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Your 3 last directings seem more mature, more complex than a classic comedy. Is it because you get another person, Tsang Kan-Cheung, to write the script with you?

My collaborations with Tsang are more than in the recent three movies. In fact we have worked together even before that. Tsang is my long-time partner in filmmaking, and I knew him for a long time, when we worked in TVB, a HK television broadcasting company. I can say he's one of my best partners, and we had very good collaborations that we have brought out many new ideas.

So will you two work together in the future?

To me, I prefer working with different people. Besides Tsang, there're lots of people helped me to work on the movies such as Shaolin Soccer as well as God of Cookery. I believe that, whether as a director or a scriptwriter, filmmaking is a creation. A creation needs not only subjectivity, but also objectivity. This is my point of view. So I really hope I can work with different talents in the future if possible. It would be the best if I can team up with those who I haven't worked with before. I believe we can have more "chemistry" come out with this arrangement.

Various questions

Among the movies all over the world, which one do you most prefer?

It's hard for me to name just one.

So would you name several movies that you prefer?

It's really hard for me to do that, I like countless movies.

What about those immediately come up to you mind now?

I like too many movies since the very old Cantonese ones. You know it"s very hard to pick my favorites.

Is there a movie, which makes you watch again and again and you cry for it and feel touched by it?

I have this feeling for numerous movies, so I really can't name them all.

Recently the famous Hong Kong director Chang Cheh passed away. How do you estimate his legacy for HK cinema?

Director Chang has left a very valuable legacy to us, and I believe many of my colleagues of the HK cinema have Chang's movie principles shown in their works, and I am one of them. His concepts on martial arts movies have a great impact on us, and we just apply those in our movies naturally. His death is indeed a great pity to us. On the day of his memorial service, I was working outside HK. But if I have a chance later on when I am in HK, I will express the last salutation to him.

Speaking about martial arts movies, in recent years, there're very few good ones in HK, do you think it's a pity?

I think it's okay because a genre's ups and downs is periodic.

You worked several times with Ching Siu-Tung. His films are stylish and distinctive, but his talent is quite underestimated compared to other directors/action directors like Corey Yuen and Yuen Woo-Ping. Don't you think it's a pity?

Just like the characters in Shaolin Soccer, if you never give up, and you always try to do your best, eventually you'll have fruitful results. I personally regard Ching as a very talented person, and I can say if there were no Ching's commitment in Shaolin Soccer, we wouldn't have the movie completed.

You can talk as fast as Wong Fei-Hong kicks. Do you imagine the torture it can be for gwailos to try to read the subtitles of your verbal fight?

Actually I didn't talk very fast. I talked fast in some movies because of the characterizations, but I didn't talk very fast. But I guess, to foreigners,.even if you talk slowly, they will still have difficulties to read the subtitles. Basically, it's really hard for foreigners following subtitle by subtitle. So I think the best way to do is, talk less and act more.

Suppose you there's a soccer team with the following people. Bruce Lee is the goalkeeper, Samo Hung is a defender, Jet Li is a mid-field player and Jackie Chan is a striker. Who else would you team up with them for a dream team? Still adding more? Now we only have 5 players only. I think these five people are already very enough. So 5 Vs 11? Yes, these five are very excellent enough already.

King of Comedy autographed by Stephen Chow

Is it true that there would be a Korean actress starring in your next movie such as Jeon Ji-Hyun or others?

I think this is just hearsay only. But, to me, it's always good to work with talents from different places. Because I always have this thinking, so maybe this will come true eventually. But the collaborations are not limited only to actors, they can be collaborations with the production talents. I don't mind to team up with those who I haven't worked with before, even the ones who are from different places. I believe such kind of collaboration is a good idea.

Last question,. You have won several HKFA awards including the best director and you have made tens of movies at such a young age. Do you think you have reached the peak of your career?

I have never thought of that. But I always feel that, like now, I don't feel that I am very good, and that"s true. When I am awarded as "the best", actually I didn't feel as if I am really "the best". But on the other hand, when I am not awarded as "the best", I have never felt that I was bad. So I think awards are very good encouragement to me, but actually it doesn't make a great difference.

 

Thanks a lot to Stephen Chow, Elliot Tong, Tamara and Wing-Cheung. This interview could be completed with a few more questions, some pics and a video version is some people are interested. If you are interested by this interview (text or video format), please contact hong-kong@cinemasie.com.

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