The Banquet
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News Archives - July 2005 to August 2005
Zhang Ziyi named Best Actress at the Huabiao Film Awards - Pictures and Video
Ziyi was named Best Actress at the prestigious Huabiao Film Awards on Sunday, for her performance in House of Flying Daggers. This is the first time Ziyi has won this award, though she had also been nominated last year for Jasmine Women.
Ziyi attended the ceremony, which was held in Beijing. Here is a gallery from the event, and a two minute video from the red carpet
Gallery: Ziyi at the Huabiao Awards - 36 pictures
Video: Ziyi on the Red Carpet - 4 MB wmv
A few of the best pictures are below, for more see the gallery.
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Ziyi walked the red carpet with with the cast of her upcoming film Night Banquet, which begins production in late September. From left to right: Ge You, Z, Huang Xiaoming, director Feng Xiaogang, and his wife Xu Fan.
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Ziyi receiving the Best Actress award along with Zhao Wei, who shared the award for her performance in "A Time To Love."
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A fuzzy picture Ziyi's fans cheering her on, and of Z waving back at them :)
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Congratulations Z! House of Flying Daggers also won the award for Best Technical Achievement. Huge thanks to Fanqiemeimei for collecting many of these pictures, and also to fans MiZY, Billie-Jean, and Woyingcangxiong who attended the event and took some photos of their own. Xiexie!
08/28/05
Memoirs of a Geisha trailer stills and pictures
Here's a gallery of stills from the Memoirs of a Geisha trailer. It's a wide page, so you might need to expand your browser window.
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And some slightly better pictures of the teahouse scene with Sayuri, Mameha, and Hatsumomo.
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08/27/05
Zhang Ziyi nominated for Huabiao award
Ziyi has been nominated for Best Actress at the Huabiao film awards, for her role in House of Flying Daggers. I believe HoFD was released in China just after the deadline for last year's awards, which is why this nomination is coming so long after the movie's release.
This is the second time Ziyi has been nominated for a Huabiao award, having previously been nominated for Jasmine Women last year. The Huabiao film awards are sponsored by the Chinese government and will be held on August 28th.
08/27/05
Memoirs of a Geisha trailer online!
The Japanese trailer went online today. Like the book, the movie is titled "Sayuri" in Japan. Here are direct links for saving: High bandwidth - 11 MB Low bandwidth - 1 MB For more about the film, see the Memoirs of a Geisha page. |
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08/25/05
Ziyi in New York
A lucky fan named Stephanie ran across Ziyi while visiting New York last week. She took a few pictures and shared this story
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HEY EVERYONE I MET ZIYI in THE BIG APPLE!
I feel that I am the luckiest person in the world because I had the very good fortune to meet my idol Zhang Ziyi when I went to New York City last week!!! I just love her movies, her commercials. I collect all her pictures. I took some pictures of Ziyi and I don't think she minded me taking her photos. I want to share my good luck with everybody.
... I think it was around 5 when we got there. I was waiting for my parents to buy something to drink in a magazine shop in the lobby when I saw Ziyi walked in the shop. I was so surprised! At first, I cannot believe it was Ziyi. I couldn't imagine that it was her .But my mother told me she was sure it was Ziyi. She was in shorts and sandals. She had earphones on, listening to an ipod. She was carrying a big back pack. IMO, she is so beautiful, even when dressed in a T shirt. She was so friendly to everybody. The people in the shop must know her because they were laughing and chatting with her. After she bought a newspaper, she left. I really wanted to say hello but I was kind of embarrassed.I just followed her and took her pictures. Then she went out to the street behind the Empire State Building also went outside. She was going to cross the street so I decided to call her name. She turned to look at me and she gave ME a smile. I think she said hello! She is so great! ... I hope everybody enjoys them and can enjoy our beloved Ziyi!! She is so simple and still so sweet. ENJOY!
The full story and more pics are in this forum thread. Thanks Stephanie!
Earth, Wind and Fire: Ziyi in Elle China
Zhang Ziyi is on the cover of this month's Elle China. Inside is an article and pictorial titled "Earth, Wind and Fire." Earth-toned fashions, wind-swept hair, and Ziyi's fire. The pictures were scanned by Fanqiemeimei and retouched by myself, click to enlarge
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08/23/05
Princess Raccoon interview and UK screening
Here is an interview with Zhang Ziyi about Princess Raccoon, made while she was in Cannes. It is in Mandarin with an English voiceover. Princess Raccoon interview - 5 MB wmv
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Princess Raccoon will be shown in London at the "Premiere Japan Film Festival '05" at the BAFTA building (195 Piccadilly, London W1J 9LN) on Sunday September 4th, at 5:00 PM. Tickets are free but require reservation, see the link for contact details. The festival is sponsored by the Japanese embassy.
08/21/05
HQ Memoirs picture, More 2046 Reviews
Below is a beautiful HQ version of the picture from Memoirs of a Geisha showing Sayuri meeting with the Chairman, along with a new picture showing Sayuri, Mameha, and Hatsumomo together. A few other small pictures were posted yesterday, scroll down in case you missed them.
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I've added a few more reviews to the collection of critical praise Ziyi has received for her role in 2046. Here are a few
"2046... is quite simply an incomparably sublime work of art, a triumph of lyricism over narrative in the cinema, and the most exquisite homage to the beauty of women it has ever been my privilege to witness on the screen... I wasn’t completely swept away by the film until Ziyi Zhang arrives on the scene as Bai Ling, a stormy lady of the evening who greets the suave Chow with well-founded suspicion. The maneuvers of the two form the heart and soul of 2046." - New York Observer
" Of the women who past through his life, much has been made, rightly, of Zhang Ziyi's performance as Bai Ling... Zhang is unbelievably good here, the incandescent axis around which the film turns." - Independent Film Channel
"Bai Ling is played, in a performance that can only be called a coming of age, by Ziyi Zhang, the young sensation of ''Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," who negotiates such hairpin turns of emotion here that a viewer can only watch in awe. Ling is controlling, kittenish, lusty, petulant, and, finally, a harrowing vision of romantic devastation, and the actress somehow makes her all of a piece." - The Boston Globe
Bravo for Z!
08/20/05
Introducing Liuyameng and HelloZiyi.us in Chinese!
Lets welcome Liuyameng, the new co-webmaster here at HelloZiyi.us. Liuyameng lives in China and met (and hugged!) Ziyi at the Maybelline event in Beijing. She is a regular poster ("Sunshine") at Ziyi's Chinese fan forum 5iziyi.com, often translating English articles into Chinese.
Several months back, a few members of 5iziyi helped to translate most of Helloziyi.us into Chinese (thanks Fanqiemeimei, Weiweigege, and Huliandudu!) You can see the results here
http://www.helloziyi.us/zhongwen.htm
Unfortunately, I have never been able to keep it up to date, so I never formally introduced that half of the site until now. Liuyameng has been doing great work to keep the Chinese pages current and helping to make Helloziyi.us a great resource for Ziyi's fans around the world. Xiexie Liuyameng!
You can access HelloZiyi.us in Chinese by clicking the chinese characters to the left, above the navigation bar.
08/19/05
More Memoirs of a Geisha pictures
Three new pictures of Zhang Ziyi in Memoirs of a Geisha , unfortunately they are on the small side..
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Two of the pictures are from this interview with Memoirs of a Geisha costume designer Colleen Atwood. She talks a bit about the kimonos used in the film.
Were all the costumes made specifically for the movie or are some authentic kimonos?
“The costumes of principals were made for them. In real life, a lot of people at that level will have their kimonos made especially for them. Some of the others and all the extras were authentic. For the mother character, I used authentic kimonos—vintage ones I found in Japan called the Yuya Collection. I shopped all over Japan. I even shopped online and did research at the fashion institute in Tokyo. It really was a world search though. I had embroiderers in Ganzi, England, Copenhagen. I worked with a manufacturer in Kyoto called Tashiyama that’s a 500 year-old company that made obis for me.”...
Did any piece in particular take an especially long time to make?
“There’s a kimono Ziyi wears in the tea garden where the embroidery was painstaking. All the embroidery took a long time actually because you have to do the artwork for it before.
Thanks to Fashion Week Daily, Admiring Gong Li, and Michelle Yeoh Web Theatre.
08/19/05
Ziyi Pictures
Your daily dose of cuteness.
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Wallpapers 1280x1024
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Thanks to Fiziyi, Shadow, and Wangerlai.
08/17/05
New Memoirs of a Geisha picture in Premiere magazine
Here's a new picture of Zhang Ziyi in Memoirs of a Geisha, which I scanned from the latest issue of Premiere magazine. This "Snow Dance" scene will be Sayuri's "debut", according to those who saw the test screening. During the first half hour, the film will cover Sayuri's childhood and she will be played by Suzuka Ohgo.
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There is a short article along with the picture
"The first line in the movie is. 'A story like mine should never be told,'" says [director] Rob Marshall. And during the seven years Geisha languished in development - directors as varied as Steven Spielberg and Brett Ratner have been involved - that sentiment seemed destined to be prophetic. Finally, it became Marshall's first post-Chicago project. House of Flying Daggers' Zhang Ziyi plays Sayuri, a fisherman's daughter who becomes a geisha and falls for a businessman (Ken Watanabe.) Marshall enjoyed the rare privilege of observing real-life geisha dressing an applying their makeup in Kyoto's famous Ichiriki tea house, and he hired Liza Dalby, the only American who has ever become a geisha, to consult. While Zhang, Gong Li, and Michelle Yeoh mastered skills such as preparing a tea service, Watanabe dieted for maximum hunk appeal. "The designer made my costumes very tight," he says.
Thanks to Fanqiemeimei for the tip.
08/15/05
Ziyi around the world
Ziyi is on the cover of Elle China, and there are a couple of other pictures of her inside. I only have thumbnail pics so far, hopefully larger scans will come along.
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Z has a centerfold in the August issue of Singapore FHM. It is not a new picture but a three panel print of this pic from her FHM spread in 2001. You can find the mag on Ebay.
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Z was also featured in the July 2005 issue of Wiken, a Chilean magazine.
Thanks to Fanqiemeimei of 5iziyi.com for the Elle pictures.
08/15/05
Jasmine Women update, New HQ pictures
According to Chinese reports Jasmine Women will be released before January 30, 2006. Apparently the company which owns the right to produce the DVD was unhappy with the film's repeated delays and has set that as a deadline for the film's theatrical release in China.
Thanks to Shadow for finding HQ versions of these pictures taken during an interview in New York.
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08/12/05
New Article
Reuters has an article about Ziyi titled "Chinese actress Zhang grows into international star."
After dazzling audiences with her waifish beauty and graceful performances in a string of Chinese martial arts hits, Ziyi Zhang is coming of age as an actress on the brink of international stardom.
"We spent a lot of time learning [for Memoirs of a Geisha]. We called it boot camp. We got to learn how to walk, how to play the shamisen (musical instrument), how to dress, add to that the cast is entirely non-English speaking and you can imagine how hard it was," she said of the adaptation of Arthur Golden's novel. "I will be proud of this movie. I know this will be a very beautiful, very emotional, very touching."
Thanks to emacs.
08/12/05
New Memoirs of a Geisha pictures
A few more pics from Memoirs of a Geisha. The first picture is of Sayuri and the Chairman (Ziyi and Ken Watanabe). The second picture shows Hatsumomo (Gong Li) being restrained during an outburst.
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Finally, an even larger version of the poster.
08/11/05
Cannes Photoshoot
Here's a photoshoot Ziyi did while attending the 2003 Cannes Film Festival, where her film Purple Butterfly was screened. I put together a gallery with the photoshoot and a few other pictures from the festival:
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While we're at it, let me give a plug for Purple Butterfly, one of Ziyi's lesser known films. It's underappreciated and definitely worth checking out. Head over to the Purple Butterfly page for more details. It's been available on DVD for several months now, you should be able to rent it at your local video store.
08/09/05
Details of the 2046 US release schedule
Here are the theatres that 2046 will be coming to over the next couple of months.
08/08/05
Ziyi included on Variety's "Women's Impact List"
Zhang Ziyi is included on Variety magazine's "Women's Impact List" in their July 29th issue. The list of honorees represents important, influential women who "make a difference" in the film industry, and includes studio executives, producers, entrepreneurs, and actresses.
Only a small number of other actresses were chosen, those being Angelina Jolie, Cate Blanchett, Glenn Close, and the cast of Desperate Housewives. The section of the article about Ziyi has some comments from Memoirs of a Geisha producer Lucy Fisher:
"Geisha" producer Lucy Fisher likens Zhang to Audrey Hepburn. Fisher describes the actress as deeply committed and says she expects Zhang to achieve monumental stardom. "We needed somebody who would actually be able to carry a movie," Fisher says. "She's got everything that we needed - someone who could age... could have a sense of humor, could be glamorous, could be the center of a love story, and also be ballsy and a heroine."
Here are scans of the article
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One correction, at the end of the article it incorrectly states as fact that she is committed to making "Good Cook, Likes Music", but I believe her involvement with that project is still uncertain.
08/08/05
Critical Praise for Zhang Ziyi in 2046
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2046 opened yesterday in four theatres in New York (showtimes) and Los Angeles (showtimes). The purpose of such a limited release is not to make money but to put the film in the sights of influential movie critics, whose reviews help to create the hype necessary for a successful wide release.
Indeed, the reviews for 2046 have been excellent. But even more impressive has been the critical praise for Zhang Ziyi, whose performance has left critics astonished. Many thanks to Fanqiemeimei for helping to compile this list of critical praise for Ziyi, anyone who is a fan of Z will want to read it. This is just a sample:
"The affair between Chow and Bai Ling consumes only part of the story (a science-fiction allegory that Chow writes constitutes another), but Ms. Zhang's shockingly intense performance burns a hole in the film that gives everything, including all the other relationships, a sense of terrific urgency." - The New York Times
"Of all the women with whom Chow dallies, Zhang emerges the most powerfully as Bai Ling, the subject of his most lasting relationship. She's all grown up, heart-stoppingly beautiful, with a startling command of the screen. Here she fulfills the promise of her more youthful performances in films like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon." - The Associated Press
"Zhang is simply phenomenal, effortlessly capturing her character's caprices and heartbreak... It's Zhang who is the real surprise here. Her breakout performance puts her on a level with the world's best actresses." - Film Journal International
Go read the whole thing. Congratulations to Ziyi for her great success with this role.
As to the movie itself, I thought this review from the New York Times was especially good. There are more articles, pictures, videos, and music on the 2046 page. Also visit the official site or watch the trailer. Wide release of 2046 is coming August 19.
08/06/05
Review of the 'Memoirs' test screening
Another person who saw the test screening of Memoirs of a Geisha last week shares their thoughts about the film. It is very positive and says the film entirely lives up to its Oscar hype. Here are some excerpts, I've bolded the part about Zhang Ziyi below.
I have heard repeatedly that this film is a possible Best Picture contender come Oscar time. Well, rest assured, it will be... It is, quite simply, a marvel to look at. The colors were vibrant and alive. Marshall has done an exceptional job directing the film; he uses just the right angle in every scene and creates an atmosphere and look that really makes the film stand out. Dion Beebe does an outstanding job as cinematographer.
The costumes will simply astonish you; they have been crafted with great detail and are gorgeous to look at. Obviously, Colleen Atwood is, yet again, a shoo-in for a nomination come January. The make up really stands out as well. I cannot say enough positive things about this film. Marshall really makes the viewer feel like you are residing in 1929 Japan. The performances (especially Watanabe & Zhang) are outstanding and should be considered at Oscar time. They give real depth and resonance to their fascinating characters. Gong Li turns it a nice performance as Hatsumomo, Sayuri's evil rival....
I have always been fascinated by the Japanese culture and films, and Memoirs of a Geisha taps into that world masterfully. This film should nab Marshall another Oscar nomination nod come next year.
And here is an article which interviews Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, the actor who is playing the role of the Baron. He comments on a scene he filmed with Ziyi. (Thanks to Michelle Yeoh Web Theatre.)
Tagawa's scene with Zhang was itself difficult. It called for Zhang, playing the 14-year-old lead character, to stand still as Tagawa undressed her. But Zhang balked, saying she couldn't imagine herself not fighting back. Director Rob Marshall tweaked the scene to make it more palatable to Zhang, but without turning it into what Tagawa feared — "a rape scene."
The film will be released this winter, in time for Oscar consideration. It's that good, Tagawa said, regardless of the criticism it draws. "It has the feel of an independent art film but with a Hollywood budget," he said. "Cinematically, it's a work of art."
08/05/05
More details on Night Banquet
Here are a few more details on Ziyi's next film Night Banquet, which begins filming in September. From an article in Shenzen Daily
Zhang Ziyi, the most familiar Chinese face with worldwide audiences, will play the leading role of queen; her dominant presence in the movie is regarded as an engine for international box-office success... Rumor has it the queen character in "Night Banquet" has a very weak and sentimental personality — which has fueled public curiosity over how Zhang would handle the portrayal, as she is best-known for her performances as a strong-minded woman...
Hong Kong's Daniel Wu takes the role of prince, which will see him showing off in a lot of kung-fu scenes.... Zhou Xun is named as the prince's lover, a role which is expected to see her dance her socks off. A source with the production's investor expressed great confidence in Zhou, who recently showed she has outstanding dancing skills in "Perhaps Love" a musical by Hong Kong director Peter Chan.
08/04/05
Two more interviews
Two more New York papers have interviewed Ziyi about her upcoming film 2046, which is being released on Friday. From the New York Post comes "Gee whiz, I'm a Superstar"
"At the beginning, I was so nervous because we didn't have a script and I wasn't sure about my part. But I was excited to work with [director Wong Kar Wai]. He's so talented I hoped I could grab something from him. When I watched the movie, I was shocked because I realized I can do such difficult roles" ...
She'll be staying in New York for a month taking an English course in the Empire State Building.
"I have lots of homework to do," she confessed. Zhang said she has no time for hobbies, but if she did, she'd "stay at home and watch movies and eat some snacks and decorate my house with new furniture."
And New York Newsday is "Talking to Ziyi Zhang"
Q: What was it like to work with Wong Kar Wai?
ZZ: I learned a lot from the shooting. It was different, because we didn't have a script, and I would go and have directions for the character, for the scene, and he would give me handwritten pages. At first, I wasn't used to working that way. But later I started to like it. It was unusual, I didn't need to prepare or remember lines.... I learned to use real emotions and real feeling.
Q: Would you spend a long time on each scene?
ZZ: The scene at the restaurant, when she wants to pay for the dinner, we shot, like, three times and each time took about 18 hours. I don't know how many times I cried!
Q: What did you think about your character, who feels for Tony Leung's character but doesn't get anything in return?
ZZ: She is a very independent girl, she is very strong, she shows a couldn't-care-less attitude. She tries to use that to protect herself. But when she falls in love with this guy, she finds her true feelings. Because she is a showgirl, she's used to just playing around. But then she really loses herself.
Finally, here are some lovely pictures taken during Ziyi's stay in New York.
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08/03/05
Princess Raccoon Japanese DVD details
Princess Raccoon will be released on DVD in Japan on October 21. It is a Premium Edition two-disc set priced at 4,935 yen (~$45) and will have an impressive 180 minutes of special features. Unfortunately there are no english subtitles, not even for the movie itself. Here are the details:
Disc 1 - Feature - Princess Raccoon (111 min) Disc 2 - 180 minutes of special features: - 47 minute behind the scenes feature |
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And the case is very beautiful ...
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Princess Raccoon is a Japanese musical and love-story. Zhang Ziyi plays a Tanuki spirit princess who falls in love with a banished prince and together they must overcome many obstacles to realize their love. Sounds typical, until you realize that Ziyi is playing a giant tapdancing raccoon in an operetta that blends musical styles from folk songs to hip-hop. For more details about the movie, see the Princess Raccoon page with trailers, music, pictures, reviews, and more.
08/02/05
Rob Marshall discusses Memoirs of a Geisha
The site Goldderby has a half hour interview with Rob Marshall, director of Memoirs of a Geisha. The first clip is about his previous film Chicago, but halfway through the second clip the questions turn to Memoirs. Marshall talks about the novel, misconceptions about geisha, the casting controversy, Ziyi, and more. Here's are some quotes:
The cast, most of them are making their english language debut, so I have Zhang Ziyi, Gong Li, Kôji Yakusho; I have 8 principals 5 of whom are speaking english for the first time. But what was exciting for me, a real honor for me to be quite honest, is to be presenting these great actors to the American public. People who don't know them. Some people will say "Maybe I saw Gong Li in Raise the Red Lantern, or maybe I saw Zhang Ziyi in Hero, right, or Flying Daggers or Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon." They know but they've never heard her speak english before. So that element was such an honor for me, and wait till you see these great actors doing what they do, it's unbelievable..
Interviewer: It's very stylized...from the snow in the dance scenes to the way you would add haze to some kind of dreamy scenes.
That's very astute. Because it's a hidden world, alot of it's shot though things, as if we're peering into a place we shouldn't be looking. So, there is a sense of that throughout the whole thing. My designers and my cinematographer and I, all from Chicago, ask any of them and it was the challenge of their careers as well.
The great thing about the Japanese for me is that its so aesthetically beautiful, everything, it's important to them, the beauty of things. So that was how we approached every frame of the movie....
To me it's about casting the essence of the role, who's the best for the role. There were so many requirements, the requirements for Sayuri were huge, because I had to find a great actress who is a star, a beauty, could speak english, brilliant dancer, aged 15-40, have that thing where you care and love her, the range was enormous, the emotional range, all those things. It was just obvious that Ziyi was the one.
Because she was a dancer, she was able to... I mean, I wasn't going to hire a real geisha, so anybody even if I had hired a Japanese actor, they would have had to learn to be a geisha. Because Ziyi is a dancer, it was easier to quickly learn all the things you have to, how to walk, how they sit, that kind of thing is very important. She was able to do that brilliantly.
She's very proud of this movie and I would daresay she will be there promoting the movie, speaking english, which she does beautifully now....
What's extraordinary, she always understood everything I said, I never had to use an interpreter to do that. Sometimes she used an interpreter to speak to me on the set because it was something very specific she wanted to clarify with me, but the truth is that now since then, her english has gotten even better, and I don't use an interpreter with her ever now.
Behind Marshall and interviewer Tom O'neil is a large poster with some shots from the film, although they're hard to make out. You can clearly see Gong Li as Hatsumomo, and right below her is a shot of the hut where Chiyo grew up.
Thanks to CrystalGaia of Admiring Gong Li for the news.
08/01/05
"In the Mood for Zhang Ziyi"
[correction: The newspaper was the New York Daily News, not the New York Post.]
The New York Daily News published very good interview with Ziyi Sunday. Titled "In the Mood for Zhang Ziyi", it discusses the rise of her career and talks with her about 2046. Some quotes
"I never think about what could happen in the future, as long as I have one good script. I want every character I play to give me the opportunity to contemplate. I like drama, deep, hard - " she smacks her open palm with her fist - "difficulty."
"Our profession is very lonely. Because you can't have the common human life. You can't be with your love, your friends. I always go around this city for a few days, that city for a few hours. Sometimes, suddenly, I just feel that it's really sad. So I think right now I just can't have any life. Well, a young girl's life."
This is the first interview to appear in the American press since February, when she was in the New York Times Sunday Magazine ("A Star Rises"), but as the hype behind Memoirs of a Geisha heats up expect to see more. You can find many of Ziyi's past interviews on the Interviews and Articles page.
Thanks to Skippy for the news.
07/31/05
Memoirs of a Geisha update
A test screening of Memoirs of a Geisha was held on Thursday in Pasadena, CA. A few who attended gave their impressions on this IMDB forum thread. They report that the audience mostly liked the film and had positive comments afterwards. The film's atmosphere was praised but the character development was said to be shallow. The test screening was labeled a "work in progress" so there will likely be changes before the final release.
Here are a few new promotional pictures [update: added one from Monkeypeaches.]
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Also, the official poster for Memoirs of a Geisha is now available from several sellers on Ebay.
- As a reminder, 2046 opens in New York and Los Angeles next week on August 5th. The LA Times is running a nice interview with director Wong Kar Wai.
07/29/05
New Ziyi Wallpapers
A few nice wallpapers from Wangerlai, 1280x1024 as usual. You can see all the newest Zhang Ziyi wallpapers here.
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07/29/05
Video of Ziyi's HFPA Speech
Here is a two minute-video of Zhang Ziyi speaking in English at the HFPA Luncheon last week. She answers a few questions and gives a speech thanking the HFPA for its donations to FilmAid International. Ziyi at HFPA Luncheon - 4 MB wmv
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Ziyi will be spending the next ~6 weeks in the US, until filming begins for Night Banquet.
07/25/05
Zhang Ziyi attends the HFPA Annual Luncheon
Ziyi attended the annual luncheon of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association on Wednesday, which donated more than $1,000,000 to 27 Film Schools and Non-Profit Organizations. Ziyi along with other celebrities accepted the donation from the HFPA on behalf of FilmAid International.
Here is a gallery with 10 HQ photos. A few are below.
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Thanks to Moses and Bravo for the pics.
07/21/05
Zhang Ziyi's Next Film - The Night Banquet
First rumored a month ago and the subject of intense speculation in China for the past week, it is now officially confirmed that Zhang Ziyi's next film will be The Night Banquet, a loose adaptation of Hamlet by famed Chinese director Feng Xiaogang.
Of the story, Monkeypeaches says "The Night Banquet is set in an empire in chaos. The Emperor, the Empress, the Crown Prince, the Minister and the General all have their own enemies they would like to finish off at a night banquet" and CRI adds "Night Banquet is concerned with the emotion of desire and will portray the uncertainty of fate through fighting, dancing and story telling."
Zhang Ziyi will be playing the Empress. Her costars will be Daniel Wu as "The Crown Prince", Zhou Xun as the Prince's lover, Ge You as The Emperor, and Ma Jingwu as the Minister. The film is expected to have acrobatic fight and dance scenes reminiscent of House of Flying Daggers and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Of Zhou Xun's role it is said she will have an elaborate dance scene and will possibly sing as well. Ziyi is also mentioned as possibly having a dance scene. It isn't clear if any of the actors will have an actual "leading role" or if this will be a true ensemble piece.
Composer Tan Dun and Art Director Tim Yip, both of whom worked on Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, will lend their talents to the film. Famed action choreographer Yuen Wo-Ping, also of Crouching Tiger, will be the film's executive producer.
Reports say that Ziyi was approached with the script while at the Cannes Film Festival. While she was not planning to make any more films this year due to her tight schedule with Memoirs of a Geisha, after she read the script she decided she would accept their invitation to participate in the film.
The film is reported to have a $15 million budget and to begin shooting at the end of September.
07/20/05
New Hero Director's Cut DVD
There is finally a decent version of the Director's Cut of Hero. Edko has released a region 3 coded, single-disc DVD with english subtitles, and without the ugly popup logo that plagued the first Chinese release. Only $11.99 at Sensasian. Just remember it is coded region 3, so make sure you can play it before buying.
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07/20/05
Jasmine Women shown in India
Zhang Ziyi's film Jasmine Women was shown on Tuesday at the 7th Festival of Asian Cinema in New Delhi, India. As far as I know this is the first time it has been shown anywhere since the Hawaii Film Festival last October.
There is still no date for the general release of Jasmine Women in China. The film was first shown at the Shanghai International Film Festival in July of 2004, and Ziyi was named Best Actress at the Golden Rooster Awards for her triple performance playing mother, daughter, and granddaughter in a single family. Wide release was scheduled for February '05, but has been repeatedly pushed back all year, since the producers of Jasmine Women want to have Ziyi available to promote the film. Due to her busy schedule this has not been possible. She will be spending time in China to work on her new film The Night Banquet, and I have seen speculation in the Chinese press that a release may be possible around October, but other reports say it will be pushed back to the 2006 Spring Festival (Chinese New Year), which seems more likely to me.
07/20/05
Memoirs of a Geisha Poster and Wallpapers
Here is a better picture of the official poster for Memoirs of a Geisha, and below are a few Memoirs-themed wallpapers created by Wangerlai, all 1280x1024.
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07/16/05
Roger Erickson Photoshoot
Ziyi did this shoot last year with photographer Roger Erickson, and a couple of the photos were used in premiere issue of Giant Magazine. All the pictures below were retouched by myself, click to enlarge
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07/16/05
Zhang Ziyi on cover of Film Comment
Ziyi is on the cover of Film Comment, the magazine of the Film Society of Lincoln Center. Last month, the Film Society had arranged a special screening of 2046 with director Wong Kar Wai attending in person. Following that up, their magazine has a thoughtful if erratic essay on the film by New York Sun critic Nathan Lee. It assumes some familiarity with the film and with Wong Kar Wai's other work.
After five years in production, dozens of interruptions, numerous cast changes, multiple cinematographers, the reconstruction of a half-million-dollar set, the completion of three major side projects, an eleventh-hour world premiere at Cannes, two radically different edits, a thousand import DVDs, endless rumors, infinite expectations—the phenomenon known as 2046 has finally arrived. What does it all add up to?... Set in early Sixties Hong Kong, In the Mood for Love was the story of a rapturously sublimated romance between Chow and his impossibly beautiful neighbor Su Li Zhen (Maggie Cheung). Muffled by shyness and powerful codes of propriety, their affections detonated as if deep underwater. Mood was an erotic depth charge; 2046 is the pattern made by its aftershocks. |
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There is another interesting though equally pretentious essay about 2046 at Senses of Cinema. I think this passage gets to the heart of the film, tying together the science fiction and romantic strands of the story:
[Director] Wong repeatedly shows characters slowly overcome by the pain of separation or loss of love. Tony Leung's Chow Mo-wan is still haunted by his liaison with Maggie Cheung's Su Li Zhen and his relationships with the various women of 2046 are conducted in the shadow of Chow's previous failed affair. The conceit of delayed reaction extends to the way in which Chow is essentially reacting to this failed affair and how it affects him as a human being. In one of the science-fiction episodes (which is a novel that Chow writes in between affairs), androids assume human feelings through a delayed reaction: as a character explains, “If you affect them and they want to cry, it won't be until tomorrow when the tears start to flow.” In the main narrative itself, all the key characters, with the exception of Chow Mo-wan, shed tears copiously. Time has obviously hardened Chow's emotion, the premise of 2046 being that the more time extends into the future, the more emotion is delayed.
Thanks to Fanqiemeimei and CrystalGaia of Admiring Gong Li for the news.
07/10/05
Ziyi in Paris
Zhang Ziyi was in Paris last week attending a Christian Dior fashion show. While there she was invited to be a judge at the Venice Film Festival, but had to decline due to other commitments. The Chinese press has been speculating that this is due to her working on new film, but I see no reason to assume that. Ziyi has previously said that she has no plans to work on another film until next year. [update: as it turns out, Ziyi changed her plans and will be making Night Banquet later this year.]
Here are some pictures from the fashion show, with thanks to Moses for the HQ pics. There are more in this forum thread.
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07/10/05
All New Galleries
The picture galleries have been completely redone, they are better than ever. Go check them out.
A huge number of great new pictures have become available since HelloZiyi.us opened last year, and the galleries have been updated to reflect that. Many of these great pictures have come from readers, in particular I'd like to thank Moses, Wangerlai, fiziyi, Fanqiemeimei, and Shadow for helping to make these the best Zhang Ziyi galleries anywhere.
If you notice any broken links or have comments, please email me.
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07/08/05
Zhang Ziyi in the Spotlight
Ziyi is in the "Celebrity Spotlight" over at Netscape. They have a very good picture slideshow with mostly new pics, and a challenging trivia game. Go give it a shot. They also link to us here at HelloZiyi.us, which is always nice.
From the page:
After butt-kicking success in "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" and "Rush Hour 2," this kung-fu powerhouse is ready to make her American, English-speaking debut. Ziyi Zhang will star as Sayuri Nitta in the adaptation of the best-selling novel "Memoirs of a Geisha."
Here are a couple pics from their slideshow:
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07/07/05
BBC report on Princess Raccoon
The BBC program "Talking Movies" has a special report on Zhang Ziyi's Japanese musical, Princess Raccoon. It includes a four minute video made at the recent New York Asian Film Festival, where Princess Raccoon was shown last month. Festival organizer Grady Hendrix is interviewed, he's a funny guy and about Ziyi's role he says: "I think she'll gain from this movie, I mean, she plays a giant tap dancing raccoon,but performance-wise she does everything you'd expect. This isn't going to win her an Oscar, she's just there to have fun, it looks like."
From the BBC page:
Every so often a piece of cinema comes along, seemingly out of nowhere, that is quite breathtaking. Such is the case with a Japanese film called 'Princess Raccoon'.... This magical hybrid from top Japanese director Seijun Suzuki is without doubt a hot ticket. Word of mouth on the film has been pretty good. The film's deliberately theatrical and has a very arresting style, displaying a vast range of influences...."To me this is one of the most fun experiences I've had in a movie theatre in a long time."
Grady runs a blog at Kaiju Shakedown that is always a good source of news about Asian cinema. And thanks to the BBC for linking to HelloZiyi.us on their page.
For more information about the movie, see my Princess Raccoon page
07/06/05