I was expecting Mushishi to be a wild fantastical ride full of snazzy special effects and martial arts. I was sorely disappointed with the latter, and more so when the movie had decided to jump right into the plot of things, with little explanation of what's going on.
Based on the Japanese manga written by Yuki Urushibara, Mushishi, or The "Bugmaster" follows the trials and tribulations of a young mystical shaman Ginko, who travels from location to location, healing people who are infected by the "mushi" creatures, spreading like the plague. However, the filmmakers decided to have made this for fan boys, and doesn't dwell too long with the backstories or relationship details between characters.
Started off quite impressively with a special effects shot of a huge landslide, the movie thereafter degenerated into a series of incomprehensible events that signals that the movie isn't really for non-fans. I was confused by the lack of explanation, either through dialogue or visuals, of what's happening. Imagine watching Star Wars with little or no explanation of "The Force" - things just happen, and you move on.
Come to think of it, it must resembles Star Wars in many ways. You have a manipulator of mystical energy, and have various practitioners belonging to various factions, and you have lineage issues with the lead. You even have a character with horns on the face, like Darth Maul.
For its length, I was hoping for something more epic., with the potential of being a classic. But sadly that was not to be.
***
Before the movie started, the producer was at hand to read out both director Katsuhiro Otomo's and lead actor Jo Odagiri's words of thanks and apologies for not being able to make it for the screening. Katsuhiro, known for his Akira, said that while Akira is set in the future, Mushishi is set 100 years ago, and has some important messages for us. He signed off hoping that the audience will feel those messages too.
And you wonder when the movie reviews are gonna appear. It's been a hectic first few days at the HKIFF, with plenty of press junkets to keep you busy, so much so that a few movies that my friends and I have earmarked, had to be sacrificed - movies like Red Road, Ad Lib Night, Free Jimmy and London to Brighton. You'll start to see some reviews appearing regularly now, as we're enjoying the reprieve from the first half of press activities, before embarking on a second and (our) final rounds next week, with Red Carpet events for Ming Ming, Spider Lilies and the World Premieres of Herman Yau's Whispers and Moans, and Undercover.
The Case, a first feature directed by Wang Fen, made its World Premiere yesterday evening at the Hong Kong Space Museum Lecture Hall. Wang Fen was in attendance, and had a short Q&A session with the audience after the movie. More of that in a while.
The relationship between a middle aged couple anchors the story about love and desire, and explores the hidden inclination of those who feel like rocking the boat, but find no courage to do so. Innkeeper Da Shang and wife look like your mundane couple, but as we slowly learn, there exists some kind of resentment amongst them, in part due to the wife's suspicious nature, stemming from fears that Da Shang will stray for more attractive women, and from Da Shang's behaviour to warrant such thoughts. The case here is an important plot device, both physically in its concealment of secrets, and metaphorically in how Da Shang is leading his life - encased within the influence of his wife, and his failure to break out for much needed space.
The story picks up midway when another strange couple enter the scene - a geeky man and his sexy wife, and through a series of incredible coincidences, which will be explained and the revelation important to the entire story, but one which I thought was somewhat an anti-climax, despite it being possibly the best way to ring home the message. Having two couples also allowed for some comparisons and contrast, especially toward the finale where you'll definitely start to think about how drastic actions and measures are taken by desperate people, and how sometimes it might be better if you keep your emotions in check.
Well acted movie with dialogue that be familiar amongst squabbling spouses, and at certain expenses on woman's state of mind, with ample wit infused moments to liven things up at appropriate points. However, the editing does require getting used to, as there are little flashbacks used repetitively to move the narrative forward.
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Director Wang Fen was in attendance for the World Premiere of her movie The Case, and shared with the audience that the film was an exploration into the weaknesses of both man and woman, contrary to the obvious finger pointing during the movie that men are cads.
Shot in Yun-nan, China, as part of a project with 10 young female directors, she was scouting for a suitable location when she stumbled upon the small inn with a river in front, and from then on thought how it could fit into the story. She had the choice of using the vast landscapes of Yun-nan for her movie, but decided to focus to shoot primarily in the guesthouse, analogous to the life of Da Shang, living a controlled and constricted lifestyle, who yearns for his own space as shown in his frequent trips to his own greenhouse, and which is objected to by his domineering wife.
The theme of fear is also explored, and she's using a seemingly simple story to address the complexities of life, and the decisions we have to make to change our lives if we're unhappy with it. As demonstrated by the characters, one of the biggest crises in life is that of trust, or the lack thereof, and most times this lack of trust forms the origins of problems.
Wang Fen revealed that she's a pessimistic-optimist, and that it's better to experience little happiness along the hardships felt through the journey of life.
The inaugural Asian Film Awards two nights ago saw many Asian stars grace the occasion, most of whom are nominees of the awards, as well as stars who will be the hosts and award presenters.
Fans of Rain and Andy Lau were lining up the entrance along the Red Carpet to welcome their idols, with LED lighted placards, and full of boistrous energy to greet the arriving stars.
movieXclusive.com brings you a selection of stars making their way onto the Red Carpet, including Park Chan-wook, Lim Su-jeong, Rain, Lee Byung-hun, Song Kang-ho, Miki Nakatani, Nick Cheung, Isabella Leong, Daniel Wu, Fiona Sit, Twins, Maggie Q, Vicky Zhao Wei, Tony Leung Chiu Wai, Karen Mok, Francis Ng, and Andy Lau, just to name but a handful. Feast your eyes!
And join us now for the video coverage of the Red Carpet event. Let's see how many stars you can identify! (Runtime: approx.15 minutes)
Text: Stefan Photos: Lokman / Stefan Videos: CK Yip
If you're wondering why it takes so long to see pictures and videos, well, we DO have a lot of events to cover, which is good. That also explains why you have yet to read a movie review on this site, because we had to sacrifice some movies to bring you the excitement from the ground.
We've watched our first movies yesterday, so do expect some reviews over the next few days until the end of the event.
And yes, it takes a long while to render those videos that you see, and to upload them. Do be patient!
Here are some photos taken from the Red Carpet of Arthur and the Minimoy's Hong Kong premiere. Stars like Michelle Yeoh and Jaycee Chan were present to grace the event, in addition to having the director Luc Besson in attendance.
Why not check out the video clip taken of the event?
The press room was abuzz with predominantly Japanese media teams, all eagerly anticipating the start of the conference for the movie on the Mongolian conqueror, Genghis Khan - To the Ends of the Earth and Sea. Made with a 3 billion Yen budget and shot over four months on location in Mongolia, Genghis Khan stars Japanese idol Takashi Sorimachi and Korean actress Ara, in a Japan-Mongolia co-production to commemorate the 800th anniversary of the founding of Mongol.
Accompanied by producers Haruki Kadokawa and Ryuhei Chiba, the conference began with the screening of the movie trailer, and photo opportunities for the dozens of photographers present, their flashes dazzling the ballroom, to the constant sounds of beating drums, no doubt a rousing tune used in the movie's soundtrack.
The producers were given a headstart in the fielding of questions on the underlying theme and message of the movie, which Ryuhei Chiba explained was one of brotherhood and family, given that Genghis Khan was also known as a family man, besides all conquering warrior.
Most of the questions were for the star Takashi Sorimachi, who hadn't been in Hong Kong for a long time, and was hoping to catch up with Andy Lau, with whom he co-starred in Full Time Killer back in 2001. He shared that he was doing a television series when he first heard of this movie project, and he agreed to do it when he was asked if he was willing to try the role. To prepare for it, he read many books on Genghis Khan, and being on the set helped him to crystallise his thoughts for the role. There were some mindset shifts required as the era was very different, especially on relationship issues like polygamy, and when hate amongst men equates to war. He revealed that the harsh weather and environment in Mongolia made shooting tough - he actually lugged cases of Japanese food to bring over!
Naturally, in such harsh environments, a question was posed as to how the stars managed to maintain their good complexion. Takashi Sorimachi was gleefully surprised that the question was posed to him, instead of his beautiful co-star Ara, as he did not take any special precautions nor special care, though he mentioned that the weather was dry, and it was easy to catch a cold. Ara too did not do anything in particular besides her usual routine of using facial masks and to wash and cleanse her face carefully.
The stars were asked their favourite and memorable scenes in the movie, and it was unanimous that the blue skies and vast grasslands of Mongolia were favourites. In addition, Ara liked the realistic battle scenes, as well as those in the film which exhibited strong human drama.
To wrap things up in the short conference, the stars were asked for their impression of Hong Kong. Ara shared that this was the first time she was in Hong Kong and had heard about the great food and scenery, but had not much time to prepare for the trip because of her busy schedule. Takashi Sorimachi too agreed that the food gourmet is great, and has no problems with the local cuisine.
Yet another addition to epic movies on historical characters, Genghis Khan - To the Ends of the Earth and Sea has been picked up for distribution in over 60 countries, let's hope that Singapore is one of them!
Here's a video with excerpts from the press conference. Enjoy!
Come mid-July this year, renowned Hong Kong action movie director Benny Chan will have his new movie released. Titled Invisible Target (aka Tripod), starring an exciting cast of Jaycee Chan, Elanne Kong, Nicholas Tse, Wu Jing, Shawn Yue and Andy On, we were treated to an exclusive 4 minute cut of a work still in production. Everyone save for Shawn and Andy were present for today's Press Conference.
The following will contain mild spoilers, so for those who wish not to know anything much about the movie, you're advised to just admire the pictures, and skip all the text. Otherwise, read on...
Spoiler Alert The 4 minute trailer of sorts started off with quiet contemplation, introducing us to the main cast, filled with voiceovers about their characters. Soon enough, all hell broke loose, and the action begins. They are hard hitting street fights amongst cast members, and co-operative fights against others, some with fancy stunts and wire work (which seemed quite obvious). What probably caught my attention, were action stunt sequences involving leaps and double decker buses. As always, there are moments of comedy, and there was one particular scene shown with three bare bodied actors giving each other a rubdown on their bruises.
Director Benny Chan is no stranger to Hong Kong action movies, having helmed a fair share of recent titles like Rob-B-Hood, Divergence and New Police Story. He was proud to share that Invisible Target will be a different sort of action thriller, one which is youthful, energetic and full of power, and that the cast, from what we saw in the action and fight sequences, did their own stunts. What we've seen from the clips was a result of 4 months of shooting, and it was specially edited for the conference.
Benny also assured that this was different from his other action movies, as those in the past usually contained gun battle and explosions, whereas this one relied more on the muscle strength and fisticuffs.
The character that Jaycee Chan plays in the movie is a cop who goes strictly by the book. And to prepare for the role, he felt that he had to beef up his upper body strength in order to look comparable to his peers in the movie. Wu Jing plays a rebel with his own set of philosophical values, and revealed that he had a hard time fighting with Jaycee, Nicholas Tse and Shawn Yue.
The only notable female cast in the movie, Elanne Kong also plays a cop, but one who is assisting the team from behind the scenes. Her character is the girlfriend of Shawn Yue's, and she was clearly excited about being in a Benny Chan film, and having felt no pressure despite being in a big movie. She shared that one of her memorable scenes so far, was a crying scene, in which she found difficult, but thanks to coaxing from the director, she was able to do so.
Nicholas Tse introduced his role as a cop with a personal vendetta, joining the force in order to fulfil his vengeful desire, rather than to serve public order. This movie is currently his most memorable action movie to date, especially the stunt involving the bus. He added that he hoped Invisible Target adds a new dimension to Hong Kong action movies, and laments the day should this genre cease to churn out quality works.
During the conference, it was fairly obvious on the excellent camaraderie amongst the cast, especially between Nicholas and Wu Jing, as they traded barbs and "war stories" about how hard hitting the action thriller is, and how they traded real, but controlled, blows at each other in order to present the best possible shot for the scene. As their mantra goes, it's better to hit or be hit once, than to have a retake and be hit 10 times. Despite some of the stunts that we've seen in the clip look fairly dangerous, they assured that they were indeed safe to do so.
Nicholas, in answer to a query, revealed that he was indeed honoured to have been able to spar with Wu Jing (a real martial arts champion) in the movies, and exchange tips and pointers with him, given his growing interest in martial arts, and martial arts movies (like Dragon Tiger Gate). The chemistry between the two was undeniable, and Wu Jing did feel a bit of pressure in getting things right, and gushed about the realistic action fight sequences in the movie, as compared to the more fantastical / poseur like fights that audiences have grown accustomed to.
The conference wrapped with an announcement that Invisible Target will be making its Pan-Asian district premiere come mid July this year. This goes into my books as a definite must watch, together with a certain Donnie Yen production, which from the trailer we saw, just blew us away. We hope to be able to bring you some scoop on that soon!
Here's the video of the press conference (approx 15min), including a snippet of the 4 minute clip!
Text: Stefan Photos: Lokman / CK Yip Videos: CK Yip
No, we're not idling and surfing p0rn. It's hitting the Media Centre to bring you the latest there is on offer, be it a press conference, red carpet event, or a simple behind the scenes look at the insane rush from location to location.
Speaking of which, it's probably a good idea to show you the madcap yet fun time we're having here. After all, all work and no play makes us all dull boys.
French director Luc Besson was in town as one of the special guests of this year's Hong Kong International Film Festival, and today is a day set aside for a press conference, as well as the Hong Kong gala premiere of his movie, Arthur and the Minimoys. movieXclusive.com was at hand this morning during the press conference.
Luc shared that the beginnings of Arthur and the Minimoys was during the time when he was making The 5th Element, where designer Patrice Garcia came up to him with a drawing of Arthur, which opened doors instantly in his mind. Luc had been making "violent" movies like Nikita and Leon, and this movie allowed him an avenue to talk about themes like racism to children. He was able to write for weeks to get the ideas out of his mind.
Every night at 8pm he would become sad and pessimistic with the cynicism in the news, and it made him think about responsibility as a parent, as well as a signal to go back to things about nature (he mentioned he read that when asked to draw a fish, 60% of the schoolchildren would draw a rectangle - fillet in a frying pan), friendship and love. He considered Arthur and the Minimoys as vitamins for kids, and had seen it a few times with children, and each time was amazed by their faces and reactions as they stayed glued to the screen.
Luc was livening up the conference with plenty of anecdotes, one of which recounted his friend telling him that his children now avoid stepping into the garden, in case they stepped on a Minimoy. The word Minimoy, he revealed, came about with the prefix "Mini", and then randomly trying to find a suitable suffix, which he finally settled on "moy" as it sounded nice.
He also talked a bit about his production company Europa, in response to a question about new directors, and revealed that in 6 years the company had produced 65 films, and an average about 3 to 5 films per year made by 1st time directors. He finds it charming to be able to help someone do his first film. He has good people now in the company to take care of the business aspect, and has more time now as compared to 20 years ago, to focus on creative work. Luc had later reminisced about the early days where he can only shoot films from 1 to 7pm, with the time before 1pm used to source for money to get lunch for his crew. The early days had given him a sense of cost and to respect money, like when he had enough film for 2 takes per shot, and had two camera lenses to work with, that now, he only uses things like cranes strictly based on necessity.
Luc had a lot of affection and respect for Asian cinema, and this was obvious throughout the conference, as well as his collaborations in films with the likes of Jet Li and Shu Qi. He stated that Asian cinema is vivid and powerful in the world today, was impressed by the video montage done for the Asian Film Awards, which showcased plenty of invention and ideas. Likening the film festival circuit to a tennis circuit, he was happy to be here, and noted that it was important to come every year.
When asked if Hollywood was still a strong cultural force to be reckoned with, Luc mentioned that as artists, there's a need to have the senses open, and like food, the best is with diversity. He thought that Hollywood had changed in the last 10 years, with the last 5 being more business oriented, with more lawyers, bankers and agents on the scene. So little by little, Hollywood films are becoming poorer every year. He thought that a lot of interesting cinema is in Asia, a little in Europe, and the US indie scene becoming stronger now.
Luc was also of the opinion that every cultural exchange is good, so long as you stay honest, when queried about the trend of cross-cultural film making, and with remakes. He shared that last night during the Asian Film Awards, there was plenty of jibes about the Departed being a remake of Hong Kong's Infernal Affairs, and reminded that Hong Kong too had its fair share of "Nikita" remakes - He recounted that in Cannes, there was a film seller from Hong Kong who was going around trying to sell an exact shot for shot film of Nikita, to much laughter amongst the press members.
But he was happy with the recent announcement that there will be a law to protect Intellectual Property, because Asian cinema in Europe is well protected and taken good care of.
Since Nikita was brought up, there was no stopping questions being fielded about his early filmmaking days. He returned the volley to a question asking him to rank his top 5 films of his career, with a rhetorical question on how could anyone have kids, and rank them. He has made 10 movies, and he loved them all, that film is like taking a polaroid of yourself at that time. However, technically speaking, he was more comfortable and proud of his work the last year, and had seen his ability to shorten the duration of translating ideas and the final product.
Luc went into technical details, like his shooting of Nikita in chronological order, only to find that he had to stop for 2 weeks to rewrite the script and ending, and like a cat that landed on its feet, he was glad that despite the story being different from the original he had in mind, audiences liked it. But no, there will not be a sequel to Nikita as there are already so many Nikitas around the world, and the world doesn't need one more.
Asked about how different it was to shoot live action and animation, Luc said that a third of Arthur and the Minimoys was live action, and for the animation, he had to shoot references with actors for the animators. So it was an 8 months shoot with almost 3000 shots, and it helped a lot to get the emotions of the animations right. Actual Minimoy sets were built too, and the challenge was to merge all the different aspects together, and praised his team on the delivery - it was easier to make a pure 3D film than to make a hybrid one like Arthur.
And you can see very clearly that Luc Besson is a proud parent of his latest baby.
You can view some snippets of the conference from the video below:
Arthur and the Minimoys makes its premiere in Hong Kong this evening, and it'll be opening soon in Singapore. Watch for our review of the movie!
Karen Mok began with a monologue, before David Wu and Fiona Sit took over the hosting duties (the former being the anchor).
Korean movie The Host wins big at the inaugural Asian Film Awards, bagging 4 out of 10 awards, including Best Actor and Best Picture.
The full awards winners list as follows:
Best Composer: Rahayu SUPANGGAH, Opera Jawa, Indonesia/Austria Presented by Maggie Q and Rain, who said in English that without music, he'll just be known as Jung Ji-hoon.
Best Editor: Lee CHATAMETIKOOL, Syndromes and a Century, Thailand/Austria/France
Best Production Designer: Tim YIP, The Banquet, Hong Kong/Chinese Mainland Presented by Simon Yam and Josie Ho.
Best Visual Effects: The Orphanage, The Host, South Korea Presented by Zhao Tao and Jia Zhangke.
Best Screenwriter: Mani HAGHIGHI, Men at Work, Iran Presented by Andrew Lau and Kim Hye-soo.
Best Cinematographer: KIM Hyung-goo, The Host, South Korea
Best Actress: NAKATANI Miki, Memories of Matsuko, Japan Presented by Chang Chen and Zhao Wei.
Best Actor: SONG Kang-ho, The Host, South Korea
Best Director: JIA Zhangke, Still Life, Chinese Mainland Presented by Daniel Wu, Lee Byung-hun and Nicholas Saputra
Best Film: The Host, South Korea
Special awards were also given out tonight, with the following as recipients:
Asian Film Award for Excellence in Scholarship in Asian Cinema: David BORDWELL Presented by Johnny To.
Asian Film Award for Outstanding Contribution to Asian Cinema: Josephine SIAO Fong Fong
French director Luc Besson was on hand to give away the award to Josephine Siao, who had made 230 films so far, and in 1995 was awarded Best Actress at the Berlin Film Festival. Josephine received a standing ovation, and was in good spirits to banter with the audience. The award also turned out to be a fitting 60th birthday present to Josephine, who shared that she had not made any film in the last 10 years, and her acceptance speech actually ended with a simple magic trick.
Nielsen Box Office Star of Asia Award: Andy LAU
There was one performance by Hong Kong singer Sandy Lam during the awards ceremony, who did a special montage of songs in Korean, Japanese, and Cantonese, celebrating the diversity of cultures and languages as per the movies up in the running of the Awards.
We'll bring to you the event coverage on the Red Carpet, as well as a peek into the Awards Backstage area where more pictures of winners and their awards will be posted. Stay tuned!
The second red carpet event was almost 90 minutes after the first, during which the crowd had swelled to almost 400 strong, clearly made up of Asian singer Rain's fans. A creative bunch, they made placards with multi-coloured LED lights, with little messages of love and the spelling of Rain's name in Korean and English. Some even had moving lights that resembled rain drops. They occasionally screamed little slogans of affection, livening up the atmosphere of waiting with utmost patience.
What's more, a group of almost 20 even came decked in the blue mask that Rain wears in the movie. Talk about devotion to their idol, most of the fans were at the foyer waiting, some almost for 4 hours, before the trio of Park Chan-wook, Lim Su-jeong, and of course Rain, made it to the Red Carpet.
And the fans couldn't contain their excitement much longer, as their cheers reached crescendos that echoed multiple decibels throughout the foyer. Cameras flashed incessantly as Press and Fans alike tried to get the best picture possible amidst the crowd. Every smile, every wave and every look back as they made their way to the stage area, was greeted with plenty of cheers, so much that it resembled a rock concert of sorts.
At the stage, Lim Su-jeong and Rain were delighted and pleased to have met their fans, and were moved by their show of support. Fans who had managed to get tickets to the sold out screening, were eagerly anticipating meeting their idols inside the theatre.
And here's an exclusive look at the reception given to the special guests, from the Red Carpet to the Stage Area
It's tough but we're not complaining. Just to put what you see here in perspective, things aren't always served to you on a silver platter. You've got to endeavour hard to get things done the way you want them to be.
And so, we share with you a glimpse of very gung-ho-can-do-go-getter spirit...
A new experience, learning something new everyday!
Having two movies as the opening films of the festival, meant having the first double bill red carpet event this evening (the next double being on the 28th - watch for it!). Naturally one movie is a local Hong Kong movie making its Asian Premiere, while the other is Park Chan-wook's I'm a Cyborg but That's OK.
The first double bill red carpet event of the evening, Eye in the Sky, saw its stars Simon Yam, Kate Tsui, Lam Suet and Maggie Siu gracing the occasion, and a toasting ceremony to commemorate the start of the festival screenings.
Actors Nick Cheung, Lau Ching Wan and wife Amy Kwok were present too amongst others to add to the star power of the cast present, and spent some time fielding questions from the press.
Fans were lining up the red carpet to cheer their favourite stars, but one can only guess if their loudest cheers were reserved for later in the evening...
As always, here's some photographs from the event:
as well as an intimate look at the proceedings from the entrance to the stage area:
Text: Stefan Videos / Pictures: Lokman / CK Yip / Stefan
I'm a Cyborg but That's OK was a record sell out within 30 minutes of online ticketing sales, and this was no doubt testament to Asian superstar Rain's appeal. When he speaks, or smiles, hundreds of camera flashes going off is the norm. Director Park Chan-wook's new movie premieres at this year's HKIFF as one of the opening films, and the press conference held earlier today was the first official event.
Graced by the director and his two leads, singer Rain and actress Lim Su-jeong, the press conference fielded questions ranging from their thoughts of the movie, to their nominations in the first Asian Film Awards. Speaking through interpreters, here's what the trio shared.
Opening Statements Park: While my films had been selected in various festivals before, this is the first time that it been selected as an opening film for a major festival. So I'm honoured that I'm a Cyborg is given the opportunity.
Lim: This is the first time that a movie I've starred in is premiering as an opening film, and I'm happy about the red carpet reception later with the chance to interact with the fans.
Rain: I've been a fan of Hong Kong movies when I was growing up, and I've never thought that the first movie I'm starring in can be premiered in Hong Kong. I'm also excited about the opportunity to meet up with some of my Hong Kong film idols!
Q: There's a totally different feel to this movie, as compared to your past works. Was it a conscious decision for it to be different? Park: My other movies were dark, and I've got a little bored. It's akin to being submerged underwater for a long time, and now to come out to take a breather.
Q: Why did you select a movie like this for your debut film? Rain: I like director Park's works, and I've saw all of his movies save one. I was wondering if I would have the opportunity to work with Park as I'm a fan, and when Park spoke to me one day about a role, I jumped at the opportunity almost immediately. It had been a truly wonderful experience.
Q: You had been playing many beautiful young maidens roles, what's your feeling like in having to star a a mental health patient?
Lim: It's a special role, and I felt some pressure in having to interpret the role for the movie. Luckily Rain helped me a lot, and it was a happy working experience to work with him, and director Park.
Q: What are your views about your leads, and what made you decide to cast them?
Park: I didn't cast Ran because he can sing. I saw Rain on television before, and I thought about a special role that suited him. Lim was decided upon when I spoke to Rain. I thought my leads added a lot of value to the film, because despite having a script, they were given a lot of freedom, and had time to improvise and fine tune their roles.
Q: This is your first time here in Hong Kong as a film star, what are your thoughts? Lim: I like Hong Kong, and Im a fan of Hong Kong movies as well. I'm honoured to be here for the festival's opening, and there are so many artistes here that I'll love to meet, I don't have the time to enumerate them all.
Q: Rain, you mentioned earlier too that you'd like to meet some of your idols. Who are they?
Rain: There are many, and I'm already happy to be here, and will be satisfied to say hello to some of them, and speak to them.
Q: This will be the first Asian Film Awards. What are your thoughts about the Awards being held in Hong Kong? Park: It's a glamourous event held in a glamourous city, and I'll be happy if either leads or both get awards. (Both Rain and Lim Su-jeong are up in the running for Best Actor and Best Actress respectively)
Q: Rain, it's your debut movie role, and you got a nomination at the Awards. How do you feel? Rain: I'm happy and honoured to be nominated in the Awards, and some of the other nominees are my idols too.
Q: Rain, if like the movie you can steal someone's abilities, whose will it be? Rain: I'd very like those who are industrious and knowledgeable. However, I'd like to steal an interpreter's ability so that I can speak to many different people!
Final remarks Park: I hope that as many people are able to appreciate this movie. This one has no horror elements, so please open your eyes and I wish you a cheerful experience watching it!
Lim: I hope that everyone can concentrate when watching this film, and to have a happy time. I also hope to be able to star in more television shows to audiences in Hong Kong.
Rain: I like Hong Kong, and it's been uncanny that I've been here 6 months ago for a concert, and now I'm back again. I hope for everyone's support, like what the others said, to concentrate on the movie and nothing else, and have a great time!
The event was capped with the presentation of the public broadcast license by HKIFF society chairman Mr Wilfred Wong.
I'm a Cyborg but That's OK makes its red carpet premiere later tonight, and we'll be bringing you exclusive pictures from the event. For those eager to read a review of the movie (yes, it has made its premiere in Singapore already), you can click on this link.
For those who want a sneak peek into the press conference experience, you can view the video clip below:
And to our friends in Hong Kong, see you at the Convention and Exhibition Centre this evening!
Work has not started, but we're celebrating the calm before the storm with a day trip to Macau. However, we opted for the more scenic route, and embarked on the Heritage Trail, instead of spending too much time at the gambling tables. Not that we didn't try, but we did so with imaginary money. One stake lost at the virgin attempt was all it took to bolt us out of the door, and delved into a more wholesome and cultural experience instead.
And yeah, the Portuguese Egg Tarts and Pork Chop Buns taste so good, washed down with the equally fine "Yuan Yang" beverage!
The fun and event coverage proper will start tomorrow. Tune in for more updates as we strive to bring you the best of the 31st HKIFF!
Upon settling in our comfy (Stefan would defer..) stay, we soon set off our journey to tame our hunger. You guys might wonder where we're put up. All i can say or show you is the view from our room. Pretty niffy eh?
After an absolutley huge portion of lunch (you should see how full we were..) we set off on our recce of the various cinema/theter location that we will be covering during the festival.
First up: UA Times Square. THE place for teenagers as its a mecca for fashion and accessories.
Next: HK Convention and Exhibition Centre. The equivalent of our Suntec. That's where most of the main events are held.
Next stop: Hong Kong Cultural Centre
Last stop: UA Langham Place, also located within a shopping complex, right in the heart of Mongkok.
After a tiring day, scouring around Hong Kong Island and Kowloon, we decided to taste the local delicacies....of stinky tofu, or fermented beancurd.
You know what? It's like durians, an acquired taste. Good thing is, we both like the smell (!) and the taste. HK$6 for a piece.
The main beef on the festival coverage to come real soon, meanwhile, you'll have to put up with our blabber as we play first, then work later.
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