THOMAS PODVIN’S FREELANCE WORK
Freelance writer - translator - Editor

Roger Spottiswoode, director of Shake Hands with the Devil (2007), James bond 007 Tomorrow Never Dies (1997) and Under Fire (1983), on The Children of Huang Shi.

It's no surprise that Hua Mulan, Liu Hulan, Huang Feihung and Huo Yuanjia are considered heroes in China. But few foreigners have ever received the honor. George Hogg is an exception. During the late 30s and early 40s, this young Englishman single-handedly helped 60 Chinese children to safety during the War of Resistance against Japanese Agression. In recognition of his heroic efforts, the city of Shandan, a remote town on the Mongolian border, erected a statue to remember his deeds.

More recently, the life of this unconventional hero forms the basis for a new feature film, The Children of Huang Shi directed by Canadian-born, UK-raised director-writer-editor Roger Spottiswoode. It took the 63 year-old Spottiswoode eight years to bring Hogg's story to the screen in a tale adapted from a short newspaper story written by journalist James MacManus.

The newspaper account of Hogg's life and death presents a bold, somewhat reckless and youthful Oxford graduate, one with a strong thirst for adventure. In 1937, at age 23, Hogg arrived in Shanghai shortly after the Japanese had seized control of the city. He soon found employment as a stringer for the Associated Press, though his reporting led to his expulsion from China. Not at all discouraged, Hogg managed to return through Korea. Later, in Beijing, he met New Zealand nurse Kathleen Hall, who in addition to her medical duties was smuggling food and medicines to anti-Japanese guerrillas.

In 1938, as the situation in the capital became more dangerous, the pair fled to the liberated areas in northern China. There, Hogg contracted typhus and Hall nursed him back to health. To make a long story short, after a great many adventures, Hogg finally arrived in the Tsingling Mountains in east-central Shaanxi Province, where, in 1943, he was appointed headmaster of a school that had been deserted by its teachers. Hogg soon restored discipline to the remaining students by imposing the strict standards of English public schools. Meanwhile, the children's safety was threatened by approaching Japanese troops. Hogg formed a plan to relocate the school to the safety of Shandan in Gansu Province, 1,100 km away. He salvaged 15 tons of equipment and set off on foot with the children early in 1945. They arrived at their destination ten weeks later, totally exhausted and near starvation (one child died of a heart attack and another was lost on the way). Four months later, Hogg had rebuilt his school, though he later contracted tetanus – an infection he didn't survive.

Spottiswoode's film focuses on its protagonist's character, rather than the era's politics. Indeed, after numerous rewrites, what emerges is a moving tale of survival and compassion. The USD 40 million (RMB 300 million) Chinese-Australian-German co-production features a stellar cast: Jonathan Rhys Meyers (Match Point), Chow Yun-fat (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon), Radha Mitchell (Silent Hill) and Michelle Yeoh (also seen in Spottiswoode's Tomorrow Never Dies). The film premiered in Huangshi City, Hubei Province on March 31 and opens nationwide on April 3.

that's: This is your second film set in Asia, followingthe miniseries Hiroshima (1995), co-directed withKoreyoshi Kurahara. What convinced you to spend three months in China at some very tough locations shooting The Children of Huang Shi?
Roger Spottiswoode (RS): I came across the story of George Hogg about eight years ago when two friends, producers Davina Bellin and Clive Parsons, sent me an early draft of the script. We worked together with writers for another three or four years to get the script right. But it was the compelling story of Hogg and China during a pivotal moment of history that made me want to come to China. In fact, between casting and preparation and then the shoot, I must have spent about a year in China altogether.

that's: What impressed you most during that time?
RS: The huge distances. The vast size [of the country] is hard to take in from the map. What's more, there are cities whose names do not appear on Western maps, or perhaps we just couldn't pronounce their names and so we never learnt them. So it is a country full of surprises. We were also looking for the past and for some cities that were not too altered since the 1930s. Well that was almost impossible. The past is being destroyed and is disappearing so quickly in China; it is a tragedy.

that's: Where did you shoot in Shanghai?
RS: Like so many others before us, we shot at Chedun town, the Shanghai film studio [the Songjiang studio backlot] where we used the Nanjing Road set. We also shot a few scenes in Nanjing itself at a building near Hunan Bridge. While we were shooting in Hengdian [China's largest backlot, in Zhejiang Province], every Saturday evening there would be a five-hour race up to Shanghai to enjoy the good restaurants before they closed.

that's: Many foreign filmmakers have come to China for co-productions, yet most have failed to make a film appealing to both local and international moviegoers. What does your film offer to both these audiences?
RS: Co-productions are designed to help filmmakers work in different countries and raise money internationally, since film finance is extraordinarily difficult. It is an added – and I think completely unexpected – bonus if a film happens to appeal to all members of the co-production partnership. In our case, it's possible that our cast of young actors will surprise audiences in many places.

that's: In the past, some of your work has dealt with politics, for instance, Under Fire and Shake Hands with the Devil, yet The Children of Huang Shi seems decidedly apolitical.
RS: The story of George Hogg in China is not one that demands to be political. What's more, the appeal for me was a character who at an early age was finding himself and his purpose in life. The war closing in around him, the children he was taking care of, all led to an unexpected journey – a new world for them all. It was this story and not the politics that drew me to the film. But at the same time, I have always felt that Europeans have been particularly ignorant of the horrors the Japanese inflicted on China. Just as the Japanese seem ignorant of the genocide their parents committed when they killed 10-15 million Chinese.

that's: You seem to prefer location work (eg., Rwanda for Shake Hands with the Devil) toshooting in a studio.
RS: It's one of the glorious benefits of making films that you travel the world.

that's:How did you convince the two Chinese stars Michelle Yeoh and Chow Yun-fat to join the production?
RS: They loved the script and their characters. I went to them four years ago. They have waited patiently for me to get the money together.

that's: How has Yeoh evolved as an actress since your collaboration in Tomorrow Never Dies in 1997?
RS: She gets better and better.

that's: It's hard to work with children, be it in the US or in China. Here you had to handle 60 of them. Did that add to the complexities of the shoot?
RS: We expected it would be hard to take kids away from home for three months, to travel all over the country, to work in the winter in remote places. But it turned out to be great. The children (aged between 7 and 15) really were wonderful. The experience was amazing and rewarding. I had a second unit and a gifted second-unit director who shot 80 per cent of the scenes with the kids and she had a wonderful time with them and adored them all.

that's: Is theChinese approach to working with children in movies different from that of the West?
RS: Cannot tell you this, but kids are similar the world over.

that's: What visual style did you want to create with director of photography Zhao Xiaoding [Zhang Yimou's cinematographer on House of Flying Daggers and Curse of the Golden Flower]?
RS: We wanted to create a world of muted colors, where the color of people's skin was the most striking part of each frame. It was a completely different approach from the other two films [shot by Zhao for Zhang Yimou]. But what he loves and we shared, is creating a palette of interesting colors and shapes. My Chinese is non-existent, his English is developing and so without our valued intermediary and translator, Wang Xiaomeng, it would have been very difficult indeed.

that's: Peter Loehr has been one of the rare Western producers to help several independent Chinese filmmakers. How did he help you on The Children of Huang Shi?
RS: This was in every way a Chinese-Australia-German co-production. Our crew was more than 95 per cent Chinese; most of our department heads were Chinese. All but one day of shooting was done in China. So Peter and Er Yong [also known as Wang Zhang] were the producers. Post production was made in Germany and Australia and the remaining crew and facilities came from Australia.

that's: George Hogg's life in China was tumultuous and full of hardship. And apparently so was the shoot.
RS: The mountains in winter were a challenge to us every day. Sixty children, four mules and 30 handcarts are quite a handful to put onto a narrow, precipitous trail in the mountains, along with a big film crew. I don't quite know how we did it day after day. But on about the sixth day, when shooting on the most dangerous mountain, it snowed and froze. The next morning our generator was leading the way back to the location in the mountain, 50 trucks and busses behind it. The truck carrying the generator got caught on ice and drifted slowly backwards, plunging 60 feet into a chasm. Fortunately, the driver jumped to safety.

Special thanks to Peter Loehr.

(c) that's Shanghai Magazine
Chief editor: Steven Crane
April 2008 issue

For most Westerners, the name Jacob Cheung Chi-leung probably doesn’t ring a bell. John Woo, Tsui Hark or even Wong Kar-wai may be familiar to cinema-goers, but the accomplishments of this actor-at-heart turned filmmaker are no less praiseworthy.

Indeed, the 47-year-old Hong Kong-born filmmaker has some impressive credits, ranging from 1990’s This Thing Called Love, a delightful comedy about love and marriage, to 1992’s Cageman, a serious study of his native city’s ‘cage-house’ tenants, to 1999’s The Kid, a moving exploration of child/adult relationships. As is evident from even a list as short as this, Cheung emphasizes characterization and strong story telling over action, SFX and other visual excesses. Perhaps because he began his career in front of the camera. More than two decades ago he took acting classes along with such luminaries as Andy Lau and Tony Leung Chiu-wai, followed by years of mediocre roles in mediocre films. Tired of waiting for the perfect part, which, of course, never came, until Lai Shi, China’s Last Eunuch (1986). Since then, he’s tackled nearly every topics as a scriptwriter/producer/director and in almost every genre, from romance to ghost stories.

His latest directorial effort, A Battle of Wits (ABOW), is adapted from a famous Japanese manga Mak Gong/Bokko. It concerns a ‘mohist’, an adept of the Mozi philosophy. Mozi (aka Micius or Mo-Tzu who lived in 5th-4th century BC), argued strongly against Confucianism and founded a school of thought that emphasized universal love, self-reflection and authenticity. In ABOW, the mohist, Ge Li, battles to spare a small country invasion by a powerful kingdom. With a plot like this, ABOW would seem to fit the typical martial art’s or wuxia pian genre, replete with super-powered knight errants. Indeed, it is set in the Zhan dynasty (475 B.C.-221 B.C.), a hero-laden period according to Chinese folklore.

But ABOW is anything but a typical Chinese action film, rather Cheung has produced an ambitious historical work where there is little room for blind heroics. More impressive still, he has cleverly introduced a subtext that echoes events in today’s newspaper headlines. Ge Li’s attempt to bring peace becomes an excuse for war, while his commitment to duty adversely affects the very people he cares for most.

Slated for release on the Chinese mainland this December, the USD 16 million Pan-Asian A Battle of Wits boasts an international cast and crew (the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong, South Korea, Japan and Taiwan) and features many of the big names -- Andy Lau, Fang Bingbing, Nicholas Wu Chi-lung or Ahn Sung-ki.

In our interview with Cheung, he discusses his inspiration, his unwillingness to compromise and the role of world affairs in his current film.

that’s: ABOW is quite complex. How would you summarize the story?
Jacob Cheung: The movie’s about two big powerful countries fighting each other. One country, Zhao, sends 100,000 soldiers to attack another country [called] Yan. On their way, they pass a small country named Liang inhabited by only 4,000 peasants and which can be defeated very easily. The main objective of Zhao isn’t to defeat this small and weak country though it’s [a territory] very easy to conquer. The Liang’s people are thus trapped in a helpless situation and they turn to Ge Li, played by Andy Lau, for protection. As long as Ge Li can defend Liang for one month the country will be safe from [further] attacks. That’s how the story starts.

that’s: Is this the film you had in mind when you bought the rights to Hideki Mori’s and Sentaro Kubota’s Japanese comic book Mak Gong six years ago?
JC: Actually, I’ve been working on this film for eleven years. [But] the first time I read the comic book was in 1990 [after a recommendation from Hong Kong actor/filmmaker Eric Tsang] when I was waiting for my three sons to join me in Canada. I quickly became fond of it; it’s very touching and fascinating. [From the beginning], I wanted to add modern elements to the movie adaptation, including an anti-war theme, as well as my thoughts and reflections on heroism, and the destruction that occurs during war time. I believed it had to be a very big production and, at that time, I was just not good enough to make the film. Later, after discussing the project with colleagues, I became more confident and more impatient. This sort of movie requires a lot of stamina, and it took me a decade to prepare myself.

that’s: How would you describe the film’s view of heroism? JC: From the very beginning of the film, Mohist Ge Li appears keen on helping Liang’s people defend themselves against invasion. He seems an obvious hero to them. He convinces them he’s there to help and urges them to resist the invasion. But is he really helpful? Ge Li is not really a hero; he brings the idea of war to the peasants assuming it’s good for them, but in fact it is not. War is never a good means to solve problems. From this perspective, there are never any heroes in wartime. that’s: Can you explain how the film parallels events in today’s world. JC: The film’s subtext is about a big and powerful country using a far-fetched excuse to attack a small and weak country. It parallels the situation between the USA and Iraq. Here, the weak and small country Liang, turns to a Mohist for help, but his help only brings violence and war. If you try and solve problems with violence, the result is death and civil unrest. The real way to solve problems is through non-violent means.

that’s: ABOW involves film companies, cast and crew from five different countries. Was it a challenge working with such a diverse group?
JC: It was more than just a challenge; it was difficult and exhausting. The main issue was [of course] communication. For instance, the cameraman [Zensho Sakamoto] is from Japan, and in Japan they work under a different system. I had to do research not only on how Japanese cameramen work, but also on the personality of Zensho Sakamoto so I could make him understand my exact requirements. If the cameraman is from Hong Kong, you just need to give him the camera position and angle and then he does it without questions. For Japanese cameramen, you need to explain a lot, so it requires much longer to complete every single take.

that’s: Is it true that Andy Lau accepted the role of Ge Li immediately after reading the script?
JC: Lau was very confident in [the project] and knew exactly my style, so he agreed as soon as he read the script. But he did have four [tongue-in-cheek] questions. His first question was ‘How about my hairdo?’ (Laughs). Lau pays a lot of attention to his appearance. I just told him I won’t let him wear wigs or hats, we’ll just use a very short haircut. He was happy and agreed to do [the film]. (Laughs) Then he asked me if he needed to be dubbed in Mandarin, and I told him he’d have to try to say his lines in Putonghua. Lau asked if he could participate on the production side. I asked him ‘why?’ I asked him if he trusted me and if he had another agenda. He said he hadn’t, that he just wanted to be helpful. He said that because the film had such a lot of investors, from four countries, that he was afraid I would give up half way. Such a complicated situations required strong producers, he said, which is why he offered his services. His last question was: How long would it take to shoot [his part]?

that’s: It’s been reported that Fang Bingbing was exceptionally dedicated to her role.
JC: Originally, there wasn’t any female role; the story only concerned men. But during the period the film is set, in the Zhan dynasty, women and men were equal. In war time, for example, they would fight shoulder to shoulder. In ABOW, Fang was very dedicated to her role as a solider and horse groom. There’s one scene where Fang is trapped in an underwater jail; we shot it in mid-November 2005 in Hubei province when it was very cold. We couldn’t add any warm water because the steam would have damaged the camera. So she had to stay in the freezing water, though she was wearing a diving suit. In order to encourage the cast, I also went in the water with a diving suit and it was indeed freezing. But Fang never complained, she did her best to meet my requirements.

that’s: You’re known for refusing to make compromises.
JC: I am not really a director who compromises a lot or else it would not have taken me eleven years to make ABOW. [I believe] to compromise is the wrong way to go. Before starting the movie, I had already communicated my intentions to the various investors, so all compromises were made in the early stage; after that, I did the whole movie my way. In fact, I only made two compromises. First, I agreed to reduce the final cut from three hours to between two and two hours and ten minutes. Second, as the investors weren’t too keen on computer generated special effects, we tried our best to reduce the number. In this movie, there are 400 shots containing CG SFX.

that’s: Do you think the film will be a hit in the West?
JC: I don’t know how to answer your question. Though the topic of this movie -- war -- is universal, each game has its own rules. If you want a movie to be accepted by Western audiences, the rules say it has to be in the English language. ABOW is set in ancient times with Chinese actors; I don’t expect too much from Western audiences. If I wanted the film to work all over the world, I would have had to change the whole crew and cast, and make it in English. The film focuses on Oriental people, so whether it will work or not [In the West] we’ll have to let the viewers decide for themselves.

that’s: Ang Lee’s Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon is a typical Chinese film and a global success.
JC: I wouldn’t compare myself to director Ang Lee.

Special thanks to Margaret Yau and Cherry Xue.

This feature article also appears in French, in France bimonthly magazine Mad Asia

(c) that's Shanghai Magazine
Chief editor: Steven Crane
Photo courtesy Mick Ryan www.mickryan.com.
September 2006 issue

(c) that's PRD Magazine
Chief editor: Phil Boyle
December 2006 issue

When Sun Yat-sen proposed in 1919 to build a dam on the Yangtze River, he probably didn’t appreciate just to what extent such a Herculean project and the colossal impact it would have on the local population. Seventy four years later and the Three Gorges Dam (in Yichang, Hubei Province) eventually started and was completed in May last year, becoming the largest hydroelectric dam in the world, and involving the relocation of more than 1.3 million people.

Despite being such a huge project, director Jia Zhangke takes his usual insightful look into human struggle that has seen him hailed overseas for his depiction of contemporary China in Still Life (Good People of the Three Gorges), his fifth film to date and his second movie to be released in China nationwide after The World.

Shot on HD, and using a documentary-style approach, the 36-year-old filmmaker offers a contemplative look at the emotional malaise within the rubble of Fengjie, a city at the foot of the dam. Two unconnected individuals from Shanxi, a coalminer (Han Sanming) and a nurse (Zhao Tao), search for their loved ones while wandering in an odd Imagelandscape of ruins, mountains and flooded lands. Eventually, they found something they didn’t expect they would.

Just as unexpected, was Still Life’s last-minute entry in competition at the 63rd Venice International Film Festival in September where Jia pocketed the Golden Lion award, the Western world’s ultimate sign of acknowledgement of Jia’s cinematic significance.

Jia talks with that’s about Still Life’s balancing act of realism and surrealism.

that’s: What is Still Life about?
Jia Zhangke: The focus of this movie is the impact of the Three Gorges Dam construction project on the lives of common people. I didn’t want to elevate the film to a sociological piece; it isn’t a movie to address societal problems actually. What I wanted to do was to look at the dam project from the angle of the locals. Of course they’re always affected by the society, but I didn’t want to just stop there. I wanted to show the strong will of the residents to confront the difficulties and how they survive.

that’s: The number of displaced locals exceeds the State of Idaho population. Did you witness any of it?
JZK: I didn’t witness the departure of people. Everything was just gone forever. It is very surrealistic; 1.3 million people left their land instantly. When I arrived there, there was even no trace left [of their lives] on this land. The saddest thing is that such an old city just disappeared under waters. The city has more than 2000 years of history and is attached to some wonderful cultural heritage such as the poems of Li Bai and the story of The Romance of the Three Kingdoms.

that’s: Why was Still Life presented at the last minute at the Venice Film Festival?
JZK: After I completed the rough cut, the Venice selection committee watched it and loved it. Unfortunately my father passed away during this period and I suspended all my work. Even so, they were still very persistent and wanted me to go back to work in July 2006 [to complete post production]. We all were afraid that I wouldn’t be able to finish it on time for the festival. Therefore we reached the agreement to present it as a surprise film; if I couldn’t finish it on time they would have found another movie.

that’s: Some scenes are bizarre, surreal even; there UFO flying around, a tight-rope walker and a building launched like a space shuttle. Explain.
JZK: The movie blends the reality with the two lead-character difficulties, their memories and their hope and imagination for the future. At the end of this movie, there are acrobatics to show this surrealism. It’s true that it’s kind of magical. Actually surrealism might just be the reality of modern China. China develops at an amazingly fast pace and there’s strong surrealistic side effects resulting from this development. Here, a city with a 2,400-year history got demolished in two years and more than one million people vanished instantly. From a certain viewpoint it shows the situation in China.

that’s: The movie’s a slow pace, with sometimes comedic moments. Why?
JZK: It’s the real pace of this city. From this languidity, you can understand the quickness of the [city] demolition and the departure of people. [So] this reality is sad and heavy. The contrast between the sad parts and the humor serves to emphasize the vitality and optimism of these people.

that’s: The humor works very well; your next film might as well be a comedy.
JZK: I haven’t thought about that yet, but I do like humor. I think Chinese people don’t lead a daily life with a long face and a sad mind. People should live with a smile.

c) that's PRD Magazine
Chief editor: Phil Boyle
December 2006 issue

Published in a slighlty different form in that's Shanghai Magazine
Chief editor: Steven Crane
February 2007 issue

and in that's Beijing Magazine
Deputy chief editor: Gwynn Guilford
January 2007 issue

When the first Academy Award® ceremony was held in 1929 in Hollywood there was no suspense; winners had been announced three months earlier. Nowadays, the Oscars® election campaign in Hollywood is said to rival the craze and excesses of the quadrennial race for the US presidency. The tremendous suspense that surrounds the Oscars is nerve-wracking for US and international film professionals alike and is the object of the wildest speculations. That’s because in seven decades the Academy Awards – presented annually by a Beverly Hills non-profit professional organization, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) – have become the most influential film awards in the world. Just being nominated for one of the major awards (Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, etc.), never mind winning, means a huge amount to filmmakers – and their bankers.

Non-US films have been allowed to take part in the frenzy since 1956; the AMPAS has invited each country to submit one film in the Best Foreign Language Film category. This is a chance for foreign films to enhance worldwide awareness and boost international sales. Chinese filmmakers have strived to submit their films and chalk up nominations since the early 1990s. “For China, it’s largely about foreign profile; gaining face internationally by being ‘recognized’ by the world’s most powerful industry,” explains Derek Elley, a senior film critic from the US entertainment industry magazine Variety. This year, four Chinese contenders made the headlines, as they campaigned to represent the country. There were two period dramas: Zhang Yimou’s Curse of the Golden Flower, an expensive martial arts epic starring Gong Li and Chow Yun-fat; and Feng Xiaogang’s The Banquet, a mainland-Hong Kong historical drama inspired by Hamlet and starring Zhang Ziyi and Ge You. Two contemporary-set films were also competing: Zhang Yibai’s independent thriller set in Chongqing, Curiosity Kills the Cat, starring Hu Jun and Carina Lau; and Zhang Jiarui’s The Road, a modest production shot in Yunnan and starring Zhang Jingchu. In October 2006, it was finally decided that Curse would represent the Chinese mainland while The Banquet would be the Hong Kong SAR official submission.

So why is it so important for Chinese filmmakers to be nominated or to win an Oscar? “Getting an Oscar nomination can improve the status of the producers and directors,” answers John Chong, Media Asia CEO and producer of The Banquet. It certainly helps the career of both new and seasoned filmmakers. “Being a film director in China is quite hard,” says Zhang Jiarui, a director anxious to get international accolades and whose third film, The Road, was released in China in early 2006. New Chinese directors have to take the responsibility of financing and distributing their own movies. Says Zhang: “When a director has established his own brand (such as Zhang Yimou and Chen Kaige) money will start to look for them.” Oscar nominations look good on a résumé, and because everyone wants to read about the Oscars, they can be a tool for domestic promotions. In the case of Curiosity Kills the Cat, independent producer Jimmy Wu smartly used the opportunity to gain publicity for the film’s Chinese release and also to make some points about the whole selection process. “To send Kung Fu/Emperor type of films to the Oscars for six consecutive years made China film administrators [look like] morons,” laments Wu, whose strategy was to play with the “silly Oscars obsession in China” to promote his film, set in modern times. It worked. “It helped the promotion and awareness of the film,” said Curiosity director Zhang Yibai. The public release jumped from an original exhibition in five cities with 66 prints to a nationwide release with 200 prints.

If modest directors can expect to score a few more points at the local box office with the Oscar buzz, acclaimed filmmakers helming big-budget flicks also need the extra publicity. “The capacity of the Chinese market is limited,” explains Zhang Yimou. “A big movie which cost RMB 300 million needs to make RMB 700 or 800 million to cover the cost.” The only way to recoup such costs is to attract the international market – with an Oscar nomination or win, for instance. In 2001, Ang Lee’s Couching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (CTHD) was nominated for 10 Oscars and won four of them (Foreign Language Film, Music, Cinematography and Art Direction), a unique historical feat for a foreign language film.

After the Oscars ceremony on March 2001, CTHD’s cumulative US box-office takings were in the neighborhood of USD 100 million. That’s a pretty decent neighborhood. The film ended up being a USD 130 million blowout stateside. No wonder that even before they started shooting Curse of the Golden Flower, Zhang Yimou and his producer, Zhang Weiping, had already planned to vie for the Oscars. Curse was simultaneously distributed this December in China and in the US by Sony Pictures Classics (the CTHD distributor) and expectations for Oscar success run high.

Producer Wu’s concern is, however, legitimate. It’s always historical dramas, or wuxiapian, that are selected. “Chinese producers think they stand the best chance of winning with big-budget martial arts epics,” says Elley, “as voters go for ‘exotic’ movies or ones that fit their clichéd perception of a country, like costume pictures showing Old Europe or films with Jewish themes.” Sad but true, international markets only accept a single Chinese film genre – period, costume and martial arts movies. “Taking the international market as a big dining table, Chinese movies are seen as a small plate of peanuts, an appetizer or cold dish, which cannot be served for every meal,” deplores Zhang Yimou, who has had three films nominated at the Oscars, all of them period dramas, though not all kung fu orientated (Judou; Raise the Red Lantern; Hero). In retrospect, the modern Curiosity Kills the Cat and The Road stood virtually no chance of being selected for national submission. Western audiences still prefer martial arts fantasies and historical tragedies, genres rooted uniquely in Asian culture. “It is very much like we prefer Japanese sushi or French wine,” says Easternlight Films director Ying Ye, who distributed The Road worldwide. Even so, to propose a genre ‘accepted’ by voters isn’t necessarily a guarantee for success. Last year, China’s submission was Chen Kaige’s slick and expensive wuxiapian The Promise, which got very poor press in the US and wasn’t even nominated.

The odds of correctly forecasting the five nominees out of 61 official submissions for the Best Foreign Language Film Award are quite low. But luck isn’t the only determining factor. “To stand a chance of even being selected into the final five, you need a US distributor for your film and/or a savvy Hollywood PR, plus lots of money for screenings, trade ads etc.”, explains Elley. “The Banquet doesn’t yet have a US distributor (at least at the time this article went to print), creating a huge problem for the production companies, Huayi Brothers and Media Asia, who will have to push the film themselves. At least, Curse is distributed by Sony Pictures Classics, which has a history of opening Chinese films in the US (House of Flying Daggers in 2004 on 1,500 screens; Kung Fu Hustle in 2005 on 2,500 screens). Another obstacle to overcome is the taste of voters. The bottom line is, according to Elley, that “foreign language Oscar winners have simply something which appeals to specifically American tastes [and they] have often not been hits in their home countries.” Although Zhang Yimou has never won so far, he’s received three nominations. His latest kung fu epics Hero and House of Flying Daggers, widely distributed in the US, were branded as ‘wuxiapian for foreigners’ and received the cold shoulder from Chinese audiences and critics alike. Judging by Zhang’s history, Curse of the Golden Flower, a new lavish historical drama designed for foreign eyes, stands every chance.

For more information see http://www.oscars.org/

All interviews and research by Thomas Podvin.
Special thanks to Derek Elley.

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SIDE BAR
Oscar facts
by Thomas Podvin

• 5,800 is the current number of voting members from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). When AMPAS was founded in 1927, it consisted of 230 members.
• 16.5 in (42 cm) and 8.5 lb (3.86 kg) are the height and weight of an Oscar.
• 2,300+ statuettes have been awarded so far.
• On January 23, 2007, the nomination results will be announced.
• On February 25, 2007, the Oscars ceremony will take place at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, California.
• The Chinese mainland, Taiwan, and Hong Kong have respectively received 3, 3 and 2 Oscar nominations in the Best Foreign Language Film category. Only Taiwan province won an award.
• 61 foreign language films were submitted for this years’ 79th Academy Awards – a record.
• Rule 14 serves as the ‘Ten Commandments’ of the Oscars, a strict and rigid set of rules to be followed by filmmakers when submitting a foreign language film.
• Oct. 1, 2005 to Sep. 30, 2006 is the period during which the submitted foreign language films for the 2007 Oscars should be publicly released in their home country for seven consecutive days.
• Zhang Yimou was nominated three times as Best Foreign Language Film (Ju Dou, 1990; Raise the Red Lantern, 1991; Hero, 2002), while Chen Kaige was nominated only once (Farewell My Concubine, 1993). Ang Lee was nominated three times and won once in 2000 (The Wedding Banquet, 1993; Eat Drink Man Woman, 1994; Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, 2000).
• RMB160 was the ticket price for Zhang Yimou’s Curse of the Golden Flower during the mandatory one-week public screening held to meet the requirements for the Best Foreign Language Film application.

(c) that's Shanghai Magazine
Chief editor: Steven Crane
January 2007 issue

(c) that's PRD Magazine
Chief editor: Phil Boyle
February 2007 issue

In The Sentinel, Kiefer Sutherland plays Jack Bauer, a Secret Service agent assigned to protect the President from a conspiracy to assassinate him. The main suspect is a fellow agent, with the rest of the film devoted to the subsequent hunt for the mole within. Hang on a minute, that’s the plot from the TV show 24, but with so many similarities one could be forgiven for confusing the two. Sutherland actually plays Agent David Breckinridge, and the suspect is Pete Garrison (Michael Douglas), but the rest of the plot may as well have come from 20th Century Fox’s hit series. Perhaps to compensate for the lack of an original storyline, much of the footage is shot with a handheld-camera in an unsuccessful effort to liven up the proceedings. This style comes as no surprise: director Clark Johnson cut his teeth on gritty cop shows such as Homicide and The Shield. But his sophomore flick, with its far fetched twists and clumsily staged action scenes just can’t match the pace of his small screen efforts. In sum, why should moviegoers pay to see this work at theaters, when they can watch almost exactly the same thing at home (only better) on TV?
20th Century Fox

(c) that's Shanghai Magazine
Chief editor: Steven Crane
July 2006 issue

(c) that's PRD
PRD Chief editor: Christopher Cottrell
July 2006 issue

According to its publisher Doubleday, Dan Brown’s global bestseller has sold over 60 million copies in 45 languages and counting. As such, it was inevitable that the book would be brought to the big screen, and almost as predictable it would make hundreds of millions at the box office. What no one could have foreseen was that The Da Vinci Code would be such a turkey of a film. In case you’re one of the few souls who hasn’t read the book, the plot can be summarized as follows: French cryptologist (Audrey Tautou) teams up with an American religious-symbol expert (Tom Hanks) to find the killer of the Louvre curator, and unveils a two-thousand-year-old secret that threatens the foundations of modern Christianity. Of course, as one would expect with a Hollywood production, the film is full of gorgeous locations (including the Louvre), and a star-packed cast (with a typically distinguished Ian McKellan as Sir Leigh Teabing). But with too many characters, locations and plot twists, what flowed with relative ease on the printed page, is laborious on celluloid. However, both media do share one thing in common: theological and historical nonsense.
Columbia Pictures

(c) that's Shanghai Magazine
Chief editor: Steven Crane
July 2006 issue

(c) that's PRD
PRD Chief editor: Christopher Cottrell
July 2006 issue

Competition in the Chinese entertainment industry is so intense, that were it permitted, agents would scout maternity wards for the next sweet young thing. Indeed, ‘the younger the better’ might could be the modus operandi for the companies like the Emperor Entertainment Group (EEG), that is if its recent discovery, rising superstar Isabella Leong Lok-Si, is at all representative.

EEG is a Hong Kong-based artist management/record company that courts the youth market with its hand-picked assets, including such heartthrobs as the Twins, Edison Chen and Nicolas Tse. The company recruited Leong at the age of 12, and has since taken the former teen model and groomed her for a spot on the A-list.

Some might say the market is already saturated with product (especially now the amateurs have entered the idol competition), but in Leong’s case, she was in the right place, at the right moment, with the right attributes. She’s tall (172 centimeters), beautiful (wide forehead, large eyes and perfect complexion) and talented. And a touch exotic. Indeed, in China she’s been dubbed Xiao Zhang Bai Zhi (young Cecilia Cheung), in reference to the actresses shared profession and, no doubt, their mixed blood (Cheung’s mother is half English half Chinese). “I am half Chinese, half Portuguese, and half English,” says the 18 year old starlet. Meaning, of course, a third of each.

Since signing Leong in 2000, EGG has done much to expand her visibility (TV, music, film and stage) and, of course, bankability. At 16, she’d already released an EP (Isabella), made several guest performances at the Hong Kong Hung Hom coliseum and won various awards (Guangzhou Radio Golden Hits Awards; Yahoo! Hong Kong Buzz Awards). In 2005, at seventeen, she made her film debut in Law Chi-leung’s Bugs Me Not!, for which she was nominated Best New Performer at the 42nd Golden Horse Awards and the 25th Hong Kong Film Awards. Later that same year, her sophomore movie, the Pang Brothers’ psycho-thriller The Eye 10 was released, while she was in Macao shooting Isabella a Media Asia production helmed by Edmond Pang Ho-cheung. She also played a supporting role (a fiery urchin) in Jeff Lau’s A Chinese Tall Story.

In addition, as of the end of last year, Leong had appeared in 20 TV commercials and print advertisements (Coca Cola, Maybelline Cosmetics) and won more awards (e.g., Guangzhou TV Station Great Potential Newcomer). Not bad for someone who at the time had yet to blow out 18 candles.

That said, the actress’ stand-out performance was in the art house film Isabella, wherein she was more than a pretty young face; indeed, she proved her acting chops in a performance that one critic called “compelling and genuinely impressive”.

While Leong didn’t take home an award for her effort, following the film’s screening at the Berlin Film Festival last February, Chinese music composer Peter Kam won the Best Film Music Silver Bear, vying against celebrated composers like James Horner (The New World, Braveheart) or Klaus Badelt (Wu Ji). One might argue that other honors were due. The film is clearly different from the usual Hong Kong fare; its pace, aesthetic, music, and emotional and lyrical mood are unusually thoughtful and well-crafted.

Shot entirely on location in Macao, the low budget (USD 1.3 million; RMB 8 million) Isabella takes place on the eve of the Portuguese-governed territory’s return to Chinese sovereignty. The plot concerns a thirty-something, womanizing cop, Shing (Chapman To, who also co-produced), suspended for corruption. In a chance encounter, he meets Yan (Leong), the daughter he never knew he had. Yan insists on living under his roof, challenges his girlfriends and generally disrupts his life. The film’s title does not refer to its leading actress, rather to Yan’s runaway dog. She and her father search for it, and in the process become acquainted, but, of course, they never find it. The pooch is a metaphor – Yan’s last link to her late mother and the yet-to-be-found connection with her newly-discovered dad.

Pang, whose style of direction was described by Variety as “a mixture of Claude Lelouch and Wong Kar-wai”, offers more depth and subtexts than this simple synopsis may suggest; for Pang, Macao’s historical significance is as a symbol of the clash between the culture of East and West, and as such, appropriate for this story of long lost daughter reuniting with her father.
Leong’s personal history was also significant in her winning the role, as it parallels that of the character she plays. Born in Hong Kong in 1988, she was raised in Macao and suffered the loss of a parent. Says Pang: “Her personal experience made her the perfect candidate for this part.”

Pang also stresses that the title is in no way meant to promote the actress, insisting that the choice was nothing more than coincidence. “We cast Isabella long before I decided on the title,” says the 33-year-old director, who claims he did not write the script with Leong in mind. “I liked her name, and later found its meaning [God’s promise] matched the theme of my film.”

Leong agrees that her character in the film “resembles me in a lot of respects”. And she drew on her personal experience (the death of her father in Macao, for example) when playing the part. “My personal experience was important for my performance,” she says. ”A lot of memories just came back; I always felt depressed there and quickly sensed the character’s state of mind.”

Both Pang and Leong say the shoot was an emotional one, intensified, perhaps, by To’s physical resemblance to Leong’s late father. A resemblance that was a little too close to reality.

“When I cried [on the set],” says Leong, “it wasn’t acting; it was natural emotion.” An emotion that Pang encouraged, advising the actress not to analyze her character.

As a result, Isabella works; the drama is poignant, and the sentiments appear genuine, which greatly benefits the overall mood of the film. Leong’s performance is surprisingly mature for a young, and relatively inexperienced, actress. At 17, she captures the essence of a rebellious-cum-ingenuous and fatherless girl.

In past roles, Leong’s directors seem entranced by her charm, youth and freshness; yet only Pang has managed to capture her teen angst and bring out an exceptional performance. Says Pang: “Though I didn’t get the chance to watch Leong’s previous movies, I realized she really exceeded herself with her performance in Isabella.”

Indeed, Pang thought Leong a shoe-in for the Best Actress Award in Berlin. Though Leong appeared more concerned about an outbreak of acne than her chance to win the top award. In fact, she behaved as a typical teenager, joking that “I’ve never had a pimple in my life. Perhaps the festival has disrupted my hormones.”

Leong, didn’t win, of course, but the festival did provide plenty of exposure, and considerable international respect. Film critic Tim Youngs wrote that “[Leong] displays considerable range in her first leading dramatic role, exuding a rough edge and displaying believable emotion.”

In the wake of such acclaim, Leong has received a number of offers, some of which may provide equally good roles. Or not, as the case may be. However, two are worth mentioning. One is High Tea, in which Leong is cast opposite fellow EEG star Deep Ng and the veteran Hong Kong actor Kenneth Tsang. Here, Leong plays a young adventurous kung-fu expert involved in a hunt for lost treasure. Part Da Vinci Code, part Mission Impossible, this promising action movie was shot in Shanghai and Europe early this summer by Spanish B-movie director Germán Monzó. Those of you fortunate enough to have caught Monzó’s very amusing exploitation film, Kibris, which artfully combined choreographed high kicks and long-toothed vampires, at the 2005 Shanghai film festival will have an idea of what to expect.

Leong has made several public statements expressing her desire to take on challenging roles, including that of a prostitute. That aim has yet to materialize; in the meantime, however, Leong has agreed to take on a rather daring role in Taiwanese filmmaker’s Zhou Mei Ling’s Tattoo. Currently in production, it is the story of a half-Japanese/half-Taiwanese tattoo artist (Leong) and her relationship with another woman, played by the pretty Taiwanese idol Rainie Yang. Leong’s management was concerned (before later agreeing) that such a role might tarnish her image. For two reasons. The first is obvious – lesbian roles are not the stuff of mainstream box office. The second less so: Leong’s co-star is just as young and cute as Leong herself. That said, Leong is hardly one to worry about the competition.

-- SIDE BOX --
In praise of youth
“Isabella’s like a piece of white paper. Her naturalness is a virtue hard to get from mature [self-conscious] actresses. I hope she can always keep her intuition.”
– Hong Kong filmmaker
Law Chi-leung.

“… One of the most naturally gifted young actresses to have emerged in Hong Kong in recent years. She found it a little hard to memorize all her lines in the beginning [of Bugs Me Not!], but managed to overcome that by sheer hard work. Her single-mindedness was simply astonishing!”
– Emperor Motion Pictures CEO
Albert Lee.

“She has the opportunity to be one of the important actresses of her generation.”
– Hong Kong filmmaker
Pang Ho-cheung.

“It seems to me that Isabella’s an actress with a promising future ahead”.
– Spanish filmmaker
Germán Monzó.



(c) that's Shanghai Magazine
Chief editor: Steven Crane
Photo courtesy Hugo Hu www.huphoto.cdd.cn.
July 2006 issue

(c) that's PRD
PRD Chief editor: Christopher Cottrell
July 2006 issue

Of late, most Chinese films fall in one of two categories: the flashy blockbuster or the intellectual art-house flick (in the main, aimed at the foreign film festival market). You and Me is no blockbuster, nor is it another dreary grab for offshore recognition. This film pleases both domestic and Western audiences. Produced on a small budget, You and Me relates the conflicting coexistence between a sharp, elderly widow and her young, bullheaded tenant. The deceptively simple plot – the landlady rents her dilapidated Beijing siheyuan for an excessive fee to the student – takes place in a single locale over four seasons, and is devoted to the pair’s daily clash of wills (wonderfully illustrating the Chinese saying: ‘two tigresses cannot stay on the same mountain’). Ma draws on her own experience as a student at the Central Drama Academy in the 1990s, and the story is full of deadpan humor, sparks of tension and bursts of non-contrived emotions. There are no extravagant twists or cliff-hangers here; the accent is on detail (despite the limited budget the film is exquisitely lit). You and Me may not have earned millions in box office receipts, but it does prove that a simple human story is at the heart of good filmmaking.
Beijing Film Studio

(c) that's Shanghai Magazine
Chief editor: Steven Crane
June 2006 issue

(c) that's PRD
PRD Chief editor: Christopher Cottrell
June 2006 issue

In the midst of the Korean War, a US Navy pilot and five Korean soldiers – from both sides of the conflict – arrive at a peaceful village inhabited by some rather strange peasants, who are completely unaware there’s a war in progress. The plot may suggest an offbeat comedy, but this 133 minute film is an exercise in disappointment. The main problem is that the director wavers between fantasy and reality, never choosing a side. Once the initial surprise is exhausted – the military’s discovery of the village – the film descends into a series of predictable, hackneyed situations. True, the eccentricities of the villagers, do, on occasion, add some much-needed spice, but overall the characters are so obviously contrived that much of the humor is lost. As is the viewers goodwill; Welcome poses as a fable, but at the same time pretends to present historical reality. The result is a naïve and bogus representation of the relations between North and South Korea, and the US. Having said that, Park Kwang-hyeon’s directorial debut, the fourth-highest grossing South Korean movie of all time, was the country’s official entry in last year’s Oscars.
Showbox

(c) that's Shanghai Magazine
Chief editor: Steven Crane
June 2006 issue

(c) that's PRD
PRD Chief editor: Christopher Cottrell
June 2006 issue

Compared to their Chinese counterparts, Korean filmmakers aren’t very adept at making martial art films (see Musa or The Duelist). And Shadowless Sword provides yet another conspicuous example of what not to do. This film was shot in China, enjoyed a large budget and has excellent production values. Trouble is, it lacks authenticity without which audiences just don’t care about the characters. Or the mise en scene: in 926 AD, following the assassination of the Prince of Balhae, a female warrior is assigned to escort Prince Dae back from his 14-year exile, to ascend the throne and restore order to the kingdom. The rest is filler. In his sophomore film, Kim Yeong-joon delivers a simplistic road movie cum buddy movie/romance/martial art film. One littered with predictable twists and monotonous dialogues. Despite the film’s many faults, the camerawork is quite breathtaking, and the climax is almost worth waiting for. But the choreographed action sequences merely duplicate scenes from its betters, so-called gems of the genre like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and House of Flying Daggers.
CJ Entertainment

(c) that's Shanghai Magazine
Chief editor: Steven Crane
June 2006 issue

(c) that's PRD
PRD Chief editor: Christopher Cottrell
June 2006 issue

Although popular with audiences, Hong Kong comedies have never really been highly praised by critics on the Chinese mainland. These films are at worst considered shallow, lowbrow, amusement, and at best, the source of a few guilt-inducing guffaws. 2 Become 1 may not be a revolutionary departure from this genre, but it does provide more substance than is the norm, enough to last beyond the theater exit door. The plot concerns a young, independent woman, Bingo (Miriam Yeung), who works as a ‘creative’ at an advertisement company. Her carefree chuppie lifestyle is turned upside down after a laid back doctor (Richie Jen) discovers a lump in her breast. Produced by seasoned filmmaker Johnnie To, renowned for his commercial comedies and ‘auteur’ gangster flicks, the film uses comedy to deal with serious matters indeed: breast tumors; cancer prevention; male impotency; women in today’s corporate world, and so on. Of course, the film offers the usual sight gags and the usual broad commercial reach with two big name leads, a pop music score, and not least, the screen debut of Hong Kong’s singer/songwriter superstar of the month, Justin Lo. Nevertheless, 2 Become 1 proves HK comedies can convey universal themes with maturity and if not tact, at least some understanding.
Media Asia

(c) that's Shanghai Magazine
Chief editor: Steven Crane
June 2006 issue

(c) that's PRD
PRD Chief editor: Christopher Cottrell
June 2006 issue

Jem, aka Jemma Griffiths, must be the envy of every British musician. In a very short period, she sold a quarter of a million albums in the US, and became the biggest selling British female debut artist last year. Indeed, breaking stateside is no small accomplishment. It happened thus: the 29-year-old Cardiff-born singer/songwriter was studying law at Sussex University while hanging out with DJs and music producers. Next, in the autumn of 2003, she went behind the mike and recorded the EP “It All Starts Here”. A year later, she released her debut CD, Finally Woken, and got a big boost from Elton John, who touted its breezy melodies and diverse rhythms. And he was right. Jem’s catchy sound is easy on the ear and wide-ranging: “Finally Woken”, has emotional trip hop beats; “Wish I”, playful electronic melodies; “Save Me” and “24”, reggae and rock tempos, respectively; and “Missing You” boasts some fine fuzz-box vocals à la Portishead. Jem’s sound is eclectic and fits into any medium. Which is why she succeeded in the US mass market. In the States, you can hear her everywhere: on the radio, on TV (The O.C.; Desperate Housewives; Six Feet Under), and in the movies (Closer, 2004 and Ultraviolet, 2006).
Sony-BMG

(c) that's Shanghai Magazine
Chief editor: Steven Crane
June 2006 issue

(c) that's PRD
PRD Chief editor: Christopher Cottrell
June 2006 issue

Chinese independent and experimental music may be looked upon as something of an oddity in its homeland. And to Western ears, it may sound odder still. But that hasn’t stopped Yan Hun, the founder (in 2000) of the Sub Jam label, and one of the pioneers in China’s experimental music scene, from doing what he does best. Which is just about everything. Yan is involved in many arts: poetry, music, film and literature. But his most lasting accomplishment may be that he has proved that the fusion of electronic sounds with poetry works. Last year, Sub Jam released Nowise Assault, a 60-minute CD of made-in-China electronica, more specifically ‘leftfield electronic music’ blending artificial sounds with spirituality and poetic ambience. In this entry, 718, aka Sun Lei, a central figure in the experimental scene, offers ambient music and down tempo beats featuring ethnic or/and industrial influences. “Taoism or Calm” intermingles drum solos into a spiritual atmosphere; while “Over and Over” provides more than seven minutes of noise with an industrial edge. “Aluminum” is a straight piece performed on the piano, the crystalline purity of which is at one point corrupted by lowfi noise. Say what you will, this is highly addictive, hypnotic music.
Sub Jam/available at http://www.subjam.org/

(c) that's Shanghai Magazine
Chief editor: Steven Crane
June 2006 issue

(c) that's PRD
PRD Chief editor: Christopher Cottrell
June 2006 issue

Osaka-born songwriter/singer Ken Hirai is known as the ‘King of Japanese R&B’. Influenced by Donny Hathaway, Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye, Hirai’s sound features warm vocals atop beats borrowed from soul (“Miracles”), funk (“Strawberry Sex”), dance (“Style”) and pop music (“Kiss of Life”). This two-CD release offers 23 chart topping singles in chronological order from Hirai’s debut “Precious Junk” in 1995 to “Pop Star”, released last October. Along the way, this disc provides a fair overview of his progression from saccharine to emotional, passing by sentimental, mushy and blue. Still, Hirai’s success is based on his appeal to middle-aged housewives, be they from Japan, China, Korea or the West. And as such, his success owes as much to his unique falsetto as it does to his appearance – for a ‘pure blooded’ Japanese, Hirai looks pure Caucasian. In any case, Hirai has sold 6.5 million units in Asia alone. Following recent live shows in the US – he appeared at the high-profile 2002 FIFA World Cup concert with Lauryn Hill – what can we say? The King is back.
Sony-BMG

(c) that's Shanghai Magazine
Chief editor: Steven Crane
June 2006 issue

(c) that's PRD
PRD Chief editor: Christopher Cottrell
June 2006 issue

In the early 1990s, Irma, an Italian label, altered musical perceptions with the first of its jazz/house/fusion series of compilations. The Jazz House Independent compilation is the fourth in the now classic series, and thanks are due to High Note Records for making this gem available in the Chinese mainland. This entry blends jazz, house and afrobeat (American funk rhythms fused with African percussion), in a double bill of atmospheric electronica. CD one (unmixed) was compiled by one of the original Irma artists/producers, Black Mighty Wax (BMW), while CD two was mixed by label mate, Dino Angioletti of the Pastaboys. The various international artists gathered here attest to the global success of jazz house music genre. Examples include the groove-laden “Mafe Disco” by France’s Claude Monnet; the powerful “Happy” by the UK’s Max Sedgley; and the mesmeric “Madame Blanche” by US DJ Moses. This disc also includes some of the most successful club tunes recorded for Irma Records: a fantastic re-edit by US DJ Danny Krivit (from Body & Soul in New York) of “Starlite”, and Don Carlos featuring Michelle Weeks on “Take Me Higher” remixed by Japanese house DJ Yukihiro Fukutomi.
High Note Records

(c) that's Shanghai Magazine
Chief editor: Steven Crane
June 2006 issue

(c) that's PRD
PRD Chief editor: Christopher Cottrell
June 2006 issue