In 2008, the Beijing Olympics was an important event and a source of pride for the Chinese people. However, the lip-syncing incident of little girl Lam Dieu Kha at the opening ceremony became a black mark on that year's Olympics, and was also the biggest mistake in director Truong Yimou's career.
At that time, Zhang Yimou let Lam Dieu Kha lip-sync the song "Fatherland Song" on the opening night. Another girl, Duong Bai Nghi, stood backstage and performed for Lam Dieu Kha.
Director Truong Yimou once shared: “The original plan was for Lam Dieu Kha to sing. We all saw that she could sing even though her voice was not very good. But in the end, my crew and I decided to change the vocals because we wanted to bring out the best sound.
I discussed this with the person in charge of international television station NBC. When they looked at little Duong Bai Nghi and Lam Dieu Kha, they both said they liked the little girl in the red dress. My crew and I also emphasized that Lam Dieu Kha is not a good singer and may have to lip-sync. The person in charge of NBC also agreed."
The above performance was considered very successful until the truth behind it was revealed. Public opinion immediately turned away from Lam Dieu Kha and sought out Duong Bai Nghi's information. The lives of two girls attending the opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympics were seriously affected.
As for Lam Dieu Kha, she was heavily criticized, making her artistic career difficult. From a welcomed icon, the audience became harsh and overly critical of Lam Dieu Kha throughout his growth process.
"Olympic little sister" then got caught up in a series of noises, was overwhelmed by scandals or faced false rumors about her personal life...
Truong Yimou did not expect that his decision would be harshly criticized by public opinion, affecting the lives of two little girls. The impact and reaction of public opinion made the top director feel regretful and tormented for many years.
The director of "Red Sorghum" spoke up to explain and take responsibility for himself: "I'm sorry. I'm the one responsible for that entire mistake. I always regret it, because if Lam Dieu Kha's voice used at the event, the girl would not have suffered so much harm. It was the adults' fault, but a little girl had to pay the price for many years."
Although Truong Yimou has claimed responsibility, Lam Dieu Kha is still the center of public attack.
After more than 16 years, until now, public opinion has a more sympathetic view of Lam Dieu Kha.
