STUDENT TURNS INTO MACAU-INSPIRED PROMISING WRITER ARTWORKS ECCLESTONE Interview with Zhu Congqian, Passionate about the city, ENDS 40-YEAR a PhD student from the Manuela Martins’ artworks REIGN AS F1 University of Macau who won a explore her own reflections BOSS Best Young Screenwriter award on Macau P2 P5 P8 WED.25 Jan 2017 T. 15º/ 21º C H. 55 / 85% facebook.com/mdtimes + 11,000 MOP 7.50 2730 N.º HKD 9.50 FOUNDER & PUBLISHER Kowie Geldenhuys EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Paulo Coutinho www.macaudailytimes.com.mo “ THE TIMES THEY ARE A-CHANGIN’ ” WORLD BRIEFS AL PLENArY AP PHOTO Chan dodges lawmakers’ JAPAN successfully launched its first military communications satellite P3 yesterday that is designed questions on nepotism to upgrade its network in the face of China’s increasingly assertive maritime activity and North Korea’s missile threat. The Kirameki-2 is BLOOMBERG the first of three satellites that will replace three civilian ones currently used by Japan’s military. CHINA-PHILIPPINES China and the Philippines have agreed on USD3.7 billion worth of projects to boost cooperation, state media cited a senior Chinese official as saying, highlighting the improvement in their formerly frosty relations. More on p11 AP PHOTO CHINA-US With his rejection of the Asian trade pact yesterday, President Donald Trump has tackled the first in a promised series of far-reaching policy changes that could give China room to assert itself as a regional leader and worsen strains over the South China Sea and Taiwan. “America first” foreign policy is raising questions about who, if anyone, will fill the void. More on p10, 13 EU-US The European Union trade chief says the trade policies Trump has set out are “doomed to UK court rules May fail” and that the world’s biggest trading bloc remains committed to open borders and economies. EU Trade can’t start Brexit Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom said that most countries share the same P15 vision of open trade and without Parliament vote investments. More on backpage 25.01.2017 wed th Anniversary 2 MACAU 澳聞 WWW.MACAUDAILYTIMES.COM.MO Julie Zhu ZhU CoNgqIAN HU Congqian, a PhD stu- Q&A PhD STUDENT, wrITEr Zdent from the Department of Chinese Language and Li- terature at the University of Macau (UM), recently won a ‘Macau draws a lot of attention national award for Best Young Screenwriter at the 2016 Next Idea Youth Screenplay Com- petition. The award was for a to the cultural industry’ screenplay adapted from his own science-fiction story tit- led “The Autumn, the Dinosaur- stories need more time to be man and I Left Behind.” produced, and need a full [pro- The story emphasizes the im- duction] plan. [I would] first portance of children learning choose some media and drawing how to face reality as they grow companies which relatively suit up. the market best in order to start Zhu, from mainland China, writing screenplays with them. has been studying for five years No companies from Macau have in Macau and he participated in reached me yet. the competition as a representa- tive of UM. MDT - What do you think of Macau’s potential if it Macau Daily Times (MDT) wants to develop its film - Can you tell us more about and television industries? the winning story? What ZC - I think Macau has blessed led you to participate in the advantages. The city draws a lot competition and what did of attention to the cultural indus- you expect from it? try. In turn, the gaming industry Zhu Congqian (ZC) - I have has a natural connection with US no experience in screenwriting, companies. Macau’s actors and and I had never written one be- actresses have a more southern fore. This screenplay is based specialty, and Macau’s acting on a novel I wrote in the past. industry has communicated rela- I made some changes to it and tively more with Hong Kong. Its rewrote it as a screenplay. The location is an obvious advantage. original book was published in mainland China earlier this MDT - How do you expect year. Around June or July, I Chinese films and televi- came to know about the existen- sion to compete in the glo- ce of this competition and I de- bal market? cided to participate. I feel like it ZC - I am not worried about [the screenplay] was incredible. that. One needs to admit that Based on my personal judgmen- MDT - Where does your I went to university, having star- MDT - Is there anything in Asian culture has inspired film ts, cartoons and screenplays screenwriting hobby come ted by writing poems and litera- your life that changed after and television products that see- about youth struggle, I don’t from and what kind of sto- ture reviews. Poems are [for me] you won the prize? mingly cannot be accepted by usually reach the final rounds ries do you like to create? too formalized. I like writing ZC - Some things changed. Western audiences. If you look of such competitions. Normally, ZC - When I was little, my children’s novels or books for Wining the competition provi- at the market from the pers- these topics might be awarded grades were not that good. My young adults […] I [also] prefer ded me with many opportuni- pective of Western audiences, for their artistic achievement, or world sounded safer when I to construct a realistic world in ties. There are a few mainland [Western films and television given excellence awards. This is imagined it rather than living in my literature which can reflect media companies looking for my programs] have their own stable why I feel really happy. it for real. I started writing when reality itself. cooperation. However, awarded market. film by local direc- A tor Hong Heng Fai Award-winning film clinches another prize won the Best Short Film Award at the 13th China Independent Film Festi- val, the latest in the pro- fifties, who finds him- national Film and Video Independent Film Festi- duction’s string of local self and his mother lost Festival – Macau Indies val 2017. and foreign awards. in the new century. Built and the Best Film Prize Hong has been invol- Hong was present to around the themes of the of the 16th South Taiwan ved in the performing receive the prize for his internet and reality, the Film Festival. arts for more than a de- 20-minute production, story explores ethical is- “Crash” was also nomi- cade. He is known for “Crash,” which took sues and “digitalization” nated for the Best Live producing short films, home the gold in the in modern times. Action Short Film of including “Caged” and festival’s competition This latest award for the 53rd Golden Horse “In Memory of Her,” section for short fiction “Crash” follows the Ju- Awards and selected in both of which were also films. ry’s Commendation the 32nd International nominated at the Macau The film tells the story Award (Short Film) at Short Film Festival Ber- International Film and of a man, “Choi,” in his the 10th Macau Inter- lin and the Hong Kong Video Festival. Hong Heng Fai receives the prize www.macaudailytimes.com.mo DIRECTOR AND EDITOR-IN-CHIEF_Paulo Coutinho [email protected] A MACAU TIMES PUBLICATIONS LTD PUBLICATION MANAGING EDITOR_Paulo Barbosa [email protected] CONTRIBUTING EDITORS_Eric Sautedé, Leanda Lee, Severo Portela ADMINISTRATOR AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER + 4 Million page views Kowie Geldenhuys [email protected] DESIGN EDITOR_João Jorge Magalhães [email protected] | NEWSROOM AND CONTRIBUTORS_ SECRETARY Denise Lo [email protected] PER MONTH Albano Martins, Annabel Jackson, Daniel Beitler, Emilie Tran, Grace Yu, Ivo Carneiro de Sousa, Jacky I.F. Cheong, ADDRESS Av. da Praia Grande, 599, Edif. 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Coutinho called once more, like Ng, for a cla- rification from the secretary on how to prevent future ca- Sonia Chan dodges lawmakers’ ses like these. As such questions remai- ned unanswered Ng decided to take a different approach questions on nepotism and direct the questions to the director of the SAFP, Kou Peng Kuan, questioning him she provided for Ng, before if the services had opened an she followed with the reading internal inquiry. of a similar reply document. In the reply Kou did not Coutinho remarked that add much to the discussion RENATO MARQUES RENATO according to the news aired either, remarking only on from the previous day, this the competencies and cons- case [involving Sonia Chan tant efforts of the SAFP to and Florinda Chan] was “just improve its accountability the tip of an iceberg,” as re- regimes. ports stated at least another Lawmakers Leong Veng 14 similar cases are emerging Chai and Au Kam San also all related to the Public Pro- made remarks. The first no- secutions Office (MP). ted that such a case is a “bad In his follow-up questions example for the youngsters Coutinho said that different and the new generations,” issues shouldn’t be amalga- and asked, “How are we mated.