[2014.11.24] TONY LEUNG CHIU WAI HAS EXCHANGES WITH INDIAN FILMMAKERS

Tony Leung says that everyone has the right to express their views, but they must first be peaceful and sensible

Tony Leung says that good movies provide pleasure to the audience
courtesy of mingpao.com

The 45th India International Film Festival is heating up in Goa. China was the festival focus nation and Chinese films were featured at the festival. Already arrived at the film festival, Tony Leung Chiu Wai yesterday spoke with Xinhua news agency reporters. He said that he benefited a lot from exchanges with Indian filmmakers. In the future he would like to make some light and humorous films.

Actually Wai Jai was particularly in love with Indian food, especially curry and Indian cuisine filled with spices. This time was not his first time in India, only earlier he visited India privately. As for Goa, he described it as India's sunny beach that was very relaxing.

As for guests of the focus nation, Wai Jai and Zhang Ziyi were invited to attend the film festival opening ceremony on the 20th and participated in a special lighting ceremony. He said that this time at the India International Film Festival was different from the previous festivals that he has attended. This was the first time he was the focus nation guest. As a member of the team to represent the nation and have exchanges with Indian filmmakers, he felt the meaning was extraordinary.

Speaking of his impression of Indian film, Wai Jai recalled that he has liked to watch movies since he was very little. He would pay particular attention to some good movies. With many movies that he has seen when he was little, he would still remember them deeply today. He also has seen some Bollywood films and felt that Indian film stars were widely talented, able to sing and dance, very entertaining and mobile.

He stressed that when he participated in film festivals, exchanges with other nations' filmmakers was a great way to elevate the Chinese film industry, enabled him to understand different nations' cultures and advantages and elevated his own vision. He said with certainty that China and India films absolutely had ample room to collaborate. The Chinese film industry now has great conditions, can completely go outside, absorb Indian films' advantages and strengths, explore the market and strengthen collaborations.

Wai Jai said that he and Zhang Ziyi were film festival guests mostly also because of Director Wong Kar Wai's acceptance of artistic achievement award at this India Film Festival. His film THE GRANDMASTER (YUT DOI JUNG SI) will be the closing film. Wai Jai said that for awhile in the past he has made many "serious" and dramatic films. Now he wants to change his direction a little and make more light and humor films that can make people think, so everyone can relax and be happy.

As for conditions for him to take a role, Wai Jai said that the film box office was not the first consideration. With the right directors and screen writers, excellent scripts and production teams he definitely would join; he also said that good films were film workers' serious contribution, when the audience can receive "pleasure" it naturally can also sense the production quality and sincerity.

Wai Jai revealed that the previous film festival he attended was last year's Berlin Film Festival. Since then he spent most of his time in Hong Kong. After making THE GRANDMASTER he was on vacation mode. Sometimes he watched movies and read books that he liked, fulfilling his life and experience, wanting to try different genres.

Reporters asked about the recent Hong Kong "Occupy Central" event. Wai Jai said that "Occupy Central" so far has already given Hong Kong people a lot of inconvenience at work and life and had certain effects on every business and industry in Hong Kong. It was time for it to retreat. He said, everyone had the right to express their views, but they must be peaceful and sensible, respect the spirit of Hong Kong laws.

As for his future film plans, Wai Jai said that next year he will be very busy because he will have a series of films that will start production. Announcements will be made later. He was looking forward to them very much himself.