[2024.10.31] AFRAID OF LOSING HIS SHIRT, BILL KONG LOOKS FORWARD TO MAKING A KILLING WITH A NEW GENRE

Edko Films chief Bill Kong and director Anthony Pun discuss the production difficulties of CESIUM FALLOUT and various challenges of the the film industry

Andy Lau and Karen Mok are often at odds in the film

CESIUM FALLOUT has many explosion and fire scenes.

CESIUM FALLOUT director Anthony Pun praises the new generation actors Jeffrey Ngai, Leung Chung Hang, Wesley Wong, Locker Lam and Dee Ho for having the courage to personally perform many dangerous scenes
courtesy of mingpao.com

Edko Films president Bill Kong Chi Keung is one of the mainstays of today's film industry. Facing the weakness of the Hong Kong film market, he still strove to fight against adversity, rose to the challenge and produced Hong Kong films. He even personally promoted the film he produced, CESIUM FALLOUT (FUN SING). He admitted that he spent HK$ 100 million to invest in the new film, so he was very worried about losing money. However he believed that if he did his duty and made the movie well, there would definitely be an audience. Kong Chi Keung said that the film business was difficult. He was not Superman, and did not know how to save the Hong Kong film industry. He only held on to the principals of making a good movie and believed that there would definitely be an audience. He also encouraged his peers to be bold and careful in filming. "If Hong Kong films want to move forward, we must have the courage to try and seek new genres." The CESIUM FALLOUT director Pun Yiu Ming said that in addition to relying on the co-operation of the cast and crew to overcome the various difficulties during the production, the future development of film and cultivating talents were also very key.

The Andy Lau Tak Wah, Karen Mok Man Wai, Gardner Tse Kwan Ho, Louise Wong Dan Nei, Jeffrey Ngai Chun Sun and others starred new film CESIUM FALLOUT will be released on November 1st. Director Anthony Pun Yiu Ming and producer Kong Chi Keung recently accepted an interview. For the filming of a disaster film with the subject of radiation leakage, Kong Chi Keung said that Hong Kong films must seek new genres of films to move forward. Thus he often paid attention to different things, revealing that during the novel coronavirus epidemic the screenwriter showed him a report on radiation. After reading it, he felt that it could be made into a disaster film. "For the incident to happen in Hong Kong is very important to me, because Hong Kong movies are meant to take place in Hong Kong. The report was about a lot of toxic foreign garbage, electronic waste from some developed countries, have ben shipped to Hong Kong but no one knew about it. No one cared about it either. So the screenwriter and I started to write the script and gather information." Foreign garbage referred to solid waste imported from foreign countries, which may be transported to various places through ways like authorization through corruption, smuggling channels or parallel trading.

Kong Chi Keung said that regardless of whether the problem of "foreign garbage" was serious, he only hoped to arouse the public's attention through the movie. He used to be like many Hong Kong people, only caring about things close to him and indifferent to things that were farther away. He emphasized that CESIUM FALLOUT was not preachy. The starting point was that the subject matter could be made into a commercial film, bring the audience sensory stimulation and move them.

The film had a lot of explosions and action scenes that involved many people, Pun Yiu Ming admitted that the production had certain difficulties. Hong Kong is densely populated, and does not have many places that could be filmed without affecting the public. Like the recycling site involved in the film, it seemed simple. When he tried to find it during the preparation, he encountered many obstacles. "I originally planned to find a very large place, and put all the sets into it. The whole shooting progress would be more ideal. Unfortunately there wasn't such a big place, or it has been used for commercial purposes. I ran into many different changes, which was the most difficult part of making CESIUM FALLOUT. The second were the explosion scenes; under the current Hong Kong filming regulations, after 11 p.m. I couldn't shoot anything that would affect people's residences like explosions and gunfights. So they had to completed within the specified time. I also have to stay away from people's residences, so the possibility is really very small. We have spent a lot of thought in this regard."

Pun Yiu Ming said that the cast and the crew were united, and the filming went quite smoothly. Were there any accidents? He said that this type of filming would be somewhat dangerous. Large-scale explosion scenes were safer, because everyone knew that it is serious and will improve safety awareness; from rehearsal to filming, they would remain alert. "Some small stunts instead would have accidents. In one scene a group of firefighters in golden armors and masks rushed into the fire. When filming the wide shot, I recommended to use a stand-in instead since I felt that the audience wouldn't see their faces. The group of young actors were very engaged and wanted to personally perform the scene. When Lam Ka Hei (Locker) filmed a simple shot of jumping down the stairs, he accidentally sprained his foot and resulted in a torn ligament. He returned to the team after a more than 10 day break."

Pun Yiu Ming admired the new generation of actors very much, praising them for their courage and perseverance. Under the leadership of a group of veteran actors, they have performed even better. "The best situation is for the old, middle and young actors to immerse themselves in the film together. This is the future direction of film. Every actor has great potential, but if even those with potential also require cultivation and personal efforts. As long as they are willing to work hard, I believe that every new actor can be hold their own in the future."

The post-production of CESIUM FALLOUT involved thousands of computer generated special effects (CG), and the production cost was expensive. Kong Chi Keung declined to disclose the total amount on the bill, "More than HK$100 million". Speaking of the weak Hong Kong film market now, several blockbusters earlier did not perform at the box office as expected, and the losses are heavy. Would he be worried that CESIUM FALLOUT would have difficulties with breaking even? Kong Chi Keung admitted that the market is really difficult now, and in recent years many movies have made less box office than expected. The audience has become more and more picky. He believed that if he did his due diligence and made the movie well, there would definitely be audiences. "You ask me if I am worried about losing money, and the answer is very worried!"

As the head of Edko Films, Kong Chi Keung has been in the industry for decades. Would he feel that because how readily available information has been and how popular online channels have become, the audience's desire to watch movies at the cinema has decreased? He said that many people have done research in this area, and there are a variety of reasons. "I still believe that as long as the film is made well, the audience will definitely return to the cinema. Ultimately the audience will always need to be entertained, the question is how the industry can push itself to make the best content it can."

In recent years, some film companies have suddenly "retreated" and not dared to start productions. As earlier reported, the Nicholas Tse Ting Fung directed NEW POLICE STORY 2 (SUN GAING CHAK GOO SI 2) and he and William Chan Wai Ting co-starred MO HAN YUM MO (INFINITE MISSION), and the MIRROR member Edan Lui Cheuk On starred movie have all halted. Would Edko Films become cautious as well and reduce its productions in the future? Kong Chi Keung said that his company has always been cautious, its production rate has not been numerous. It made what it could. ""Edko film releases from preparation to completion would take five or six years or more, CESIUM FALLOUT also took many years. We don't get to say whether we are concerned or not, we make only what we can. Our ability can only make this amount. Making movies is not making clothes, when you can make a few batches of shirts in one go. Movies have to be made slowly."

Kong Chi Keung admired his CESIUM FALLOUT co-producer Lau Tak Wah, and praised him for being a great person and actor. The two have collaborated on many movies already and have a great degree of trust, so everyone are very automatic. Their collaborations have been very smooth and happy.

As for how should the film industry save itself? Kong Chi Keung said that he was not Superman, not as great as knowing how to save the film industry. He only knew how to make movies as well as possible. "I don't agree with some people who say that the subjects of movies have been limited now, everyone says that there is no subject. The film industry in the eighties and nineties was also accused of being a cultural desert and a lack of subjects, but how could such powerful movies come out, even spread to the four corners? Since it could back then, the most important is when there is a will there is a way. I encourage everyone to be a little more daring."