The Banquet
Mei Lanfang - 2008
Coming December 2008
Filming of Zhang Ziyi's next film, Mei Lanfang, began in Beijing on July 14. It is a $15 million project under famed Chinese director Chen Kaige ("Farewell My Concubine" and "The Emperor and the Assassin".) It will chronicle the life of the famous star of Peking opera Mei Lanfang. .
Ziyi Films thread: Mei Lanfang
News portals: Sina - Tom - Sohu
Director Chen Kaige
Profile - Wikipedia
"One of the most prominent and accomplished of the post-"Cultural Revolution" Chinese directors...Chen's films are renowned both for their emotional delicacy and their lavish spectacle, using an extensive palette of color and state-of-the-art film technology."
"The majority of his films constitute an intelligent and powerfully felt meditation on recent Chinese history, within which, for him, the Cultural Revolution remains a defining moment. "It made," he has said, "cultural hooligans of us." He has a reputation within China as a philosophical director, and his style is indeed marked by a laconic handling of narrative and a classical reticence. This is largely deceptive: underneath is an unyielding anger and unflinching integrity."
On Ziyi's role
http://www.monkeypeaches.com/0704M.html#19B
quote:
Zhang‘s character Meng Xiaodong (1907 - 1977) was another Peking opera artist, always played bearded men. In 1925, Shanghai-born 18 year-old Meng Xiaodong met Mei for the first time while performing on stage together during a minister's birthday part in Beijing. Over a year later, she married Mei and became his third wife. They had a daughter together just before their marriage ended in 1931. They had never spoken to each other again.
Chen raises curtain on 'Mei Lan Fang'
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr...0682b2cd42278ca
quote:
BEIJING -- Chen Kaige on Thursday celebrated the start of photography on "Mei Lan Fang," his $15 million cinematic biography of China's most famous male opera star, played by Hong Kong pop music idol Leon Lai, who stars opposite mainland star Zhang Ziyi.
After an acrobatic Peking Opera intro on a replica period stage at the Beijing Film Studios, Chen, who last touched on the opera tradition in 1993's "Farewell My Concubine," offered thanks for the support of a who's-who of Chinese and overseas media company executives gathered.
Asked why the tale of Mei (1894-1961), who kept Peking Opera alive through Japan's occupation of China and the Communists' rise to power, is important today, Chen said, "Because of his character, nothing more. You will have your answer once the film is made."
Mei is well known for having stood up to the Japanese occupiers who liked his art but for whom he is said to have refused to perform. This year marks the 70th anniversary of Japan's worst atrocities in China, known as the rape of Nanjing, when as many as 300,000 Chinese civilians were killed by the Japanese army....
Zhang Ziyi, Leon Lai prepare for new movie
http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnu...00707210321.htm
quote:
Zhang Ziyi plays opera performer Meng Xiaodong. She is currently learning the intricacies of Peking Opera from two teachers, and found walking in platform shoes was her greatest challenge.
``I don't know anything about Peking Opera, so I have to start from scratch,'' she said. ``The hardest thing is walking, wearing these really tall boots ... I practiced that for a very long time.''
Cast
Ziyi has worked with several of the cast members before including Sun Honglei (of The Road Home), Feng Yuanzheng (Xie Ming in Purple Butterfly) and Chen Daoming (the Emperor in Hero)
Cast includes:
Leon Lai (lots of HK films including "Seven Swords")
Chen Hong (Chen Kaige's wife, "The Promise")
Chen Daoming ("Hero")
Sun Honglei ("The Road Home")
Feng Yuanzheng ("Purple Butterfly")
Ando Masanobu (Kazuo Kiriyama in "Battle Royale")
Gillian Chung
Production design is by William Chang, who has won many awards, especially for his work on Wong Kar Wai's films (including 2046 and In The Mood For Love.)
Photos of Ziyi's character Meng Xiaodong
Historical Videos of Mei Lanfang himself
"Farewell my concubine" (1956) Sword dance
Mei Lanfang's hand gestures
Scene from "Peony Pavilion"
Mei Lanfang's hidden book of historical drama images - best audio
Zhang Ziyi at the July 19 Press Conference
http://www.ziyifilms.com/zboard/sho...=&threadid=3259
08/04/07