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Xu Jinglei goes from actress to director
(City Weekend)
Updated: 2004-09-06 14:10
Xu Jinglei goes from actress to director Actress Xu Jinglei took
time out to discuss how movies have inspired her.
Actress Xu Jinglei in currently in post-production for her
second film as a director Letter from an Unknown Woman slated to
premiere at the upcoming San Sebastian Film Festival. She took
time out to discuss how movies have inspired her.
C: Can you remember the first movie you ever watched?
X: When I was young, our school arranged for us to watch many
movies with political messages like Jiao Yu Lu and Shao Nian
Fan.
C: Of your favorite movies, are there any you've watched many
times?
X: I have watched The Godfather and Schindler's List several
times, but actually there are few movies I've watched more than
once.
C: Your new movie is a re-make. Did the original influence you?
X: The original was shot a long time ago, back in the 1940's.
Actually, I don’t like the original. I made the decision to
shoot the movie based on the novel that I read many years ago.
C: How has your view of this story changed since then?
X: When I re-discovered the story and re-read it after 10 years,
I was still very much moved, but for completely different
reasons. When I was young, I disliked the guy and sympathized
with the woman. Now I feel pity for the guy and see the woman as
in control of her destiny.
C: Has your taste in movies also changed?
X: Of course, some movies I couldn’t stand to watch for 10
minutes I now like very much. Wong Kar-wai’s film Happy Together
is one example. I couldn’t handle the homosexual topic before,
but now I can really appreciate and enjoy the film.
C: Any plans to direct a film without acting in it?
X: I think I will continue to act in the films I direct for a
few more years!
C: What’s in store next?
X: I have another film in the works. The story takes place in
the city. I plan to finance it myself on a very small budget.
For acting, I’ve signed a contract with a Japanese production
company to shoot a film at the beginning of next year. The
script is still being written, so the shooting dates aren’t
fixed yet. I’m interested in many different kinds of films.
Besides American films, I especially like English and French
films. I just began to direct so there are many directions for
me to take. After you have directed many movies, you might think
what can I do next, but I’m just starting, so there are many
things I want to try, musicals, war stories, you name it… |
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