[2011.11.06] ZHANG ZIYI IS HONORED IN ROME

courtesy of takungpao.com

Zhang Ziyi with the film LOVE FOR LIFE (JUI OI) won the sixth Rome Film Festival award for elegance and temperament and broke the streak of the award going to Italian actresses.  With the award in hand Zhang Ziyi said  with a smile, "This trip to Rome has been like an Italian feast, the award is like a bottle of champagne that was saved for our final celebration."

The film festival presented this award to Zhang Ziyi mainly for the numerous bright spots that she created in her art life.  The committee said, "She mixes strong performance abilities with harmony and elegant grace, all of which have been thoroughly on display in movies like CROUCHING TIGER HIDDEN DRAGON, HERO, HOUSE OF FLYING DAGGERS, MEMOIR OF A GEISHA and LOVE FOR LIFE.   No one is more deserving of this award for elegance and temperament than her."  Dressed in pink Zhang Ziyi first greeted everyone in Chinese then said in English, "First I would like to thank the Rome Film Festival for giving me this honor.  Film to me is everything.  Since age 17 film has occupied my life.  Such an encouragements very important to actors."  She also did not forget to emotionally thank director Gu Changwei.

Zhang Ziyi humorously said with the award when asked about being the first Chinese actress to win this Rome Film Festival award, "This trip to Rome has been like a rich Italian feast, the award is like a bottle of champagne that was saved for our final celebration."  She also said that she was very relaxed on this trip to Rome.  "I hope this small budget film would get more recognition.  If through the influence of this film festival even more people can experience the feelings that the film delivers, this is my greatest wish."  Gu Changwei also said that she already received a lot from this production, so this trip was more relaxing.  He said, "Through this film, Ziyi again returned to the sight of European viewers, which pleases me very much.  Making a movie is like putting together a party.  LOVE FOR LIFE has so many excellent actors, everyone performed so outstandingly.  Everyone because of the film have a period of time that they spent 'together', which was enough.  I have to thank everyone."