• Abstract and Figures
• Public Full-text

Wednesday , May 15, 2019 | 17 LIFE CHINA DAILY HONG KONG EDITION Plotting for success Director pulls no punches as action speaks louder than words, Xu Fan reports. rom the 1990s hit Rumble in the Bronx to the recent China­India blockbuster Kung Fu Yoga, director FStanley Tong is one of a select few to come up with a formula of interna­ tional success for Chinese films. Also serving as the standing director of the Taihu World Cultural Forum, the globally recognized film­ maker shared his insight during a visit to China Daily’s Beijing head­ quarters on Sunday. “In terms of market response and box office takings, the most success­ ful Chinese films in the global market are still action titles,” says Tong. Over the past half century, martial arts films, led by giants from Bruce Lee to Jackie Chan and Jet Li, have earned Chinese films widespread recognition in North America, his­ torically a difficult market for for­ eign imports to tap into. As one of the leading figures in A customer of the Belgian bag company that is winning over Hong Kong cinema’s golden age, many young consumers in China with its simple features, light­ Tong still clearly remembers the US ness and functionality. PHOTOS PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY debut of his directorial feature Rumble in the Bronx in 1996. When the film unfolded to a scene expand Chinese recognition over­ featuring a policeman, played by seas through participation in inter­ Chan, making a death­defying jump national festivals, such as Europe’s Carriers help owners from a rooftop parking lot onto the most prestigious events in Cannes, balcony of a building across the street, Venice and Berlin, according to Tong. “the audience clapped”, he recalls. Additionally, a shortage of talent create art to reveal The sequence highlights that is a longtime concern for the rapid­ Chan’s character would rather risk ly­expanding Chinese film industry. his life than be humiliated by a Last year, the country’s annual attitude toward life gangster, exemplifying typical Chi­ output accounted for more than nese values, he says. 1,000 features but even the domestic By XU HAOYU “Chan’s character is gentle and market’s highest­grossing films [email protected] nice to everyone in daily life, but such as Operation Red Sea and when he is bullied and offended, he Detective Chinatown 2 performed Two days after its worldwide won’t be a coward and will fight poorly outside China. premiere, the latest collection for back,” says Tong. “The number of Chinese directors Belgian bag brand, Kipling, made As Chan’s first real splash in the who are recognized by the interna­ its China debut at APM Shopping United States, the film opened on tional market is around 20. They are Mall in Beijing on April 19. more than 1,700 screens across even more precious than pandas,” Named Blank Canvas, the North America in 1996, topping the he says, jokingly. whole collection is designed with US box office charts in its opening Top: Hong Kong director Stanley Tong at the film set of his new “If Chinese filmmakers want to simplicity and minimalism in weekend. movie Vanguard in Dubai. Above: Jackie Chan acts as the hero in tap into overseas markets, they need mind, mimicking an art canvas Despite the fact that Chan’s previ­ Tong’s Rumble in the Bronx, released in 1995 in China and shown in to raise their storytelling skills and that leaves space and room for ous three efforts targeting North the US in 1996. PHOTOS PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY understand what foreign audiences owners to create their own signa­ America failed to scoop the antici­ want to watch,” adds Tong. ture bags. pated plaudits, the film was a major Approaching the Conference on Watercolor pens and a set of success in changing Western percep­ vel superhero movies, the Fast and for Hollywood to win over the rest of Dialogue of Asian Civilizations, stencil shapes come in a neat tions of Chinese heroes on the silver Furious series, and James Bond films. the world,” says Tong. Tong says he believes such events, pouch free of charge with each Artist Tobias Gutmann from screen, and expanded Chan’s popu­ But Chinese action films have unique “The mainstream audiences in also including the Taihu World Cul­ bag. Zurich interacts with Chinese larity as a kung fu icon outside Asia. characteristics. the US are reluctant to watch for­ tural Forum held in Suzhou, At the launch event, artist Tobi­ fashion blogger Zhou Xiao­ Tong believes market research was “Chinese martial arts heroes fea­ eign films with subtitles. Most of Hangzhou, Shanghai, Macao and as Gutmann from Zurich was chen and helps to create a significant for the success. ture a chivalrous spirit, uniquely these could just be released in art­ Beijing since 2008, will increase invited to fill the “canvas” with personalized bag for her to “The North American distribu­ rooted in Chinese literature and cul­ house cinemas or theaters in China­ opportunities for Chinese filmmak­ drawings. carry, during a recent event tors gave us two suggestions. One ture. That makes movies the best towns, which only have dozens of ers to communicate with counter­ Gutmann is known for his Face­ in Beijing. was to showcase Chan’s stunts and medium to export excellent Chinese screens, but mainstream distribu­ parts from other countries. O­Mat performances, using the other was to set the story in the legacies,” says Tong. tion can reach 2,000 screens.” He also suggests that Asian coun­ graphic elements and patterns to US,” he says. However, language remains one However, with the rise of China tries establish a cinema chain spe­ depict people’s faces, drawing joined the company. Ang Lee’s Oscar­winning Crouch­ of the biggest hurdles for Chinese and the uptake in learning Manda­ cializing in screening their films in abstract interpretations of what He says that the brand holds a ing Tiger, Hidden Dragon and films trying to reach overseas rin, Tong believes Chinese films will areas surrounding American uni­ he sees in faces, dubbed the market position, thanks to the Zhang Yimou’s Hero again proved screens. get a bigger market. versities. “hand­drawn selfie”. crinkled nylon, the core and sig­ that martial arts is the best genre for “English is somewhat an interna­ Aside from the big­budget com­ Coproduction is a vital element and Before he started to draw on nature material that offers users Chinese films to leverage in order to tional language. It makes it easier mercial films, arthouse films can also must be targeted properly, he says. the first bag for Zhou Xiaochen, a lightness, comfort and function­ win a slice of the US market. “Initially, a coproduction should look local fashion blogger, Gutmann ality. Crouching Tiger and Hero, respec­ at which market is its main goal.” asked three questions about her The brand’s new slogan — “live tively, raked in $128 million in 2000 His Sino­Indian coproduction favorite season, weather and col­ light” — aims to establish a strong­ and $53.7 million in 2004, to Kung Fu Yoga grossed 1.75 billion or. er emotional connection with con­ become the two highest­gross­ yuan ($254 million) to become Chi­ In four minutes, he decorated sumers. ing Chinese films in North If Chinese filmmakers na’s fourth highest­grossing film in the bag in light gray with a pink Following consumer research, America. want to tap into 2017, but the film received an aver­ rainbow and a wavy line. Chen found that the public Hollywood’s most lucrative overseas markets, they age reception in India. “We wish to provide people a understands and agrees with the franchises are also action “Indian films usually run over blank canvas to express them­ slogan and has a similar attitude blockbusters, such as the Mar­ need to raise their three hours, and consist of a lot of selves,” says Chen Jianping, gen­ to life — a desire to be free from storytelling skills and dancing and singing. Music is an eral manager of Kipling in China. burden. important part in the appeal of Indi­ “If Gutmann can express a Zhou, a fashion blogger in Bei­ understand what an films,” he says. “But such a model piece of you through his drawing, jing, shares her understanding of foreign audiences want does not work to attract Chinese why can’t you do it yourself?” the slogan: “It gives me courage audiences. As China already has a The bag brand was founded in to maintain a relaxed attitude to to watch.” huge market, we decided to tailor it 1987 by three men in Antwerp, a life and to have curiosity because Stanley Tong, director for the domestic audience.” city in northern Belgium: Paul you can only follow fashion with With a childhood fascination for Van de Velde, Vincent Haverbeke a free soul.” Chinese culture and literature, the and Xavier Kegels. Chen says consumers nowa­ Hong Kong­born, Canada­educated The name Kipling was inspired days, especially millennials, who director reveals he will follow his by the Nobel Prize­winning are believed to be the group with most familiar formula to direct author Rudyard Kipling, who the strongest consumption pow­ action films about Chinese heroes. wrote The Jungle Book, and er, are getting tired of leather Just a few hours before the inter­ stands for the spirit of fun and goods. view, Tong was busy shooting his lat­ adventure. “Leather goods need to be tak­ est film Vanguard, about a China­ The look of the bag is the result en care of,” says Chen, adding that founded international security of an accident that happened the his brand, on the contrary, is easy company, on the outskirts of Beijing.

Load more

  1

Copy Link