JAPAN: Actors in a joint Japanese, Chinese and South Korean epic arrive in Japan to promote what is believed to be China's most expensive movie.
Record ID:
384967
JAPAN: Actors in a joint Japanese, Chinese and South Korean epic arrive in Japan to promote what is believed to be China's most expensive movie.
- Title: JAPAN: Actors in a joint Japanese, Chinese and South Korean epic arrive in Japan to promote what is believed to be China's most expensive movie.
- Date: 26th January 2006
- Summary: TOKYO,JAPAN(JANUARY 25,2006)(REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE)(Mandarin)CHINESE DIRECTOR CHEN KAIGE SAYING; "I am very happy that I could make movie with what I believe are one of Asia's two greatest actors. I tried, as an artist, to create the atmosphere of Asian culture that only the three of us could make. As a result, I think we've combined the wisdom and appeal our Asian power all over the world." SANADA,JANG, CHEN AND CHINESE ACTRESS/PRODUCER CHEN HONG POSING FOR PHOTO SESSION; ATTENDEES LEAVING FILM POSTER
- Embargoed: 10th February 2006 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Japan
- Country: Japan
- Reuters ID: LVA7UBUT67MVQSGG5SINOTBVAQMW
- Story Text: A tragic love story played by actors from China, South Korea and Japan is making waves across Asia as possibly the most expensive epic Chinese movie ever to be made.
Chinese director Director Chen Kaige, Japanese actor Hiroyuki Sanada and Korean actor Jang Dong-Gun play in a tragic love triangle story called "Promise, between the slave (played by Jang), a mighty General (played by Sanada) and a princess (played by Chinese actress Cecilia Cheung).
The movie, fully in Chinese, is highly colourful and uses spectacular computer graphics. Some estimate it costs 35 million U.S. dollars to make -- one of the most expensive in Chinese movie history.
The actors and director arrived in Japan at a press conference on Wednesday (January 25) to promote this movie to the Japanese media.
The movie has begun showing in China last year and South Korea last week and is due to open in Japan on February 11th.
"At first, although it was a bit strange to me that we, Japanese and Korean, talked in Chinese, once the filming had started, I never felt like I was speaking foreign language. Rather I think we could communicate each other directly heart to heart," Japanese actor Sanada told the press conference of his filming in a foreign language.
Both Sanada and South Korean actor Jang could not speak Chinese until they began work on this film.
With Chinese as their common language, the South Korean actor and Japanese actor quickly became good friends and hope to play together in another film.
"I would like to play with Sanada again in another movie. While I think we both had a good impression each other through out the six month of filming, it was not enough time to get closer. So I just promised Sanada we'd play together again in the future. I hope the next one to be a movie reflecting our modern society since we have already played together in a historical film "Promise" and also I hope it will be a film drawing out the best in our characters," said South Korean actor Jang.
The movie has broken box office records in China, earning about 9 million U.S. dollars in its first week since its release in December 2005 and is to be shown in about 40 countries around the world, according to Chinese media.
Director Kaige says he believes his film has been a good example of the melding together of different Asian cultures.
"I am very happy that I could make movie with what I believe are one of Asia's two greatest actors. I tried, as an artist, to create the atmosphere of Asian culture that only the three of us could make. As a result, I think we've combined the wisdom and appeal our Asian power all over the world," Kaige said.
The movie was nominated for the best foreign film division at this year's Golden Globe Awards in the United States and has been invited to the 56th Berlin International Film Festival which will be held next month (February 9 to 19) in Germany. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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