"I had been working with the person playing the lead role of Hetian Ying, who appears in every scene. I spent multiple hours over the span of two weeks with this one cast member, due to the complexity and demanding nature of the role. Three days before shooting was to start, that cast member had to pull out due to personal circumstances.

"A meeting was called to discuss a replacement ASAP. The people who had volunteered to make up the completely inexperienced crew, met together to discuss a replacement. They suggested several Chinese names, some of whom I knew but did not think were right. Then someone said, “Lao Qi.” There was an immediate pause and then a chorus of “Lao Qi”, “Lao Qi”, “Lao Qi” in obvious favour of the idea.

"I was assured that I would recognize Lao Qi when I saw him, and they were all very convinced that he was the guy for the role. I asked to meet with him, he was cast, and this turned out to be a brilliant suggestion, as he was not only perfect for the role, but also has a natural gift as an actor. What I still find amazing is that he had never acted before Sandstorm, not even in a school play as a child."

- Producer/Director Michael Mahonen