ITALY: Hong Kong stars Andy Lau and Deanie Ip back together for "A Simple Life"

Record ID: 1487432

  • Title: ITALY: Hong Kong stars Andy Lau and Deanie Ip back together for "A Simple Life"
  • Date: 11th September 2011
  • Summary: VENICE LIDO, ITALY (SEPTEMBER 7, 2011) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (English) ACTRESS DEANIE IP SAYING: "As for me, I think this movie brought up something like we should pay attention to the people around us, who love us. Maybe we couldn't get along well but still they love us. We should, you know, pay more attention to them and also to the others, like the elderly people, what are we supposed to do with them, and how to help them out." IP AND LAU IN INTERVIEW (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin and English) ACTRESS DEANIE IP SAYING: "We think that when you love a person you shouldn't hesitate. (CONTINUES IN ENGLISH:) Don't delay it, don't hesitate, don't delay to tell you love them." (SOUNDBITE) (English) ACTOR ANDY LAU SAYING: "When you love someone you should take time out for them, you should show your love to them and not be afraid."
  • Embargoed: 26th September 2011 12:55
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Italy, Italy
  • Country: Italy
  • Topics: Arts / Culture / Entertainment
  • Reuters ID: LVA8H6NYGCCCCXWQRBPUI0O4B91U
  • Aspect Ratio: 4:3
  • Story Text: Multiple-time on-screen mother and son duo Andy Lau and Deanie Ip are reunited in "Tao Jie - A Simple Life" which is competing for the top prize at the 68th Venice film festival.
    The movie by director Ann Hui follows the changing relationship of an elderly maid and her young master.
    "A Simple Life" is based on the true story of Hong Kong film producer Roger Lee, whose personal notes on his relationship with his long-term family servant inspired Hui to make the film.
    Ip plays Tao, an 'amah', a servant who has spent 60 years looking after the Leung family.
    One day film industry worker son Roger, the only family member remaining in Hong Kong, returns home to find Tao has suffered a stroke.
    As she recovers from the incident, Tao decides to move to a nursing home.
    Looking after the ageing servant, Roger comes to realise how much she means to him and the roles between the two begin to change.
    "As for me it's quite easy, though, because I live with my mother, she's very old and also myself is not getting any younger and that's why it's easy for me. Actually I'm quite a household person, households person because I do a lot of housework and I don't really cook like Tao Jie but yes, it's easy for me, it's easy for me. But as for Roger's role it's quite different. You can see the changes between how he felt about Tao Jie and the quilt in him. He did a good job," said Deanie Ip, referring to Lau.
    Hong Kong superstars Lau and Ip first acted as a mother-and-son duo some thirty years ago and have since taken on the familiar roles in various films.
    The two are also very close in real life, which helped them portray the close relationship between Tao and Roger on the big screen.
    "We live very nearby actually. Sometimes he invites me to his house to have dinner, you know, sometimes he takes me out to have lunch, you know. Just friends," Ip explained.
    "Just like friends," Lau added.
    The film which was made with a documentary approach, featuring non-actors alongside Lau and Ip, looks at the treatment of elderly people in a changing society.
    "As for me, I think this movie brought up something like we should pay attention to the people around us, who love us. Maybe we couldn't get along well but still they love us. We should, you know, pay more attention to them and also to the others, like the elderly people, what are we supposed to do with them, and how to help them out," said Ip.
    But Lau and Ip added they hoped the film would also inspire audiences to look at the relationships in their own lives, whether with the young or the old, and to show more appreciation for them.
    "We think that when you love a person you shouldn't hesitate," she said.
    "Don't delay it, don't hesitate, don't delay to tell you love them," Ip added.
    "When you love someone you should take time out for them, you should show your love to them and not be afraid," added Lau.
    "Tao Jie - A Simple Life" is one of 23 films in competition at the Venice film festival which runs until Saturday (September 10).
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