlin was a city with a strong artistic atmosphere. During the film festival, I also went to some bookstores and art exhibitions – Berlin is a city with a rich artistic diversity. At the Film Palace, I not only watched my own films but also saw many films from other countries and met many directors and actors that I love. This journey will be unforgettable for a lifetime.

Left Full look **Gucci**
RIght Full look **Alexander McQueen**

What role do you play in this movie, and why did you want to be a part of the story?

I played the role of Tian Jun, he is the father of the female protagonist Tian Tian. He’s a drug addict, and it is a great challenge for me to play him from his youth to his old age. At first, I felt that the difficulty of the character was too high and I tried to reject it. However, with the encouragement of the director and the clear direction of the character, I received the director's trust in my performance. I gathered the courage to try to shape it.

When did you first realize that performance was the path you wanted to pursue? Is this happening over time or out of impulse?

The first time I realized that acting would be my lifelong career was when I was 25 years old. Also, influenced by my father since childhood, I developed an interest in watching movies, and as an adult, I chose to spend most of my weekends watching movies to accompany me. Now, looking at my life trajectory, there is a passage of time and a certain signal in my heart that brought me into the world of cinema.

Left Full look **Prada**
Right Top **Balenciaga**

Which part of the performance did you like the most?

The process of exploring one's inner self.

What role do you want to play next? Is there a type or type of character that comes to mind?

I want to try out more roles and not be bound by any character or movie genre. I see acting as a practice in my life, and the more I try, the more it nourishes me. If I have to choose a certain type of character, I think it would be a person with a disability. I hope to use this type of character to let the public know more about them and give them more love.

Left Full look **Gucci**
Right Full look **Dior Men**

Who are some of the actors you admire? What do you think is the most attractive aspect of them?

My first movie idol was Jackie Chan, and a lot of my family's time was spent watching many of his movies.

Left Full look **Gucci**
Right Full look **Balenciaga**

You have also appeared in a new advertisement for Balenciaga recently - what do you appreciate about the aesthetic created by Demna for Balenciaga during his tenure as a brand?

Bold, avant-garde, and unconventional have a sense of challenge to traditional fashion rules. Balenciaga is not afraid of experimental designs that break through traditional fashion boundaries.

Left Full look **Dior Men**
Right Full look **Givenchy**

What do you think is the most exciting aspect of fashion as a form of self-expression? What clothes do you think look the most like you in?

The art of fashion design consists of many elements, but for me, what attracts me the most is the role it has in expressing various problems and phenomena in current society. Through design, we can express our thoughts and attitudes towards our environments, and trigger people's attention and discussion on social issues.

Left Full look **Gucci**
Right Full look **Givenchy**

You travel all the time. What’s your favourite city in the world?

My favorite city is my hometown of Nanjing, Jiangsu. I grew up there and my parents still live there. I can’t visit it very often because of work, but I often think of the little things that happened there when I was a child.

Interview by Martin Onufrowicz

Photography by Jingxiong Qiao

Fashion by Guillem Chanzá

EIC Michael Marson

Production by Annady Yang at Wookong Chow

Hair & Make-Up by Xulicai