MONDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2015 L I F E3S6T Y L E M u s i c & M o v i e s Busan marks 20th anniversary with 100 best Asian film list new list of the best Asian films of all time was published this week, as the Aregion’s increasingly vibrant cinema scene celebrated another bonanza in Busan. The 20th anniversary of the Busan International Film Festival, in South Korea, marked its milestone with a poll of noted Asian filmmakers and international critics of Asian film, who were all asked for their Photo shows actor-singer David Cassidy, best top ten. Oscar front-runner Hou Hsiao- known for his role as Keith Partridge on “The Hsien said the release of the “Asian Cinema Partridge Family.” —AP photos 100” was a reminder to fellow filmmakers of their obligation to “seek the truth.” “Sometimes as a filmmaker you have to show things that people don’t want to David Cassidy charged see,” said the Taiwanese director. Hou’s breakthrough work “A City Of with leaving scene of crash Sadness” was ranked fifth-best of all time ormer teen idol David Cassidy has been charged with on a list that was topped by Japanese mas- leaving the scene of an accident and driving with an ter auteur Yasujiro Ozu’s seminal family Fexpired tag after a crash in Florida last month. The Sun drama “Tokyo Story” from 1953. Hou’s new Sentinel quotes police as saying that the 65-year-old film, atmospheric martial arts epic “The Cassidy sideswiped a truck and then tried to cover his Assassin”, which he has brought to Busan, makers to look at our history.” license plate before driving away with a flat tire. The is among the early critics’ favourites for this The poll also rated Asia’s top directors charges were filed Wednesday. Authorities said witnesses year’s Best Foreign Film Oscar after last of all time with ’s Ozu coming out identified Cassidy as the driver in a photo lineup. week picking up 11 nominations for the ahead of Hou, and Iran’s Abbas Kiarostami, Cassidy’s lawyer, Jason Forman, says the police report Golden Horse Awards, the most presti- whose highest-ranked film was 1994’s is riddled with inconsistencies. He says Cassidy gave gious given to Chinese-language films. But “Close Up”, coming tied 10th with the high- police his driver’s license and registration before leaving its mood and mysticism are a far cry from est-ranked Korean film, Kim Ki-young’s sex- the scene. A hearing has been scheduled for Oct 27. the harsh realities of Taiwanese history ually charged drama “The Housemaid” Cassidy, who starred in “The Partridge Family” television portrayed in “A City Of Sadness”, which fol- (1960). Festival organizers said they had show, lives in Fort Lauderdale. He filed for bankruptcy lows the destruction of a family under the created the list of the region’s greatest earlier this year. —AP “” campaign instigated when films to widen the world’s knowledge was imposed across the island about its cinematic history. They are this in the late 1940s. week screening a selection of the films chosen. Updates are expected every five Top directors years. It is widely acknowledged that the film was the first to confront this dark Animated film period of the island’s past and “A City Of Asia’s most successful film in terms of Sadness” was a major critical success, global box office, the Oscar-winning Ang winning the island nation its first Golden Lee-directed martial arts epic “Crouching Bear award from the . Tiger, Hidden Dragon” (2000) from “If it had not been for the awards over- which collected an estimated US$128 mil- “We... wanted to re-write the history of seas it would not have been screened in lion, was voted in joint 18th position. Asian cinema with an Asian perspective, Taiwan,” said 68-year-old Hou when Japan accounted for 26 films on the list, different from the western ones,” the festi- asked how he remembers the film. “It followed by Iran (19) and Korea (15). The val’s Asian Cinema programmer Kim was a turning point for me. If not for this oldest film chosen was Ozu’s “I Was Born, cut was Hayao Miyasaki’s “Spirited Away” Young-woo told AFP. “We want to discover film the work that has followed would But...” from 1932, which was ranked 48th of (2001) from Japan, also an Oscar winner, and value Asian films that might be rela- not exist and it allowed Taiwanese film- all time. The top animated film to make the which was joint 18th. tively less known to the world.” —AFP ‘Lust, Caution’ star Tang looks for chemistry on the set Pitbull hinese actress Tang Wei is not obsessed about find- ing three movies featuring Tang, including Johnnie To’s ing the right role for her future film project. For the musical “Office,” where she plays a bespectacled, hard- C“Lust, Caution” star, it is the people she works with working office lady. She also played a female lead in “A Pitbull on a film set and the chemistry with them that counts. Tale of Three Cities” directed by Mabel Cheung and lends celebrity to Tang shot to international fame with her role in Ang Lee’s appears in epic fantasy movie “Monster Hunt,” which has 2007 spy thriller set in the World War II era, which won the been setting box office records in China since hitting the- Venice Film Festival’s best film award. She played a aters in July. Tang had a three-year hiatus after filming charter school near Vegas Chinese student recruited to seduce a Japanese-allied “Lust, Caution,” attributed to the political sensitivity of the Chinese official as part of an assassination plot. The film is traitor role she played in the movie, reportedly landing apper Pitbull is lending his celebrity image opening still Tang’s best known work outside Asia. her on Chinese film officials’ blacklist for three years. But a second SLAM! charter school, this time near Las Asked about the roles she would like to play in the in the past five years, she has been frequently spotted on RVegas. Armando Christian Perez who goes by the future, Tang said Saturday that her job is not about the screens in Asia from theaters to TV ads. stage name Pitbull attended a groundbreaking ceremony role, but about the people and the conversations with Her latest movie, “Office,” is the first musical by the Friday morning in Henderson, Nevada, for the Sports them. “For me in this job, in this work, it’s more about who action master To about love and conspiracies Leadership and Management Academy. The school for you are working with. It’s nothing about what you’re at a Hong Kong company set against the backdrop of the students seeking careers in sports medicine, marketing, working on,” she said. “It’s the people, and the conversa- 2008 financial crisis. Tang said it was the right direction for business and management is expected to open in time tions, and also the chemistry that’s more important for her, with great chemistry. “This is the dream crew for me. for the 2016 school year. me.” It should be no surprise that those conversations and The whole crew, everybody is a master,” she said. Filming Only students in grades six through nine will be eligi- the chemistry on a film set helped her find her love. Tang with veteran Asian screen stars Sylvia Chang and Chow ble initially before the school expects to grow to an met her husband, South Korean director Kim Tae-yong, Yun-fat made her feel like “a little vegetable bird,” Tang said enrollment of 1,650 students in grades six through 12. on the set of Kim’s romance drama “Late Autumn” in 2010. with giggles, a literal translation for a Chinese word mean- Pitbull was also involved when the first SLAM! school Last year, they wed in a small ceremony at the late leg- ing rookie. One thing she misses from the set is the smell opened in Miami in 2013. The rapper is a celebrity ambas- endary director Ingmar Bergman’s island home in of cigars, she said, bursting out laughing. To is a habitual Chinese actress Tang Wei poses before a press sador for the schools overseen by the SLAM Foundation. Sweden. cigar smoker. “When you smell, oh cigar smell is coming,” conference during the Busan International Film He is not a financial donor. —AP This year’s Busan International Film Festival is screen- she said, “oh then (you know) the director is coming.” —AP Festival in Busan, South Korea, Saturday. —AP

Newport Jazz Festival founder George Wein turns 90 $7.3m verdict against Lady Gaga’s former boyfriend tossed ewport Jazz Festival Founder George “for everything he’s done for this music over Nash and bassist Jay Leonhart. Wein invited Wein was singing the blues just hours the many, many years” from creating the first pianist Frank Kimbrough to fill in for him ady Gaga’s first producer and former that he mistakenly allowed the jury to hear Nbefore turning 90 on Saturday. On the outdoor jazz festival in 1954 at the Rhode because his hearing difficulties make it difficult boyfriend has been given a new trial details about an allegation connected to Lady eve of his 90th birthday, Wein took the stage Island resort that became a model for similar to play a full set. Alden said the set list drew Lafter a judge overturned an order that he Gaga and Fusari’s personal relationship and Friday night at Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola at Jazz at events worldwide to supporting young musi- heavily from Duke Ellington - including more pay $7.3 million to the Hollywood songwriter his fiduciary duty to her. The exact details of Lincoln Center to play piano and sing an origi- cians. obscure tunes such as “Johnny Come Lately,” who discovered the singer. US District Court that allegation were redacted from the order. “What Am I Here For?” and “The Jubilee Stomp” Judge Jose Linares ordered the new trial for Fusari was ordered to pay Wendy Starland - to honor the close relationship Wein enjoyed Rob Fusari on Sept. 3, but the ruling wasn’t following a trial last year after a jury found that with the big band leader for many years. unsealed until Wednesday. The judge found he agreed to split profits with her. Linares As Wein did when he led the All-Stars, the upheld that decision in February before Fusari musicians had a chance to showcase their virtu- appealed. Starland testified during the trial osity on feature numbers with Brecker perform- that Fusari, based in Parsippany, New Jersey, ing the standard “I Can’t Get Started,” Alden and had asked her to find an “edgy, bold, confi- Cohen trading lines on the Brazilian waltz dent, charismatic” performer and “someone “Desvairada,” and Kimbrough playing solo that you can’t take your eyes off of” to be a piano on Ellington’s “Reflections In D.” “I’ve done female version of the lead singer of “The a lot in my life at festivals ... but really the great- Strokes.” est joy that I’ve ever had is playing with these She brought back Lady Gaga after spot- guys,” Wein said before taking over on piano for ting her during a New York City performance the last two numbers. After his blues, Wein and in 2006, when she was simply Stefani the band closed the set with the Ellington Germanotta. Lady Gaga said in a deposition in band’s theme, “Take the ‘A’ Train. The audience 2011 that she believed Fusari and Starland, a then stood and serenaded him with “Happy singer and songwriter who wrote songs with Birthday.” her, had a verbal agreement to split their Friday’s event kicked off a round of birthday share from her career. celebrations. These include a fundraiser on “My understanding was that Wendy and Thursday at New York’s City Winery club that’s him had initially agreed upon 50/50 perhaps expected to raise at least $500,000 for the non- before Wendy ever found me, and after I was profit Newport Festivals Foundation, with “Late signed to Rob and made music, Rob began to Show” bandleader Jonathan Batiste, whose change his mind,” said Lady Gaga, whose hits breakthrough came when Wein began present- have included “Poker Face” and “Bad ing him at Newport, among the performers. An Romance.” Linares did not agree with Fusari File photo shows Newport Jazz Festival founder George Wein performing during a invitation-only dinner party will be held on Oct. that allowing that testimony was an issue. But session with Christian McBride at the festival in Newport, RI. —AP 19 at Carnegie Hall, where Wein produced more he did agree that allowing testimony from than 400 concerts. But even at 90, Wein remains Lady Gaga’s deposition about the allegation nal blues he had written for the occasion. “I’m The Boston-born pianist-turned-impresario active booking the 2016 Newport festival to be read in court was unfairly prejudicial. Fusari, a Grammy Award-winning producer going down to Dizzy’s to enjoy the last day of was then feted by a lineup of musicians who scheduled for July 29. Once again, he’ll be going Lady Gaga arrives at the 67th whose credits include work for Beyonce, my 89 ...,” he belted in a strong voice. “I’ve got had played with him many times at the festival out to clubs in the upcoming weeks to hear Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday, Whitney Houston and Will Smith, previously the jazz to keep me going, as long as I can keep as the Newport All-Stars - with trumpeter young musicians to add to the festival lineup. Sept 20, 2015, at the Microsoft sued Lady Gaga for $30 million in court in the beat.” JALC Director of Programming Jason Randy Brecker, clarinetist-saxophonist Anat “As long as my mind stays young, my body I can Theater in Los Angeles. —AP New York, but that lawsuit was dropped. —AP Olaine opened the festivities by thanking Wein Cohen, guitarist Howard Alden, drummer Lewis handle,” Wein said in an interview.—AP