- Title: ITALY: Hong Kong director Yu Lik Wai talks to Reuters about his film
- Date: 4th September 2008
- Summary: VENICE LIDO, ITALY (AUGUST 30, 2008) (REUTERS) FILM DIRECTOR YU LIK WAI BEING INTERVIEWED VARIOUS OF WAI WALKING OVER TO JOURNALIST/WAI SITTING DOWN (SOUNDBITE) (English) FILM DIRECTOR YU LIK WAI SAYING: "I really had this urge to do a film outside of China about the Chinese experience in another country which is for me very important, I think the Chinese people have a more important role today in the international scene and why Brazil? I think Brazil shares some realities that is is very common to China, their social context, their political situation as we always refer to Brazil, Russia, China, India, it's a big, the BRIC, it's the emerging countries. I think, I have this urgency to do a movie, to put these Chinese people in the Brazilian context."
- Embargoed: 19th September 2008 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Italy
- Country: Italy
- Reuters ID: LVA4RGYOIG1NR70KEFCNXCFU44S4
- Story Text: The film, which is an international co-production and Wai's third feature film, is a gangster drama set in the criminal underworld of Sao Paulo Brazil.
Wai, who made his directorial debut in 1996 with his documentary "Neon Goddesses", said he went abroad because he felt strongly about telling the story about the Chinese immigrant experience in Brazil.
"I really had this urge to do a film outside of China about the Chinese experience in another country which is for me very important, I think the Chinese people have a more important role today in the international scene and why Brazil? I think Brazil shares some realities that is is very common to China, their social context, their political situation as we always refer to Brazil, Russia, China, India, it's a big, the BRIC, it's the emerging countries. I think, I have this urgency to do a movie, to put these Chinese people in the Brazilian context," Wai told Reuters.
The term BRIC was coined by Wall Street bank Goldman Sachs to describe how the four rising economies are likely to rival and overtake many of the West's leading economies over the next half century.
Yuda, a feared Chinese outlaw and his adoptive son together rule the pirated goods black market in Sao Paulo's Liberdade, a notoriously violent neighbourhood and home to the world's largest immigrant Japanese community.
They both control rival gangs, street hawkers as well as corrupt politicians and erotic dancers.
A conspiracy begins with politicians and the local mafia begin to threaten Yuda's power. He eventually loses control of his business and is arrested.
"This father and son, they are try to do their job, it's not a very bad job, it's not killing people, they're just doing business but it's an illegal business. A lot of people, anyway, live on this. This is an economic (food chain)," said Wai.
The director said ignorance is to blame for the lack of Chinese integration into Brazilian society.
"I don't think really it's a kind of resentment or rivalry, it's more about ignorance. They're not integrating in the society, and ignore the Brazilian colleagues also and the Brazilian colleagues also ignore the reality. So, I think it's more about ignorance than resentment or rivalry," Wai said.
Asia could win the Golden Lion for best film for the fourth year running with another two entries in competition, including Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki's "Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea" which is already storming the box office at home and Mamoru Oshii's animated "The Sky Crawlers".
A total of 21 films are competing for the converted Golden Lion Award at this year's festival. The 65th Venice International Film Festival, organised by the Venice Biennale, will run from August 27 to September 6. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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