Interview: The cast of Netflix’s Tears on Fire takes us behind the scenes
Developed during the outset of global pandemic last year and aired earlier this May amidst Taiwan’s tense battle against rising domestic COVID-19 cases, Netflix’s Tears on Fire (火神的眼淚) encapsulates the on and off-duty life of those who put their lives on the line to take care of ours.
Tears on Fire starring James Wen, Annie Chen, Austin Lin, and Kuan-ting Liu tells a story that revolves around a crew of firefighters, delivering an honest portrayal of the unexpected challenges they face and their unseen scars. The 10-episode series, which is heartwarming and heart-wrenching at the same time, has sparked thoughts and conversations across the internet throughout its broadcast, coming from not just the audience but also the frontliners themselves and their loved ones.
As Tears on Fire finally arrives on Netflix Malaysia, we caught up with James Wen, Annie Chen, Austin Lin, and Kuan-ting Liu to go behind the scenes of this series:
ON PLAYING THEIR CHARACTERS
Kuan-ting Liu: My character Yi-yang is a man of impulse. The younger me could relate to him, but I think I get wiser as I grow up. [laughs] I too think that that’s the courage in Yi-yang to deal with injustices and challenge the status quo, cause sometimes we have no choice but to take the rather radical path to make changes. Playing this role makes me wonder if I have the same courage to stay grounded to myself as Yi-yang does.
Annie Chen: I didn’t let my parents know when I first accepted this role. They’re going to worry a lot if they know the series is about the fire service. However, to my surprise, my family didn’t ask much about the training or question my decision when the news was out. The only thing they asked me was the release date. [laughs] I think that’s the way they show their support to me and I feel truly blessed to have them.
ON THE TRAINING
James Wen: We all went through thorough training in firefighting and first aid skills. You will see our characters come across different tasks in the series, and that’s why we also underwent particular training programs, like, for me, I joined the mountain rescue operation. Annie was trained in emergency child delivery while Kuan-ting studied a lot about fire safety and site security. I think all these training programs had really come together to make us feel safe and able to take things in stride on set. There’s always instructors and educators with us during the filming to ensure our safety and make sure everything is true to life.
Austin Lin: I think it’s quite a different story when it comes to portraying their off-duty life. Firefighters are trained for high-tense emergencies, and most of the time, they have to face extreme danger and death with no fear. My character Zhi-yuan suffers from psychiatric disorders due to repeated trauma exposure, and I had met up with a counseling psychologist together with director Tsai to learn more about his PTSD (Posttraumatic stress disorder) before we started filming. That’s also when I came to realise the importance of addressing our own scars and finding ways to express ourselves.
Annie Chen: Unlike (my character) Zi-ling’s encounters in the story, I’m lucky enough to grow up in a generation supportive and respectful of women. Even during my training, I received a lot of help and encouragement from both the female and male seniors at the unit. You could see them so in tune with each other and I’m just so drawn to their teamwork and I think firefighter is definitely a role for all regardless of gender.
ON SEASON 2
James Wen: Season 1 mostly revolves around the obstructive system and the misunderstandings towards firefighters. If there’s a renewal for Tears on Fire, perhaps we can focus on the public safety issue by incorporating some recent incidents happened in Taiwan into the story. I think that will be great for shaping and increasing the tension of the story.
Kuan-ting Liu: We should also throw light on public safety awareness and prevention. Incidents like the Kaoshiung gas explosions and the Formosa Fun Coast dust explosion were so painful and I think understanding and delving into the causes are as important as promoting the knowledge of rescue. [thinks] If there's a chance, I really want to experience and learn more about the international rescue operation.
James Wen: I remember that time when Taiwan sent a rescue team to assist and support Japan after the Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. It will be great if we can bring this kind of humanitarian story to life.
Austin Lin: It has been a challenging year for all of us but things are even tougher for these frontliners. During our training and filming, we witnessed the first aid team at the unit fully equipped with PPE to transport the suspected cases and how they help each other to unload all the equipment and do the sanitising after every duty. I hope their stories could be documented and brought to the screen.
