18 LIFESTYLE lite JANUARY 2011

Distractions:buzz

Godfather of Hong Kong romantic-violent gangster movies, John Woo shot to international acclaim with a series of box offi ce hits. The director was in Singapore to promote his latest fi lms Reign of Assassins and A Better Tomorrow last October. WONG MUN WAI got the low-down on what the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement Award winner looks for when producing and/or directing a screen fl ick.

WOO-ING the fans

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“Anti-war or anti-violence all came from the people I know. That’s why I say that my movies come from my life.” John Woo, Director

“I notice everything. I care about everything and I like to watch the news. It gives me a lot of good stories.”John Woo, Director

Dressed in a black suit, the famous director strode into a function room at the Fullerton Hotel accompanied by Taiwanese writer and director of Reign of Assassins, Su Chao-pin. John Woo greeted waiting journalists with a smile and a deep, resonating voice.

MOVIE MAN“Everything is from the script,” said Woo in charmingly awkward English. “That’s why I always encourage young people to start with a script.”

However, for himself, “I don’t need the script because I have seen the movie already - in my head.”

He draws inspiration from a variety of sources as he says he cares about the world and society we live in. But negative aspects of life and personal beliefs are also sources of ideas. “So if I see war, I hate war. I might make a movie about war about the tragedy about war.”

CENTRE OF ATTENTIONWhen making a movie, who does he consider the most important person?“The director is the creator,” he said. “So, the creator should have a lot of good freedom. As a director, I see myself as the author. I am sending some kind of message. Director is above everything for me.”And two of Woo’s most successful fi lms, Red Cliff I

and Red Cliff II were the highest grossing Chinese language fi lms of all time in China and Japan. The success of the fi lms is a sign of the rising popularity of Asian cinema.

“And when the audience goes in that translates into box offi ce success which in turn wins respect,” said well known actress Michelle Yeoh, who fi lls the role of Zeng Jing in Reign of Assassins. “And also the other markets, the American market and European market

looking at us and noticing `Hey, they stand for something.”

NEXT UP“My next movie Flying Tigers will do even better than Red Cliff,” Woo said with a laugh and a responding roar from journalists. “It will be a Chinese and American co-production. It is a great story and also has another fantastic aerial battle scene that’s never been done before.”

Flying Tigers tells the story of the American Volunteer Group and its later incarnation as the 14th Air Force during World War II. The joint air forces consisted of American and Chinese pilots fl ying side by side against the Empire of Japan. Filming begins early this year. lite

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