ITALY: CHINESE DIRECTOR ZHANG YANG TALKS ABOUT HIS LATEST FILM "QUITTING " ABOUT ACTOR JIA HONGSHENG BATTLE WITH DRUGS

Record ID: 391968

  • Title: ITALY: CHINESE DIRECTOR ZHANG YANG TALKS ABOUT HIS LATEST FILM "QUITTING " ABOUT ACTOR JIA HONGSHENG BATTLE WITH DRUGS
  • Date: 5th September 2001
  • Summary: VENICE, ITALY (SEPTEMBER 5, 2001) (REUTERS) WIDE OF PEOPLE WALKING BY THE LAGOON IN VENICE GV ST MARK'S CATHEDRAL GV GONDOLA ON LAGOON WIDE OF BOATS ON THE LAGOON VENICE, ITALY (SEPTEMBER 5, 2001)(REUTERS) SLV CHINESE DIRECTOR ZHANG YANG AND ACTOR JIA HONGSHENG WALKING (DIRECTOR ON RIGHT) SCU (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) HONGSHENG SAYING: It was Zhang Yang who had the idea a
  • Embargoed: 20th September 2001 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: LIDO, VENICE, ITALY
  • Country: Italy
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA9ECOR7W3HX3VA39EXIKLU0TU0
  • Story Text: Having scooped the Best Director prize at the San Sebastian Film Festival with his last film, `Shower', Chinese director Zhang Yang has set his sights on Venice for his third film `Quitting', the story of one of China's leading actors, Jia Hongsheng's struggle with drugs and depression in the early 1990's.
    Reuters discussed the film with the director and actor at the Venice Film Festival where it was screened in competition.
    In the late 1980's, Jia Hongsheng emerged as one of China's top film stars. He was nicknamed `the Thug Idol' after playing gangsters and heroic gunmen in a succession of action movies.
    After starring as the gay prisoner in a stage version of Manuel Puig's, `Kiss of the Spiderwoman', directed by Zhang Yang, Hongsheng became one of China's most sought after actors, starring in `Weekend Lover' and later in `Suzhou River'.
    But it was while acting in `Kiss of the Spiderwoman' that Hongsheng had his first experience with drugs. From then on he became caught up in a self-destructive cycle which resulted in the actor becoming a recluse.
    Hongsheng's parents who were members of a theatre troupe in a small town, Jilin, in north east China, became so concerned about their son's mental state that they gave up their jobs, packed up their belongings and moved to Beijing to be with him.
    But after several months of attempting to care for Hongsheng, it became evident that he needed expert help and Hongsheng was admitted to a mental hospital.
    `Quitting' tells the story of Hongsheng and his family's unfailing determination to bring him back from the brink.
    And what is most unusual about the film is that Hongsheng actually plays himself in this movie, as do his family, friends and colleagues who were part of his life in the 1990's.
    Director Yang, a close friend of Hongsheng's said he became compelled to tell the story of this actor on film after lengthy discussions with him. He also believes that in a way, Hongsheng's story is typical of young people in China today and that his ideas and problems were shared by many who lived in the country in the late 1980's and early 1990's.
    The story may tackle the problem of drug addiction (never before represented in this way in a Chinese film) but it also looks at addiction in a much wider context and explores complicated relationships within a family.
    `Quitting' is due to be released in China in October 2001.
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