Bodyguards and Assassins (2009) Review June 27, 2010
Posted by Elena in 101 MC, Other Articles, Reviews.Tags: action, and, assassins, awards, bateer, bodyguards, donnie, drama, fai, film, hong, ka, kong, leung, li, mengke, nicholas, political, review, tony, tse, wang, xueqi, yen, yuchun
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The absolute favourite at this years’ Hong Kong movie awards, Bodyguards and Assassins seems to have won over both critics and audience. It swept 8 of the awards, including Best Film, Best Director and Best Action Choreography, among others. That alone is better advertising than any trailer and promises a film worth seeing.
Mengke Bateer
An interesting fact is that the film took 11 years to create. Director Teddy Chan didn’t waste his time andmanaged to put together both an impressive set of 1906s Hong Kong and a varied cast, including famous names not only from the film industry. A treat for the martial arts fans is Donnie Yen as a policeman with a gambling problem. Other big names include Tony Leung Ka-fai, Wang Xueqi, pop singer Li Yuchun and basketball star Mengke Bateer as an ex-Shaolin monk.
Although the opening lines explain the meaning of the word “democracy” and suggest a political film, Bodyguards and Assassins places the accent elsewhere. The political situation is only the setting to which we witness different types of personal drama and complicated relationships. Indeed, we are presented with the character (Tony Leung Ka-fai), who is willing to sacrifice all for patriotic reasons, but in the end, director Teddy Chan shows us how in a great revolutionary act each of the characters has in fact a very personal reason to participate, which has nothing to do with politics whatsoever.
Performances are another thing to look forward to. The actors manage to deliver in full what is expected from them in such an emotionally charged film, with Nicholas Tse taking home two awards for Best Supporting Actor and Wang Xueqi – the Critics Society Award for Best Actor.
A bit of a down side is that although the film generally strives to
Li Yuchun
realism, a few scenes are quite far from it. To throw oneself into a running horse is not the best and only solution to stop the rider and to not use the gun you’re holding on the “enemy” for 5 minutes, while the people around you are dying by his hand, is also a rather improbable decision.
The technical side of the film, nevertheless, deserves praise. The martial arts scenes are beautifully shot, and although their realism is also debatable, they are truly entertaining. The soundtrack is also a success – beautiful main theme, no music where there needn’t be.
Overall, the film is a thrilling 1.40-hour-long experience, which is bound to impress in one way or another. Armed with an intriguing plot, excellent cast and eye-pleasing battles, Hong Kong’s film of the year is a must-see.
Donnie Yen in action
Give us back Freddie Mercury and we’ll send you Lady Gaga June 21, 2010
Posted by Elena in 101 MC, Cabinet of Curiosities, Other Articles.Tags: Africa, alejandro, analyze, be, can't, charts, cheryl, cole, critic, cyrus, for, gaga, lady, lyrics, miley, music, parachute, pop, popular, shakira, tamed, this, time, waka
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As a devoted music lover I am always on the hunt for something new to inspire me and move me in a physical or spiritual sense. Lately though, I’m rather forced to change my hunting tactics and search for good music among older songs, namely those of the 70s, 80s and early 90s. Why go back? Why turn my back on the billion-dollar music industry, raging on various platforms, with the rapping bad boys and the semi-clothed hot chicks?
Because, quite frankly, 99% of the songs, which come out on the popular scene, can be defined only as “shit”.
Let us remember with a tear in our eye the good old times when the lyrics served to compliment the music and contribute to the overall power of the song. Ah, those were also the days when the music itself consisted of more than 6 notes and a beat…
I’ve decided to take a closer look at the lyrics of some of the most popular songs around the world in the last six months.
Shakira – Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)
"How could you miss Africa?!"
The title immediately throws me in a state of confusion and slight embarrassment. Did I miss something? Apparently, while I wasn’t listening, everybody went “Waka Waka” for Europe, Asia, North and South America, Antarctica and Australia. Shakira, thoroughly indignant at this obvious injustice, decides to right the wrong and goes “Waka Waka”, this time for Africa. She even goes further and convinces her sponsors to make this the theme song for the World Cup, rubbing it in everybody’s noses how we could have missed such a big continent.
You’re a good soldier
Choosing your battles
Pick yourself up
And dust yourself off
And back in the saddle
Wait… If he’s such a good soldier and picks his battles, how come he’s lost? Shakira doesn’t dwell on such details, she’s a better person than that and prefers to encourage him with the equivalent of “ah, well, there’s always a next time”.
Chorus:
Tsamina mina
Zangalewa
Cuz this is Africa
Tsamina mina eh eh
Waka Waka eh eh
Tsamina mina zangalewa
Anawa aa
This time for Africa
Come again? I don’t speak … wait, what’s that language? There she is again, rubbing it in our noses that not only do we suck at geography but we’re also bad with languages. Thanks, Shakira, very sensitive of you.
Cheryl Cole – Parachute
I will not comment on the vocal (dis)abilities of the gorgeous Ms Cole, but let’s have a look at what she’s singing:
Won’t tell anybody how you turn my world around
I won’t tell anyone how your voice is my favourite sound
I won’t tell anybody
Won’t tell anybody
They want to see us fall
They want to see us fall
Two things are obvious. Firstly, Cheryl has discovered that it’s indeed much simpler to repeat the same line twice, than to actually come up with something, which rhymes. You can pass this as “intensifying the idea” and there you have it – 20 seconds of music filled with 15 short words. Secondly, there’s the more serious matter. Even without being alerted by the tabloids, it is apparent to us, the concerned listeners, that all the fame and constant attention is getting to Ms Cole and we witness early signs of paranoia. It’s OK Cheryl, saying that you are attracted to someone is a harmless act all of us go through. Unless it’s your 10 year old cousin or your pet dog, it will NOT destroy your life.
Chorus:
I don’t need a parachute
Baby, if I’ve got you
Baby, if I’ve got you
I don’t need a parachute
You’re gonna catch me
You’re gonna catch if I fall
Down, down, down
Our worries are partially confirmed: Ms Cole suspects an assassination attack against her and believes it will most likely be masked as an accident, where she falls, perhaps off a building or a bridge. Classic case of paranoia, BUT there is still hope!!! She still trusts someone! We witness an interesting contradiction in this complicated state of mind: On the one hand, Cheryl doesn’t trust her lover enough to believe he’s not a complete idiot (thus, the multiple clarification that she will in fact fall DOWN, not up ), but at the same time she’s prepared to fall some 30 floors, in which case unless she has hooked up with Superman, she will most definitely need a parachute.
Lady Gaga – Alejandro
She hides true love.
En su bolsillo
She’s got a halo ’round her finger.
Around you.
You know that I love you boy.
Hot like Mexico, rejoice.
At this point I gotta choose,
nothing to loose.
Lady Gaga has done it again. So far, she has shocked us with vulgar language, obscene behaviour, all sorts of disturbing innuendos and now she has found a way to make us question our own intelligence.
First we are urged into guessing whether those are two separate story lines in her lyrics, as we have a first person and a third person constantly switching between verses. Then we try to figure out exactly what the stories are. Here we meet a dead end street as every other line has nothing to do with the previous one.
So far we know this: there’s a woman, hiding true love, with a halo around her fingers. That’s it!!! Lady Gaga gives us the answer to the long posed question of whether ET is male or female. Thank you Lady Gaga!
Then we know there’s a hot guy, and Lady Gaga has to choose. Choose between what, we are left to ask ourselves? No time for an answer, because here comes the Chorus and again it has nothing to do with the previous lyrics:
Don’t call my name.
Don’t call my name, Alejandro.
I’m not your babe.
I’m not your babe, Fernando.
Don’t wanna kiss, don’t wanna touch.
Just smoke one cigarette and hush.
Don’t call my name.
Don’t call my name, Roberto.
Well, Alejandro, Fernando and Roberto, it’s clear. Lady Gaga only invited you over to keep her company while she smokes in silence. I repeat – SILENCE. No name calling, that goes for you Alejandro, and as for Fernando and Roberto, you two can keep your hands to yourself, thank you very much. Why you would accept such a dull invite is a mystery to me, but then again Lady Gaga’s outfits are entertaining enough on their own and partially eliminate the need for her to actually speak.
Miley Cyrus – Can’t Be Tamed
For those who don’t know me, I can get a bit crazy
Have to get my way, 24 hours a day
‘Cause I’m hot like that
Every guy everywhere just gives me mad attention
Like I’m under inspection, I always get the 10s
‘Cause I’m built like that
I go through guys like money flyin’ out their hands
They try to change me but they realize they can’t
And every tomorrow is a day I never planned
If you’re gonna be my man, understand
Do you hear that, Billy Ray? Sometimes life can kick you hard in the nuts, and it never hurts more than when it comes in the form of your own daughter, boldly admitting she’s whoring around and she’s proud of it. What did you say, Billy? Oh, you sponsored the release of this single yourself? Ooooh, I get it now! You’re one smart father! Making sure no man will touch your daughter with a stick, after statements like that. Well played, well played…
Chorus:
I can’t be tamed, I can’t be saved
I can’t be blamed, I can’t, can’t
I can’t be tamed, I can’t be changed
I can’t be saved, I can’t be (can’t be)
I can’t be tamed
Billy, you really ARE one clever son of a gun! You knew there would be some romantic teenagers, who will still want to date her under the false believe that “she just needs love” and “she can change”. Well, this chorus kills the last of their hopes. And you won’t even have to defend yourself in front of Miley when she’s 30 and still single – “Well, darling, you sang it yourself…”.
***
Of course there are many more songs which I’d like to analyze, but I think those are enough to send my message across. And after I hear Timbaland or some other artist from that caste telling me it took him 3 months to produce this song, I can’t help but think: “Really ?!?! Three months?!?! For this?!”. Frankly, I think they wrote the lyrics, played around with the melody and recorded the singers before 3pm. Then everybody went shopping for the rest of the afternoon with the money you gave them for their previous “hit”.
I’m leaving you with a song by John Bon Jovi, who in my personal opinion is one of the best song and lyrics writers of the past 50 years. I won’t post the music video – this song doesn’t really need one. Enjoy!
You’re a good soldier
Choosing your battles
Pick yourself up
And dust yourself off
And back in the saddle
If a picture is worth a 1000 words… May 18, 2010
Posted by Elena in 101 MC, Cabinet of Curiosities.Tags: deviantart, drawings, favourite, pictures, words
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… then this post is worth 9000. Enjoy! 
Blue River Night by *MarcAdamus
Alice in Wonderland -Dodo by *michaelkutsche
Amore by *miss mosh
Continue on foot by *ChristineAmat
Embers by *BloodPromiser
Funny Bunny 2 by *closer-to-heaven
Whispers in the dark by *TrixyPixie
tangled. by *mumbojumbo89
Soul Collector by *ImaginaryRosse
PS. Would have pasted many many more, but my internet connection is ridiculous.
Final letter to self May 18, 2010
Posted by Elena in 101 MC.Tags: 2009, 2010, academic, elena, ellie, letter, personal, self, to, university, year
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- “Transitions” by Michal Mierzeiewski
Dear Ellie,
The academic year is almost at its end. I can’t believe that it’s been 8 moths since I first set foot in Coventry and my now-almost-second-home Ellen Terry, Faculty of Art and Design.
I remember how I used to look at everything – it was all new, all exciting, all wonderful, it was all going to be my new home. My first home away from home. A new beginning.
It has all become my life so gradually, that I didn’t even notice when I stopped being amused by the Godiva doll, making an appearance every full hour round the town center clock.
I no longer notice that everybody is speaking a foreign to me language, as I’ve gotten used to speaking it on a daily bases myself.
I no longer get lost round the corridors and staircases of the old Coventry theater, now building of my faculty , as I know it like the back of my hand.
I no longer look at the UK people as some foreign creatures with a thinking completely different than my own, because I’ve made such wonderful friends among them. I discovered that the cold, sophisticated English people can be warm, fun and caring. Take that, stereotype!
As a matter of fact, I’ve made friends literally from all over the world and one of the most important things I’ve learned – and it still amazes me by this day – is that
, essentially, people are not that different!
I’ve made one more important discovery this year – I realized that I’m on the wrong course and I don’t want to be a Journalist. My grades prove that I can do it, and not bad at all actually. But my heart is not in it.
Which is why one of the most important decisions I’ve made is to change my course to CCM (Communications, Culture and Media). Whether this is the right one – I’m yet to find out. I’m no seer, I can’t read a palm or a crystal ball and I definitely have no idea what will happen in the future. But right now, at this stage of my life, this feels like the right decision. I feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders and I’m finally on the right path. I pray that I’m not wrong.
I won’t check the list that I made in my first letter to self of things I wished to complete in this year. Yes – I haven’t done most of them. And yet I’m not sorry because I’ve done so many more fantastic things, which I didn’t expect and weren’t on that list.
I’ve been happy throughout this academic year, I’ve learned a lot in personal, practical and academic sense and I’m proud of the things I’ve achieved. I’m grateful for all that, for the fact that I’m alive and healthy, for the people I’ve met and I can only hope that things will continue to run along this smooth path in the future as well.
Wish me luck!
Love,
Ellie
122MC Projects May 18, 2010
Posted by Elena in 101 MC, Cabinet of Curiosities.Tags: 122MC, back, because, beginning, black, circle, could, death, drunk, emotion, end, flash, flashback, for, form, homeless, human, i, inch, jane, joe, life, meet, music, nails, nine, not, poem, project, smoker, stop, university, video
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This is a music video, which I made as a part of my 122MC Course – Media and Cultural Fields. It is a co-production between me and my colleague Mariya Kamarashka, whose blog you can check out here: http://mkamarashka.wordpress.com/
Let me explain the task. We were given a choice between 4 poems:
* An extract from “Burnt Norton” by T.S. Eliot
* “Winter Trees” by Sylvia Plath
*”Because I Could Not Stop for Death” by Emily Dickinson
* “Somewhere I Have Never Traveled” by E. E. Cummings
Using the poems, we had to create a music video, combining text, images and music to convey emotion.
We chose Emily Dickinson and here’s the final result:
You know how they say, that the moment before you die, your life flashes before your eyes? Well, this is the life in reverse of a fictional woman. I hope the video delivered that message clearly enough. Maybe you can tell me what you think in a comment?
And this second video is the other project me and Mariya did for 122MC. Here’s the initial instructions we were given:
We had to produce a 3-minute video with the following plot: Man and woman meet; woman kills men BUT there’s a witness!
So me and Mariya sat down and decided that instead of shooting the obviously implied murder, we would twist it around a little bit. The man would be a homeless person, a drunk. The woman would actually be Death. And the witness will be… well, simply someone standing nearby, smoking a cigarette for example. As you will see, we played a bit with the film, referencing “Meet Joe Black”, both in the title and in the plot, where Death has taken a human form.
From then on the work began. I have to mention that this is the first film ever that I’ve directed and shot. I even learned to work the camera on the spot. The work proved to be tricky, involved a lot of imagination, just as much patience, but in the end it was so much fun! My conviction that this is what i want to do for the rest of my life grew stronger with every hour, spent on shooting and editing this.
I have to give credit to Nikolay Tsenovski, whose incredible on-the-spot acting more or less made the film what it is. Honestly, when I was asking him to help us with the project I knew he was talented, but not That talented! Some people actually stopped on the street and asked us whether he was really drunk or simply acting and applauded when they heard it was the second.
If you haven’t scrolled down to see the video already, here it is and I hope you enjoy it.
Again, any comments are more than welcome.
Clarks commercial May 16, 2010
Posted by Elena in 101 MC.Tags: 101MC, advert, advertisement, blind, clarks, competition, disabled, friends, people, shoes, shopping, university, woman
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As a part of my university course, we were asked to design a commercial for the “Clarks” shoes company. The commercial had to include a disabled person, but in a non-intrusive way in order to show their inclusion in modern society. This had been an actual competition, organized by “Clarks”, but we weren’t shown any of the actual participating commercials or the winner in advance.
I came up with the idea of including a blind woman, trying on shoes in the store, under the slogan: “Looks good. Feels good”. She is presented next to a non-disabled woman, obviously her friend. But instead of achieving a comparison between the two, the stress is actually placed on the fact that they’re not different at all – both women, both love to shop, both enjoying fashionable and comfortable shoes.
Adding to this desired effect is the fact that, the first moment someone looks at the commercial, he doesn’t actually realize the woman is blind, as this is not stressed in any way.
Me and the team I worked with, could have edited the shot to a different background, but we decided that the bright and real-life style of the background only contributes to the effect and captures the eye.
***
NB: Our advert won first place among the university ones, so I’m quite proud. I wonder if “Clarks” would like it.
Interview with Teddy Chan May 12, 2010
Posted by Elena in 101 MC, Other Articles.Tags: 2010, and, asian, assassins, bodyguards, Chan, cinema, coventry, cueafs, derek, east, elena, festival, film, interview, kwok, li, movie, murphy, rapondzhieva, society, spencer, sum, tak, tak-sum, teddy, terracotta, yuchun
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Coventry East Asian Film Society founder Spencer Murphy met with Teddy Chan at this year’s Terracotta Film Festival to have a talk on Hong Kong cinema, young directors and Mr. Chan’s new multiple award- winning film “Bodyguards and Assassins”. Here is the interview:
Spencer Murphy: On behalf of Coventry’s East Asian Film Society, thank you for your time. We met earlier at this year’s Far East Film Festival in Udine. What are your thoughts on that festival in general? Did you enjoy your time there?
Teddy Chan
Teddy Chan: Yes, definitely. Nice food, nice people and most importantly they liked the film.
SM: In regards to the film, “Bodyguards and Assassins”, this is one of your first partnerships with Peter Chan as producer. And now there are talks of this being the beginning of a series of production collaborations with him and his company. In relation to that, would you say that “Bodyguards and Assassins” is targeting an international audience or was it made specifically for the Chinese and Hong Kong market?
TC: Actually, when I first started making films I told myself: “Every story in a film could happen all over the world”. In my mind stories are universal and for every film I make I think it could be understood anywhere in the world.
SM: In terms of the scale of “Bodyguards and Assassins” (it took 10 years to make), what is it that kept you going through that whole period of time?
TC: I think it’s because every year, when I read the script I realized I still fall in love with it, I still like it. What really slowed the production was that many investors came back to the production each year, but didn’t build the set. It’s too expensive and I turned them down. If I want to make a film I want to put it together and build a set. So every year we come back from China and from the States and we say: “Let’s do Bodyguards and Assassins”, but there’s just no set.
SM: How do you see “Bodyguards and Assassins” – as a Hong Kong film, as a Chinese one, or as a co-production?
TC: I think after “Warlords” this is one of the best co-productions between China and Hong Kong. Yes, the story happened in Hong Kong, but it’s such a good collaboration. Casting, production, script, ideas – it’s all a result of the work of a mixed team from both Hong Kong and China.
SM: Considering the strict censorship in China, is it difficult to make the film you want to make, when you’re aiming at the mainland China market? Take “Warlords” for example: there are two alternative endings to the film – one for the Chinese and one for the Hong Kong market. Is that a difficult thing to do? Do you have to make a lot of concessions?
TC: China is a new market – it has only been open for the past six or seven years and it’s difficult for them to open up completely in such a short time. For example, I have a film about a serial killer. That will never be distributed in China. So I’m not going to push them to allow me to. I’m simply going to distribute elsewhere, like Europe and America for example.
SM: And what about the language in the film. When it’s a Hong Kong film, does it necessarily have to be in Cantonese?
TC: Well, if you have a story of a Cantonese-speaking guy and a Beijing girl, let him speak in lousy mandarin for the purpose of communication between then and to make the film more realistic.
Li Yuchun
SM: On the subject of the casting of “Bodyguards and Assassins”, you have big stars like Donnie Yen, but you’ve also cast a debut actress, Yuchun Li, as a leading character. Was it a gamble to give her that role?
TC: Well, I’ve had many films with newcomer actors and actresses. For example I worked on a film in 1993, called “Twenty Something” – it starred only newcomers. So I actually like working with young actors. This is also a somewhat commercial campaign – “Bodyguards and Assassins” is a big budget film and we want a large and varied audience, so we’ve cast some famous faces, which are not usually on stage – a basketball player for example. But anyway, when I saw Yuchun Li, I picked her because she was so much like the character in the film.
SM: There seems to be a trend in the Hong Kong-China market to make films about this period in which “Bodyguards and Assassins” takes place. Why do you think that is?
TC: Because when you’re making an action film it is very important to pass the censorship. And with kung-fu fights and swords, placed in a historical context, it’s much easier to do that.
SM: You’ve mentioned one of your future projects is about a serial killer. What else can we expect from you?
TC: I’m currently working simultaneously on two projects – I’m the producer in one of them, working with Derek Kwok. The slogan for it is “when a magician needs a husband”. It’s a bit more dreamy and involves topics such as friendship.
SM: Since you mentioned Derek Kwok, what is your view on the contemporary young directors of Hong Kong?
TC: I don’t mind working with young directors, whether they are from China, Hong Kong or Taiwan. What is important is whether they can tell the story properly. And I think Derek Kwok can.
***
NB: “Bodyguards and Assassins’ won 8 awards at this years Hong Kong Film Awards.
Interview with Joey Terracotta May 12, 2010
Posted by Elena in 101 MC, Other Articles.Tags: 2010, accident, and, asia, assassins, big, bodyguards, china, cinema, cow, festival, film, grinder, hong, interview, joey, johnnie, kong, Korea, little, london, meat, movie, murphy, soldier, spencer, taiwan, terracotta, to
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This year’s Terracotta Film Festival welcomed many: from East Asian film lovers, to academics and professionals from the film industry such as director Teddy Chan. Among them was also the Coventry East Asian Film Society and Joey Terracotta kindly agreed to an interview with its founder Spencer Murphy. Here’s what was shared between the hassle of screenings and parties.
Spencer Murphy: This is Terracotta Film Festival’s second year. How is it going this year in comparison to the last? Are you happy?
Joey Terracotta: Yes, definitely. It’s grown a lot bigger than last year and has attracted a bigger audience. Because of the success of the first year, when it comes to sourcing films I think people are gaining confidence in us that we can reach their audience and they’re giving us and trusting us with big films like “Accident”, “Bodyguards and Assassins” and “Little Big Soldier”.
SM: That’s quite different than the program from last year. You’ve got some massive films from Asia – “Bodyguards and Assassins”, the Johnnie To films etc. Was that a conscious decision? Is this the direction you want the festival to take?
JT: No, not really. Like people said, it has gone quite commercial this year as opposed to uncovering gems like last year. I think it’s rather a representation of what we’ve seen and had time to see. We went to different festivals this year, whereas last year we got a lot more screenings in from smaller companies and smaller production houses. So I think this was just a matter of picking the 15 best films and this was our short list. It’s not a specific move to make the festival more commercial.
SM: The screenings are accompanied by Q&A sessions. Are you happy with the way they’ve gone?
JT: Oh, yes. I get really nervous when I’m on stage. (laughs) But the feedback from the crowd is quite positive and I think they really enjoy the Q&As and the topics took to their liking. But that’s the whole point, isn’t it? If you want to come and watch a film and spend an afternoon in the cinema and then sit afterwards through a talk with the producer or director, then it’s got to be appealing to you. And I think everyone thought it was quite enjoyable.
SM: The program is quite heavily leaning towards Hong Kong cinema this year. There’s only one Korean film for example. Again, was this just a case of the films you got to see or was it deliberate?
JT: We went to a film festival in October last year and we ended up programming eight Korean films in our festival, so we thought: “No, that’s too biased to Korean cinema” and we started editing it down and adding others. But looking at the schedule a couple of weeks before we were going to announce it I thought: “Oh, no, we haven’t got any Korean films at all” (laughs). You’ve got to remember Europe now has got a lot of Asian Festivals and we want to show our own unique blend of programming. Because we noticed it so late (other films were promised to other festivals) it turned out to be a matter of timing.
Meat Grinder (2010)
SM: One thing that strikes me is the kind of Thai films you’ve prepared this year, for example: “Meat Grinder”. There seems to be an emergence of the Thai horror. What are your thoughts on this?
JT: It’s kind of moving away from the slap-stick local humour Thai comedy that you usually get and moving more into film making for western sensibilities but still retaining the Thai culture.
SM: Your program features very different genres and types of films. When it comes to picking out films, is it a matter of whether you personally like them?
JT: Yes, definitely. I’m not much of a film buff. A lot of people who do festival programs are film critics and experts, considering things like mise-en-scene, which is a very foreign term to me (laughs). But I personally am into Hollywood films so when I watch a film like “Cow” and I enjoy it, I reckon that every Brit will also enjoy it and that’s when I decide to include it in the festival.
SM: Joey, you recently came back from Hong Kong, where you met Johnnie To. What are your thoughts in general on his films and Hong Kong cinema as a whole, because I know that you haven’t released any Hong Kong films? Is this something you’re looking to move towards?
JT: Yes, definitely. One film, “Sparrow”, which is Johnnie To’s, won the Audience Film Award last year and we’re thinking of releasing it but I think it’s a matter of economics. It’s one thing having a good film and it’s another thing trying not to lose too much money and trying to balance those two. And the economics are quite right for “Sparrow” at the moment. To elaborate on this: When you pick up a film to distribute in the UK you have to pay a certain upfront fee, you’ve got to spend money on your marketing – to make the people aware there is a film and it’s out, then you have to deal with authoring and certification, which also cost a lot of money and all that cost can sometimes totally outweigh the number of units that could possibly sell, which is a shame. But hopefully more digital distribution like iTunes for example, will bring more revenue strings and make it more viable for distributors to push smaller films.
SM: Let’s consider one of the films you distributed last year – “Breathless”. It got a lot of positive reviews, the students, who saw it at the society screening, loved it and it’s Sight and Sound’s film of the year. Does this type of popularity translate into sales?
JT: Not really. It’s put us on the map in terms of filmmakers, sales agents, and film lovers like you, but not so much in terms of money.
SM: What type of films would you like to distribute – the more mainstream type like Bodyguards and Assassins or those for the more “art-house” crowd like “Breathless”? Is it difficult to find that identity for the label itself?
JT: What we’re trying to do is release a mixture of films. We’ve released both “Breathless” and things like “The Fox Family”, which is a very mainstream film. I think the approach for distributors is to make a portfolio.
SM: Would you release a film like “Bodyguards and Assassins”?
JT: Yes, definitely, I’d love to. If we had the capacity to handle the marketing with more staff and etc. (laughs)
SM: So what is the future for Terracotta and the Film Festival?
JT: Well, I’d like to keep doing the same and keep programming the same number of films, fifteen, and keep as personal feel of the festival as possible. I’d also like to distribute more quality films of course.
Chapman To Interview May 4, 2010
Posted by Elena in 101 MC, Other Articles.Tags: chapman, comedie, comedy, director, east, far, festival, film, humaine, interview, la, murphy, spencer, to
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The 30.04. interview sessions at the Far East Film Festival welcomed actor-cum-director Chapman To. The star from “Infernal Affairs” and director of the new Hong Kong comedy “La Comedie Humaine” sat down to a chat with Coventry East Asian Film Society’s founder Spencer Murphy and shared his thoughts on festivals, Hong Kong cinema and future projects.
SM: How are you finding Udine and the Festival so far?
CT: I really like Udine – the weather’s wonderful, the food is good and the women are beautiful. (laughs) And this festival is not like others I’ve been to. It’s better in my opinion, because of the whole atmosphere. And I love that it doesn’t have a “red carpet”. The whole experience is very relaxing and enjoyable.
SM: You started your career as an actor and now you are also a film producer. How did you get involved with producing films?
CT: Five years ago I invited some friends over to dinner at home and I said: “The way things are going for Hong Kong cinema, small directors have no future. The China market is open, but only to big directors and the others don’t stand a chance. I have a plan – to unite small and new directors in a sort of union and I’ll be the producer. The idea is for them to work as a team – while A directs B and C help.” So me and my friends continued our evening and the next morning I got a call from one of them, saying: “About what we discussed last night, I’m not interested right now”. And one by one they all said that. In the end it was just me and Pang Ho-Cheung (director, “Dream Home”) and we found the company “Not Brothers” (because not everybody is your brother). Together we produced “Isabella” and “Trivial Matters” and now for my upcoming film we’ll be working with a young new director. This is good because we’re making the budget smaller this way and at the same time we’re giving a new-comer a chance.
SM: “Isabella” is a very Hong Kong film. When you are making a film for a local Hong Kong audience, do you intentionally make it in such a way that it would be picked up internationally?
CT: Well, Hong Kong is the base. But take the Far East Film Festival for example. A film can be made for local audience, but other places and people will also like it. When I’m working, I’m concentrating on making a strong Hong Kong movie, rather than trying to please everyone.
SM: Your new film “La Comedie Humaine” has a very local sense of humour and it’s a bit surprising that it’s not directed to mainland China. Don’t you have a consideration for mainland China?
CT: Making a successful film for the China market in the style of “Bodyguards and Assassins” is easy. But comedy is strict, because happiness is a very strict, genuine feeling. Something is either funny or it’s not. It is not easy to make a successful comedy for the China market. For example, in “La Comedie Humaine”, there’s a scene where I’m nude and shot from the back. China doesn’t allow that in its films. My latest production also can’t be picked up in China, because it features a sex-scene, and Chinese films don’t feature sex, nudity or ghosts.
SM: One of the scenes in your film “Trivial Matters” features a prostitute from mainland China. Is it a conscious decision to make films, which are critical of China’s film restrictions?
CT: Making movies is my job. The fact is that there is prostitution, sex and someone told me there are ghosts (laughs). I’m not trying to be critical or anti-communist. A film is a film. We’re not making a fantasy production like “Avatar” – we’re trying to show what we really see.
SM: You have also starred in some massive Hong Kong films. If you’re offered a big role, would you accept it to be able to sponsor your own projects?
CT: It’s about balance. Actors are like prostitutes in a way. Sometimes we have good offers and sometimes – not so good. But this is how we earn our living. What can you do, sometimes you give in. The important thing is to balance it.
SM: You’ve worked with many directors. One of them is Herman Yau. What was that like?
CT: He’s the only good person among Hong Kong directors. (laughs) Directors are usually very strong characters. But he is just genuinely good, doesn’t yell and works fast. He doesn’t think about how well his productions will do in the box office, he just makes films. He is a bit crazy, but he is special and a very good friend of mine.
SM: So what are we to expect from you in the future? Anything with Herman?
CT: Oh, it’s not that easy, you have to queue and a lot of investors are involved. As an actor – I like to do comedy. It’s easy to act well, but it’s not easy to make people laugh. Life itself is not easy, so it’s better to laugh. As a producer – I’d like to work with new directors and give them chances.
Echoes of the Rainbow May 4, 2010
Posted by Elena in 101 MC, Reviews, Cabinet of Curiosities, Other Articles.Tags: review, film, drama, comedy, director, of, 2010, the, Kwan, hong, kong, far, east, festival, Sui, yuet, san, tau, echoes, rainbow, winner, awards, alex, law, Sandra, Ng, Yue, Simon, Yam, Evelyn, Choi, Buzz, Chung, Aarif, Lee, 12, udine, 歲月神偷, 岁月神偷
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Synopsis:
Mr Law, a shoe-maker, and Mrs Law, a witty sales-woman, live with their two children in Hong Kong in the 60s. Their little son, Big Ears, is a mischievous eight-year-old, who adores his older brother Desmond, a star pupil and sports champion. The idyllic life they’re leading is disturbed when their house gets destroyed in a hurricane and Desmond is diagnosed with leukemia, the temporary treatment of which the family can barely afford.
Review:
2010 may still be in its first quarter but it’s already certain that Echoes of the Rainbow will remain as one of the highlights of this year’s East Asian cinema. Its touching story, wonderful soundtrack and superb acting have already been praised worldwide, winning four of this year’s Hong Kong film awards (“Best Actor”, “Best New Performer”, Best Screenplay” and “Best Song”) and making Echoes the first Hong Kong film to win a Crystal Bear at the 60th Berlin Film Festival.
Director Alex Law has put together a successful mix of familiar faces and fresh blood. The cast features ex-comedian Sandra Ng Kwan Yue as a witty, bargain-master Ms Law; Simon Yam, also starring in the other favourite in this year’s Hong Kong Film Awards “Bodyguards and Assassins” and the Aarif Lee Chi Ting, making a promising film debut.
Big Ears
One of the first things, which grab the viewer, is the perspective in which the story is told – through the naïve eyes of an eight-year-old boy. His charmingly childish and mischievous behavior and the situations it creates bring a fresh and light-hearted humour to the story. The first half of the film creates a romantic world, where the family is not rich, but hard-working and happy; where the little boy looks up to his straight-A athlete brother Desmond and the two of them are very close. Comic scenes with little Big Ears, stealing a glow-in-the-dark figurine and wearing an aquarium on his head are tangled with endearing moments of brotherly love and wise thoughts shared out loud.
Desmond
The overly-stressed image of the “perfect son”, however, very quickly gives away the dramatic events, surrounding him, which follow. The “good times”, as they’re called in the film, touch on some issues like the relevance of social class to relationships and the common perception that the man has to be richer and more successful, or at least equal in that sense to the woman. But the film really starts to deliver its messages in the second part, after the introduction of Desmond’s illness.
All-the-more straightening the dramatic impact is the song “I wanna be free”, Desmond’s favourite, which is repeated a number of times in the film and becomes a symbol both for his young love and his dreams of what seemed like a promising future.
The audience is well used to drama, but what sets this film a little aside is the perspective of the narrative. Director Alex Law leads the viewer through every aspect of the tragedy – from poverty to the impact it has on every individual character – through the eyes of a child, who doesn’t really understand what’s happening. Although in no way original, this method is more than successful, making half of the audience of the “Far East Film Festival” screening dig for tissues.
