18 | Thursday, October 31, 2019 LIFE CHINA DAILY HONG KONG EDITION

Still images from the upcoming movie Terminator: Dark Fate, which stars Arnold Schwarzenegger (center) as T­800, Linda Hamilton (right) as Sarah Connor and Gabriel Luna as Rev­9. PHOTOS PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY Rise, again, the machine

Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamiliton and James Cameron unite for one more attempt at saving the world from genocidal robots in Terminator: Date Fate, Xu Fan reports.

’ll be back.” It’s one of the most “Hamilton set the bar very high in iconic cinematic catchphrases, Judgment Day. I thought that she was first uttered with menace by never going to match that, but, she set Arnold Schwarzenegger as the the bar even higher, not only as a female “Iunstoppable cyborg assassin in the 1984 action hero, but for what anyone can do sci­fi classic, The Terminator. in their 60s,” extols the Austrian­Ameri­ Now more than three decades later, he can star. is back — again — in the sixth install­ However, in the beginning, it was not ment of the film franchise, Terminator: easy to persuade Hamilton to reprise her Dark Fate, which opens across the Chi­ role as she felt that Sarah Connor’s story nese mainland on Nov 1. was complete after the denouement of Recently, the literal Hollywood giant the first two movies and she didn’t showed up in Beijing, reuniting with believe there was room to develop the actress Linda Hamilton, whose last role further. appearance in a Terminator film was 28 “James Cameron had to work pretty years ago, in the box­office busting first hard to get me to come back ... Indeed, sequel, Terminator 2: Judgment Day. the fact that a whole lifetime has passed Joining the promotional tour also will be since we saw her (Sarah) the last time (in director Tim Miller and new cast addi­ the 1991 sequel) was very intriguing to tions, Mackenzie Davis, Natalia Reyes, me, because I knew I could fill those 28 Gabriel Luna and Diego Boneta. years with a background story and come Dark Fate marks the first Terminator in as a woman of a certain age,” interjects film since the 1991’s Judgment Day to Hamilton in the interview. involve James Cameron, the franchise’s For director Tim Miller, who can count creator. While he still doesn’t occupy the Director Tim Miller (fifth from right) joins the stars and production company representatives of Dark Fate to Deadpool as one of his box­office suc­ director’s chair, Cameron does serve as promote the latest Terminator film at the Beijing premiere on Oct 23. cesses, to inherit the legacy of Cameron producer and co­writer of Dark Fate. was stressful. Teasingly noting that the Featuring the return of heroine Sarah Terminator franchise is Cameron’s Connor and the T­800 series robot, the “It’s fun to play the character not only the use of military weapons. “sandbox”, Miller says he is “only a guest roles respectively reprised by Hamilton because of that … Right after I did the Unlike previous Terminator films — playing with his toys” and that it felt and Schwarzenegger, this new tale fol­ first Terminator movie, I remember that with the possible exception of Judgment great to have Cameron’s guidance during lows a human warrior (Davis) who is I was offered a tremendous amount of Day — which tended to have strong mas­ the entire procedure. sent back from 2042 to join forces with action film roles. It set me in a direction culine leanings, this new chapter exem­ Aside from the changes in plotline and the pair to rescue a young woman that was exactly where I wanted to go in plifies Hollywood’s trend toward director, there was another less obvious (played by Reyes), who will become the my career,” says Schwarzenegger. promoting strong female roles. The change that ordinary theatergoers may leader of humanity’s resistance against With a low budget of around $6.4 mil­ three female protagonists, Hamilton, not have picked up on, but quite mean­ the genocidal machines of the future. lion, The Terminator raked in over $78 Davis and Reyes, display impressive ingful for domestic filmmakers. “The T­800 character is an extremely million in worldwide box­office receipts, courage and toughness to evade the The new film has Chinese investment important character for me in my paving the way for both Cameron and powerful Rev­9 killing machine, played behind it — Tencent Pictures joined for­ career,” says Schwarzenegger, in an Schwarzenegger’s march to join Holly­ by Luna. ces with Skydance Media, Paramount interview with journalists in Beijing on wood’s A­list. Schwarzenegger also offers high Pictures and 20th Century Fox to copro­ Oct 23. Speaking about the latest film, The T­800 character is praise for the actresses, recalling a duce Dark Fate. It is certainly a classic big­screen role Schwarzenegger reveals that the cyborg sequence where their characters, all So, following the 2018 Hollywood that underwent, arguably, one of the big­ has spent more than 20 years living an extremely important trapped inside a Hummer truck, fall superhero film Venom, a Columbia Pic­ gest character twists in Hollywood; in among humans, growing a conscience character for me in my from an airplane flying at an altitude of tures production which included Ten­ 1984, the T­800 was portrayed as a and choosing to sacrifice himself to save around 10,000 meters. cent Pictures as a co­financer, destructive killing machine, but, by the mankind. career. It set me in a According to the script, the truck is Terminator: Dark Fate is set to, once time the 1991 sequel rolled around, had Perhaps one of the biggest challen­ direction that was suspended on the edge of a waterfall again, test the market potential of the been reprogrammed to become a protec­ ges for the former champion body­ before it is washed into the torrent, and new collaboration model between Chi­ tor of mankind. That film went to builder, the 72­year­old actor reveals, exactly where I wanted the actresses needed to stay in the water nese companies and Hollywood studios. become the highest­grossing title in the was the daily training regimen to go in my career.” for up to four hours. However, despite United States in 1991 and set several required for the action­packed film, the discomfort, they didn’t ask for a Contact the writer at long­standing records. which involved many fight scenes and Arnold Schwarzenegger, actor break before finishing the shoot. [email protected] Festival on intangible culture highlights link to poverty alleviation in China

By WANG RU poverty alleviation and rural revi­ not only about sewing and mend­ because I grew up seeing my father [email protected] talization in China, and looked at ing clothes. It has many cultural make them,” Wang, now 45, says. efforts made by different provin­ connotations. When I work on it, I “I want to continue the cause Xiao Hua watches the Chinese ces. For example, 10 workshops feel like I am drawing,” she says. “I which my father devoted all his life TV series The Story of Yanxi Pal­ imparting lessons on handicrafts also learned that in ancient China, to. I also hope my child will inherit ace, which focuses on royal life in and online retail have been estab­ Shu embroidery works were as val­ it, but that depends on him.” imperial China, to see the lished in Liangshan Yi autono­ uable as gold and silver, and could Government efforts are also visi­ embroidered dresses worn by mous prefecture in Sichuan. be exchanged for battle steeds and ble in other areas. For example, actresses in the roles of the concu­ Hu Yan, deputy director of the daily necessities.” Wang is happy to see the building bines. intangible cultural heritage As Xiao realized the value of craftspeople’s studios and a “Some of the embroidery is rela­ department of the Ministry of Cul­ behind the handicraft, she grew birdcage cultural museum by the tively coarse, made by machines, ture and Tourism, says: “We have more interested in it and felt a government in his hometown of but some are handmade and identified 10 key areas and are sup­ sense of responsibility to pass it on, Zhilu in Chengdu, where hundreds exquisite. I like analyzing the qual­ porting programs linking intangi­ she adds. are engaged in the handicraft. ity and craftsmanship,” says Xiao ble cultural heritage and poverty Xiao attended Tsinghua Univer­ Some foreigners who attended in Chengdu, Southwest China’s alleviation. We have established sity in Beijing in 2015, where she the festival spoke of their experien­ Sichuan province. 156 workshops, and have asked received training in intangible cul­ ces in promoting and protecting She recently attended the 7th local governments, enterprises tural heritage innovation through intangible cultural heritage. International Festival of Intangi­ and universities to build brands a government program. Korean art critic Byun Chung­ja ble Cultural Heritage Chengdu as a with local features to help local The opening ceremony of the 7th International Festival of Intangible “The country is carrying out the says the protection and develop­ “city­level inheritor” of Shu people to make money.” Cultural Heritage Chengdu is held on Oct 17 in the city in Sichuan training of cultural heritage inher­ ment of intangible cultural heri­ embroidery, a type of needlework A forum discussing how to pro­ province. PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY itors. Since 2015, we have held tage in the Republic of Korea are that originated in the province. mote rural revitalization through some 700 training courses, and managed by two separate govern­ Shu is an old abbreviation for traditional crafts was also held at trained 98,900 inheritors,” Hu ment departments. “Sichuan”. the festival, attended by experts tural elements. exhibitions like an international says. Guo says: “I believe it is a good Organized by the Ministry of from both home and abroad. “Rural handicrafts should not be handicrafts show and an immer­ Another practitioner, Wang way of management. While the Culture and Tourism and the pro­ Guo Yi, director of Zhejiang limited to villages. It should be sive experience of digitized intan­ Mingwen, a “provincial­level protection of intangible cultural vincial government, the festival province’s intangible cultural her­ promoted far beyond,” says Guo. gible heritage. inheritor” of bamboo­woven bird­ heritage is strictly the responsibili­ was held in Chengdu over Oct itage protection center, says a spe­ Himalchuli Gurung, a culture Xiao says she was attracted by cages, says he has been able to per­ ty of one department, the other 17­22, when more than 5,600 dele­ cial group that includes members specialist at the UNESCO Office in Shu embroidery when she discov­ severe with it because it runs in his one can develop it based on mar­ gates from the field of culture in 86 of both local and provincial cul­ Beijing, says people should avoid ered its beauty in 2005, and since family. ket demand.” countries participated in activities tural institutes has been estab­ excessive commercialization so then has worked on it with the help “I took up weaving bamboo bird­ During the festival, Chengdu such as exhibitions, forums and lished to help local people design that intangible cultural heritage of her teacher, a longtime practi­ cages when I was about 20 years also promoted 10 travel routes that competitions. cultural and creative products does not become a simple money­ tioner of the craft. old, and have been engaged in it feature intangible cultural heritage The main exhibition focused on and for longtime practitioners to making tool. “When I learned more about for about 24 years. I didn’t find it in the city and will help tourists bet­ how intangible heritage is helping develop products with related cul­ The festival also had smaller embroidery, I began to realize it is hard as other people did, maybe ter enjoy their time there.