Adjust font size:
    LH: Lorraine Hahn LH: Hello and welcome to Talk Asia, I'm Lorraine Hahn. My guest today is Hong Kong film director Peter Chan. Born in 1962, Chan spent his teenage years in Bangkok before moving to Los Angeles to attend film school at the University of California. He began his film career working with director John Woo, and actor Jackie Chan. But it was his own directorial debut "Alan and Eric: Between hello and goodbye" and "Comrades: Almost a love story" that made him a household name. Since then Chan has worked in Hollywood and has co-founded both United Filmmakers Organization and Applause Pictures -- production companies that have been credited with making some of the region's most innovative and critically successful movies. Peter good to see you, welcome to the show, thank you for coming in... LH: You are known as a director who is not afraid of dealing with taboos, of addressing taboos- why is this so important? PC: Because I think, you know, as a director we just hope to keep re-inventing ourselves. Just try to keep looking forward to something more interesting, you know it's like, it's not a 9-5 job so it's got to get a little bit more interesting than the usual...so just keep trying pushing the envelope a little bit. LH: Is it lacking, is there something... is the industry in Asia lacking this sort of courage? PC: I think the problem is the market for most Hong Kong movies, for Asian movies is so small- that the bottom line is so critical, you know for the investors and also for the people in the business. So we keep looking at safe bets and the safety blankets. And whenever you do that it actually becomes very mediocre. And the outcome is actually hurting the industry, in the general. LH: Interesting. In your films I've seen that you include a mixture of cultures. For example, with "Perhaps Love" when you brought together the Bollywood choreographer, the Korean actor and of course the Japanese actor. What is it about bringing these different people together, with different backgrounds? PC: I think it is essential, first of all business-wise its always been essential for Hong Kong- I think Hong Kong filmmakers are very talented in maneuvering the situation of using different elements from all over Asia. Because first of all, you got to understand the talent pool is rather small, because we have a very small population- which is even worst in terms of the market because we have a very small market. PC: So we've always been looking elsewhere for a bigger market- and when you look for bigger market, at the same time you are actually crossing culture, crossing over with other cultures by exploring areas where you can work with different talents. PC: Something that started off as a very calculated business decision, became very rewarding as an artist and also as a creative talent- because you get to work with a lot of people who have ideas that you've never even heard of. (LH: Right) And we keep- we're inspiring each other. LH: How do you, as a producer and director, bring these people to make, together, and make the best of their talents? PC: I think the key to working with multi-national talents is it cannot be forced. It's definitely much more difficult than working with one, you know, culture- but if it works the outcome becomes much more rewarding. For example, using Farah Khan from Bollywood, for the choreography- because she is the best choreographer we have in this part of the world. That's not exactly our part of the world, but if you are brave enough to embrace someone like that- for me personally, it would be a better choice than if I went for a Broadway choreographer (LH: Right) because I didn't really want the film to have a Broadway sort of (LH: Feel) very feel to it, a very typical Western feel to it. And that kind of things usually, and it's very funny- people keep asking me 'How do you communicate with the Koreans, how do you communicate with an Indian choreographer?'. But you know, the funny thing is the world has actually come together significantly in the past 20-30 years in a way where I keep saying that we are all pretty much- (LH: The same?) The same! LH: "Perhaps Love" is something no one has done for, at least as far as I can remember. Why did you decide to do something like that? PC: I think, again, it is something- I mean I've made love stories all my life and I can't say I'm sick and tired of it because I'm not, but I'm actually bored of some of the broad strokes of what love stories are. And I was trying to do something different, but I still have this on story that I wanted to tell that is still a love story, but I was thinking area there ways that I could express the emotions in ways that I have never tried before. And I think it came first as a personal challenge, and its always more exciting to walk on set every morning to do something you don't know how to do. That sort of 'very nervous' feelings actually would translate into some sort of energy. And at the same time I think another element is that I believe it would attract the audience back to the cinemas. Because you see, video piracy and also people watching DVDs at home with a great sound system, is replacing the cinematic experience in the theatre. And I believe that if you make a conventional love story, it is one of those things that you can watch at home. If you watch Harry Potter or Star Wars it looks like you got to be in the cinema. So I keep thinking what special effects that I can put in my little movie, which is a love story which is really about emotions? What I can do to make the screen bigger, that you need, to come to the cinema. I thought maybe musical is... it's a way out? LH: Right, a Chinese musical! The movie has got critical acclaim from across the world now, is that public recognition important to you? PC: It is. I like to be very honest. When you make a movie, if you fail to connect to the audience- whoever the audience are- I think it's your fault. But of course you can't keep trying to connect to everyone in the world, because they are different people- you just gotta use your simple, one-line story and the message that you are trying to bring across, and you try to bring it across to as many people as you can. Whether that be critically acclaim at film awards, or whether it be the audience emotion, or applause, or you know- whatever they feel in the theater. I think they are all equally important. LH: Right, now the horror series "The Eye"- I loved it personally- getting a Hollywood makeover? I heard Tom Cruise (PC: yeah), Paula (PC: Wagner) Wagner, and you got Rene Zellwegger (PC: Zellwegger)? But you're going to still be the executive producer, correct? I mean- how much say are you going to have? PC: Not much! (LH: Realistically...!) Not much, realistically not much! We've got a pretty good deal selling the movie, and I'm actually happy that I'm on for the ride and I, you know because I'm an exec-producer not the exact producer, the difference between exec-producer and producer is we don't really do the day to day job. But I read the scripts, give them my two cents and I think I'll keep my fingers crossed that they will make as good a movie as the original was- and hopefully better! LH: I look forward to watching it! (PC: Me too!) Peter, we are going to take a very, very short break. When we come back we'll talk to Peter Chan about changing the face of Hong Kong and Asian cinema- stay with us. Block B LH: Hello again, you are watching Talk Asia and with me today is filmmaker Peter Chan. Peter, you've had a previous foray into Hollywood with "The Love Letter"- that was with Steven Spielberg, I mean, what was that experience like? When you mention the name Spielberg people shiver in their chair very often (PC: I know!)... PC: I remember this funny story the first time I met Steven, it was at his house- at his estate, I would say- it's at one of his workhouse, this little separate guest house that he works in and he was putting together a model plane. You know, typical Steven Spielberg! And then my cell-phone rang, and it's one of my buddies in Hong Kong, and I said 'I can't talk to you' I said, 'I'm in a meeting'. He said 'What meeting are you in?', and I said 'you know, I'm meeting with Steven' - 'Which Steven?'. And you know, it's like- that guy that called when I was in my first meeting with Steven- so you know, I think people did take that as a big deal/. But you know, he's one of the nicest guys to work with, he's just a regular guy. LH: That is amazing- I mean, how does that compare, your work with Spielberg and here in Asia? PC: I think it's quite different in a way, not because of Steven but more importantly because of the studio system. I think the studio system has developed so, you know filmmaking into such advanced analysis and dissection- in a way where because film and the budgets of movies being made in America are so huge, that there needs to be a lot of checks and balances. And that check and balance sort of makes, or guarantees, the quality of a film to a certain extent. But in exchange of that check and balances, a lot of times it does flush away some of the brilliance, in-spur-of-the-moment brilliance. The typical difference in American and Hong Kong, or Asia, is in Hong Kong, most of the best moments in my films, believe it or not, were not in the scripts. They were stuff that we come up in the spur of the moment. It's the spontaneous inspiration that we get from the actors, because making movies is not painting-it's not my creation. When I present my blue-print to my actors, my DP, and to my cinematographer and everybody else, we all chip in, and one thing, one change, leads to another. And a lot of most brilliant stuff of movies will come on set, but in America that cannot be done. Hong Kong used to be known as the Hollywood of the East. But you know in the last 10 years, maybe even 15 years it hasn't really- (PC: 15, maybe even longer!) Yeah it hasn't really come with some big names- maybe even longer right? Why is that? I always believed that Hong Kong became the film capital of Chinese language entertainment because of very strategic and political reasons. Because there was China, and there is Taiwan- they both have a very specific political agenda, we are the only free place to make movies however we want, purely entertainment. But that position, of making Chinese purely entertaining entertainment, will wane as China becomes more open. LH: You co-founded UFO, United Filmmakers Organization, and Applause Pictures- I mentioned that in the beginning- what was behind those ideas? PC: It was all about putting the decision of filmmaking back in the filmmakers hand. I mean both of those scenarios -- the first one United Filmmakers started in 1991, and it was a bunch of filmmakers deciding that we wanted to come together because individually we're not big enough, if we put all 5 of us together we'll become a certain force to reckon with. So we could call the shots, and we could go out and make the deals ourselves and we could have enough of a product flow, that we could have a constant product flow to have a certain distribution network set up. So we could decide what movies we want to make instead of going to a local studio and being at the mercy of their decisions. So it's all about filmmakers deciding what movies they want to make. LH: You know, recently we've seen a couple of Hollywood blockbusters derive their themes, their stories from Asian themes, Asian stories. How do you feel about that? PC: I think it's a great thing. I mean, I think the Asian exposure and the Asian concept, and the mentality and culture has been, sort of, used or explored in other cultures- world international productions, in any which way or form. Either by talents migrating- directors, actors- or by Chinese themed, or Chinese language products being shown in 2000 odd screens in America, or by having you know, Japanese themed product with Chinese actors being a major Hollywood production. You know, all those are just a step towards the world audience, especially western audience, being more used to and accustomed to the fact that there is another culture out there and we are interested in that culture. LH: Oh well, the next obvious question would then be 'Could a western producer/director be able to capture the essence of an Asian story, well enough compared to, lets say- another Asian producer? PC: You know what, not really. We've seen failed attempts, and I think even for Chinese filmmakers, or Asian filmmakers to transition or to transport their own culture, and translate them to an American audience. Our Crouching Tiger, which I personally like the film a lot, but even that met with a lot of criticism in Asia saying that that was the one film that Asian, but not as Asian as (LH: It should be?), the film that Asian thought it should've been. But the thing is, it's- you know, that's just the trade off to a certain extent because there is enough Asian in that film for the world audience. Maybe it's not Asia enough but the film was not for Asia alone, the film is for the world. And I think sometimes we gotta get it through our head that you gotta understand that when you make a film you should have the audience. Back to my- your question earlier about- you should have an agenda of what your audience are and you should try to connect with your audience. And I think Ang Lee has a very specific agenda of how to connect to his western audience with Crouching Tiger. LH: Right, what then, Peter, do Asian films need to do to in order to compete on the red carpet, with their Western counterparts? PC: I think, you know what, you just gotta do your best shot, and just do the best movie. I don't think there is such a thing as whether its Asian or not, Asian people are saying that Brokeback Mountain is very Asian in its sensibility- even though it's a gay theme product. But Ang uses the unrequited love, the long suffering and the very- the pressure of not being able to love, which was probably more Asian than America, but it doesn't matter! The film is totally an American film, but the Asian sensibility is there because Ang is Asian, and I think the world has become so much smaller now and we should know so much better that we should not try to pigeonhole people into whether you are Asian or western. LH: Peter we are going to take another very, very quick break. (PC: Alright) After this break we'll talk to Peter Chan about his early influences and the importance of social responsibility- stay with us. Block C LH: Hello you're watching Talk Asia, my guest is director Peter Chan. Peter, you were born in Hong Kong and I read you spent your teens in (PC: Thailand) Thailand before studying in Los Angeles. What was your childhood like? I mean not much is written about your mom, your father... PC: No, not much. My mom's a mom- you know, a regular mom, a very good mom. And my dad's a filmmaker- so there's a reason, (LH: Aha, right) it runs in the blood I think, yeah! LH: So did he encourage to do this, or...? PC: No he actually didn't, he kept telling me it's a very long road and it's a very uncertain, you know- no calculated risks or whatever. So he kept me that 'If you want a good life you don't want to be a director, you don't want to be in this business- period'. So I actually went to college thinking that I might actually take another major, for the first six months I took a lot of restaurant/hotel management classes, and it bored the hell out of me. Its about how to put your fork and knives- and I was like 'No, that's not it!'. After 6 months I switched back to film, and I think he was a bit worried but I think deep down he was probably happy that I was doing the same thing that he loved. LH: Yeah you've worked with, you mentioned Steven Spielberg earlier, John Woo, Jacky Chan, take away any particular experiences from these men? PC: I think I've learned the most with John because he's such an articulate filmmaker and I was like his interpreter, in a film where he doesn't speak the language of the crew, so all- he needs to talk to me before he talks to the crew! So I actually got to learn every single thing, because this was in Thailand, so I got to learn every single thing because whatever he needs to talk to anyone on set he needs to go through me! So it was a very great learning curve... LH: Oh... I don't know about that! Now all your movies, nearly all anyways, had this huge romantic sort of streak in it- what is this about, are you a huge romantic yourself? PC: I think deep down I am, I just never tried it in my real life so I put it in the movies! LH: Is it something that you never get fed up of? PC: No, actually not. I told everybody after "Perhaps Love" that I would stay away from love stories for at least a couple of years. But that's also because I'm getting older, and I'm actually trying to re-assess what love is to me at this stage of my life. Because it's, you know- it changes with age. PC: The thing about love is I think it's the easiest way to communicate to people, I think I found the easier way out in the beginning of my career as a director because I think that emotion is so universal that you can connect to everybody. And every time you start telling a love story, you feel that people really do connect with you. And when one works you go to another, and then you go to the other. LH: Well the whole idea of love, it's so complicated (PC: It's so complicated) it could go on and on, and on and on right? (PC: It could go on and on, exactly!) LH: Social issues, that's something that's important I think, I'm thinking of Golden Chicken as a movie of course. How responsible to do you feel- socially responsible do you feel as a director to your audience? PC: You know what, I don't really feel socially responsible. It's really weird, because people keep thinking that I must feel socially responsible. Even- because I do talk quite a bit among friends and people keep thinking that I should be in politics, or whatever- but I really, I have a lot of opinions to make about that, but I don't feel socially responsible as a person and even as an individual. Even though I've used that in my films it's only because I like talking about it, like I like talking about it with my friends, but I don't really have the chip on my shoulder. LH: What are you working on now then, what's keeping you busy? PC: I'm working on going back to producing a couple of projects, but I'm also going to be back in the saddle directing a lot more. Because I think the time is right, and I think you gotta catch up, because you know I took a hiatus for like a few years before "Perhaps" Love, and I feel like directing needs so much stamina, and I'm not that young anymore! So I think I have- (LH: Oh, you keep saying that!) PC: You know, the pressure- it's really crazy- so I think I should try to make more movies before I can't really have that stamina. LH: I think you have, what, 30-40 years left in you? (PC: Thank you Lorraine) Yeah, that is a lot of movies! Peter thank you very, very much (PC: Thank you) Good luck to you, we appreciate you coming by. And that is Talk Asia this week, my guest has been filmmaker Peter Chan. I'm Lorraine Hahn, let's talk again- next week. |
Get up-to-the minute news from CNNCNN.com gives you the latest stories and video from the around the world, with in-depth coverage of U.S. news, politics, entertainment, health, crime, tech and more. |
| © 2007 Cable News Network. A Time Warner Company. All Rights Reserved. Terms under which this service is provided to you. Read our privacy guidelines. Contact us. Site Map. |
 |
|
External sites open in new window; not endorsed by CNN.com
Pay service with live and archived video.