For Xu Li, home is where the heart is

You can leave your hometown, but your hometown will never leave you. This sentiment forms the core theme of the recently aired documentary, Where I Was Born and Raised.

The documentary unfolds as Xu Li, a distinguished anchor born in Hunan province, sets out on a journey to visit 10 accomplished fellow townspeople from diverse fields, probing into the profound ways in which memory, experience, and a sense of connection to their hometown persistently shape and define the very fabric of their being.

These fellow townspeople include playwright Liu Heping, vocalist Lei Jia, Zhou Qifeng, an academician with the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Zhou Jianping, the chief designer of China's manned space program, Li Zexiang, an expert in robotics and automation, dancer Shen Wei, painter Li Zijian, as well as other notable figures with roots in Hunan.

The documentary unfolds through their vivid narratives, allowing the audience to experience the cultural richness and historical allure of the province, underscoring the enduring emotional bond that ties these individuals to their place of origin.

"When you introduce your hometown to strangers, it's not just about sharing geographical information. More importantly, you want to convey the stories and the unique character of the region. Your hometown is not merely a location on the map, rather, it is a repository of narratives and the essence of its distinctive identity," says Sun Jijun, the documentary's production supervisor.

Xu was born in Hunan's Jishou city in 1961.

In 1992, she joined the China Media Group as a news anchor, leaving her hometown to settle in Beijing.

The filming of Where I Was Born and Raised became an opportunity for Xu to frequently revisit her hometown.

For her, the experience served as a catalyst, not only in rekindling personal memories of her roots, but also beginning a journey of rediscovery.

Moving from the news anchor desk to exploring the diverse landscapes of both urban and rural areas in Hunan, Xu sees this journey as more than a mere source of novelty.

"It presents a considerable challenge. On one hand, it enables me to engage deeply with the individuals I interview, and on the other hand, the documentary-style filming introduces me to an entirely new method of expression," she says.