[2017.04.05] JOYCE CHENG AND BABYJOHN CHOI HAD A MISUNDERSTANDING

courtesy of on.cc

courtesy of singtao.com

Ben Yeung, Chrissie Chau, director Kearen Pang, Joyce Cheng and BabyJohn Choi

Joyce Cheng and BabyJohn Choi

courtesy of mingpao.com

The film 29+1 was based on the Kearen Pang Sau Wai written, directed and starred play. This time through Chrissie Chau Sau Na and Joyce Cheng Yun Yi it would be a portrait of women stepping into their 30s. Director Pang Sau Wai said that she paired Babyjohn Choi Hong Yik, a straight laced, kind, harmless and shy guy with Yun Yi for an interesting team. They also had chemical reaction with their appearance, but actually at first they were not too accepting. Yun Yi even wanted someone else. She said that actually they had a beautiful misunderstanding.

BabyJohn revealed, "We originally weren't close and didn't know each other. Once we ran into each other at a restaurant. She seemed to have been locked in a box and untouchable. I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to say hi." Yun Yi said, "At the same time I was waiting for him to look over and give him a nod, but he never did. I thought he must have thought that he was better than others after winning an award!" BabyJohn said, "I would have looked again, but what if she wouldn't say hi? I was better off not looking, which created our first awkward meeting." When did they break the ice? Yun Yi said that half an hour after they worked together. BabyJohn said, "15 minutes, we are both kind of dumb and kind of silly. Now we are good friends, occasionally we would facetime. We also worked together twice."

They had a kiss scene in the film. Yun Yi said, "Such a scene required a lot of trust. You might think that normally I talk a lot and laugh a lot, but I went to a girl school from age 6 to 18. I would be very nervous with such a scene. BabyJohn however made the whole thing OK." BabyJohn said, "It was during the period when Yun Yi and I were testing each other, the director could not help but take Yun Yi's place and tested the mark with me. However it felt really awkward, so after halfway I said I got it. Actually personal feeling wouldn't help, but in the film the director helped a lot."

Chau Sau Na also said that she was on the set for the scene. She looked at the monitor and told them to hurry up and finish. In the film she and co-star Ben Yeung Seung Bun had a tragic romance, which was quite a contrast to Yun Yi's happy couple. Sister Na said that in the film she and Yun Yi were born on the same day on the same month in the same year and both had to face 29+1. She said, "My character was very afraid of this age. After surviving the 7 year itch with my boyfriend I couldn't get married. So I was mostly unhappy. When they worked on their happy scene I walked by barefoot like a solitary ghost. It was probably the movie that I cried the most in, but the character had a lot of potential. During the shoot I was much thinner." In the film the director neither needed Sister Na to be sexy nor gave her no chance to show off her figure. She did not even have to wear a tiny tank top so she was able to focus on the feeling of 29+1.

Yun Yi admitted that she will soon turn 30. She said, "I am not scared at all because this doesn't represent actual number. It would be a turning point, which happened to me earlier. It would just be a number to me, a birthday, a chance to have cake." Sister Na said, "I am very afraid, when I made this film I just turned 30. It was like turning 29+1 many times. I also have experienced the very heartbreaking parts in the film, so at first I went in a little chubby, then I got thinner and thinner as the shoot went on."