Arriving in Beijing nearly ten years ago, Bao Wei has finally managed to set up his own film workshop. "Now, I can shoot what I really want," he said after just having returned from Sichuan Province where he shot a short film about pandas – which are mainly found in Sichuan Province- for Canon.

38-year-old Bao Wei looks like a mischievous grown-up boy; an exterior that hides a stubborn and persistent man's character underneath.

After ten years of hard work and struggle, Bao Wei (L,1) finally managed to set up his own independent film studio. [file photo]

"I once had a steady job as a civil servant in my hometown of Dalian [a beautiful coastal city in Northeastern China's Liaoning Province]," Bao said, "But leading a life of quiet duty and constant routine was suffocating me. I considered handing in my resignation, but I come from a conservative family. My parents were unable to comprehend why I would give up an enviable job like that."

From the moment Bao resigned, he told himself that from that point on there would be no turning back, no matter how big of a slump his career would get.

"I was once an art student. After resigning, I rented a simple studio together with several friends who shared the same interests. We were drawing there day and night. After half a year, we still hadn't sold a thing and had managed to clean out all of our savings. We faced the problem of mere survival," Bao said.

At that time, Bao realized he needed to find a job to sustain himself and live a somewhat comfortable life. "I opened a store for the leasing of audio-visual products. I have always loved movies, and I had watched over 1,000 movies by that point," Bao said, "'Dances with Wolves', directed by Kevin Costner, is my favorite movie of all time. Like any boy, I too respect great courage and stamina."

Obviously, leading the life of a brave soldier trying to make it on his own in the Wild West would not be the ideal scenario for Bao to indulge in his passion for creation. Therefore, in 2000, Bao went to Germany and studied cinematography at the University of Augsburg.

"The university offered tuition waivers and scholarships. It was a good opportunity to venture out into the wide world. Whilst studying in Germany, I spent all my free time visiting exhibitions and museums. That was just about the happiest time of my life," he said as a brief flash of nostalgic tenderness came over his face.