Tang Wei expressed her thoughts on the direction Chinese and Hong Kong films should take to mark the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong’s return to China.
Tang Wei said in an interview with Chinese CCTV released on July 3rd that she had been familiar with Hong Kong culture since childhood. “I have experienced Hong Kong culture through TV and radio when I was in Shenzhen (close to Hong Kong) because of my parents’ work,” she said.
Tang Wei’s relationship with Hong Kong started to pick up in earnest after her appearance in director Ang Lee’s movie “Lust, Caution.” Tang Wei was even banned from appearing on public broadcast in Mainland China for about three years for playing a character who falls in love with a pro-Japanese man in the film. Tang Wei then continued her acting career in Hong Kong.
In an interview, Tang said she studied Cantonese to act in Cantonese, the main language uses in Hong, and that she often walked on Hennessy Road in Hong Kong, where the movie was set, to feel Hong Kong’s mood and try to immerse herself in her character.
Tang Wei has since worked with many Hong Kong-born directors. “I was lucky enough to work with great Hong Kong directors and filmmakers such as Ann Hui, Johnnie To, Mabel Cheung, and Ahn Tso,” she said. “These days, many Hong Kong filmmakers are coming to Mainland China and creating more and more opportunities to work together.” Tang Wei, who was asked by a Hong Kong reporter in the past, “If you have a chance, would you work with a Hong Kong filmmaker to make a Hon Kong movie?” said, “Of course. And if more Hong Kong and Mainland filmmakers collaborate to use each other’s resources, better works will come out. We must do that,” she said.
It’s been 25 years since Hong Kong was returned to China, and Tang Wei said, “We are already in a state of ‘you do you and I do I’. We are a family, and we are all Chinese,” he said. “Mainland filmmakers and Hong Kong filmmakers, we can all become one and continue to make great movies.”
Source: Dispatch
