News Links - 8/15/06

[dleedlee]

Digital Old Summer Palace "Yuanmingyuan"


"The Banquet" Promotes in Hong Kong
http://en.chinabroadcast.cn/3086/2006/0 ... 126770.htm

Festival Film: Summer Palace
http://www.theherald.co.uk/features/67853.html

International team to film Nanjing Massacre
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2006 ... 664447.htm
http://www.shanghaidaily.com/art/2006/0 ... ssacre.htm
http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/00 ... 151022.htm

Zhang Yimou and Spielberg Join Hands to Shoot "Journey to the West"
http://en.chinabroadcast.cn/3086/2006/0 ... 126908.htm

"Yuanmingyuan" To Be Screened
http://en.chinabroadcast.cn/3086/2006/0 ... 127072.htm

Isabella's New Album Photo
http://en.chinabroadcast.cn/3086/2006/0 ... 126919.htm

[Brian Thibodeau]

International team to film Nanjing Massacre
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2006 ... 664447.htm
http://www.shanghaidaily.com/art/2006/0 ... ssacre.htm
http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/00 ... 151022.htm

Anybody actually read these stories?

From the China Daily story:

The screen play will be written by a famous American screenwriter William McDorald, who majored in international relationship at the Georgetown University and was good at study of world history.

With his father as a soldier in the Second World War, William McDorald had read a great amount of historical materials and datas and books, particularly that written by Iris Chang, on the Nanjing Massacre before he visited the Massacre museum in the city in March this year.

Famous American screenwriter William McDonald? ROME is a good series and all, but the writers of the article seem to find more justification in his hire because his father was in the war, he read a bunch of history books, and he visited the Nanjing Memorial. And that makes him more qualified than a Chinese screenwriter how exactly?


From the Shanghai Daily report

"We hope we can make the film a World War II classic just like 'Schindler's List,"' said American producer Gerald Green

"From the producer of TINTORERA: TIGER SHARK comes the story of a people torn apart by war... ... ... " OK, the guy has some OK credits, but nothing to suggest that this won't go straight to video or television, which this story definitely doesn't deserve. But hey, you never know!

"This film will be epic in scope but also an intimate portrait of two women - one, a mother of a traditional Chinese family and the other, a real historical figure, the heroic American educator Minnie Vautrin,"

What, the Chinese lady will be made up? Apparently, they just had to find a caucasian angle before they could get this movie made? I'm sure Ms. Vautrin did wonderful things, and she's probably worthy of a movie of her own, but does this tale need a "white saviour" character to bring it on home?

Why does this smell like a TV miniseries?
[/i]

[dleedlee]

Yeah, I didn't recognize the writer's name either or Viridian.

and was good at study of world history

Here's the key paragraph:

The American investor, Green's Hollywood entertainment firm Viridian, will put US$20 million into the project. The Chinese partner will contribute 50 million yuan (US$6.25 million), and the British investor, who was not named, will put up US$2 million.

That means the story will focus on an American who falls in love with a Chinese woman but tragically loses her in the turmoil, then reminisces over a cup of Earl Grey.

[bkasten]

International team to film Nanjing Massacre
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2006 ... 664447.htm
http://www.shanghaidaily.com/art/2006/0 ... ssacre.htm
http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/00 ... 151022.htm

Anybody actually read these stories?

From the China Daily story:

The screen play will be written by a famous American screenwriter William McDorald, who majored in international relationship at the Georgetown University and was good at study of world history.

With his father as a soldier in the Second World War, William McDorald had read a great amount of historical materials and datas and books, particularly that written by Iris Chang, on the Nanjing Massacre before he visited the Massacre museum in the city in March this year.

Famous American screenwriter William McDonald? ROME is a good series and all, but the writers of the article seem to find more justification in his hire because his father was in the war, he read a bunch of history books, and he visited the Nanjing Memorial. And that makes him more qualified than a Chinese screenwriter how exactly?

Yes, I read all of the articles posted by Dennis, every day. Yeoman work, indeed, Dennis!

I agree with you, Brian.

But to digress a bit...

The atrocities committed in Nanjing by the Imperial Japanese rank among the most appalling events in human history...and are relatively little known in the 'west'--largely because they were ignored at the time. Only when the event became useful for Anglo/Aliied propaganda in WW2, did it begin to be somewhat known.

I also, for personal reasons, have very strong feelings about this matter. I have met, and personally know actual survivors, and have attended various events observing this tragedy.

I want this event to NEVER be forgotten.

So, anything that sheds more light on the subject cannot be a bad thing.

Interestingly, just as there are neo-nazi anti-semitic types in the U.S. and Europe that deny the atrocoites committed against the Jews in Europe in WW2, there are also Nanjing deniers in Japan.

[Brian Thibodeau]

I fully agree that a proper movie needs to be made on this subject, and one that achieves some measure of international distribution rather than another emotionless, MAN BEHIND THE SUN-style catalogue of the many ways in which non-descript Chinese people could be ripped apart, but in this day and age, I can't see why this shouldn't be told predominantly, if not entirely, from the Chinese perspective, by Chinese writers, directors, producers. Foreign investment would still be a necessity no doubt, but a foreign writer? Seems odd to me, but obviously I'm jumping the gun before the movie's even started shooting... As long as the tale gets told, that's the main thing. And if that required a bit of Hollywood expertise, than who am I to complain?

As such, I suppose this has potential, and I think these folks have their hearts in the right place when they hope to make another SCHINDLER'S LIST, but with a DUDE, WHERE'S MY CAR? budget (barely $30 million from an international consortium using using a sizeable American [unionized?]/Chinese production company, I just can't imagine what kind of scope they'll be able to give the project. Then again, if it does turn out to be a predominantly Chinese production, mostly shot in China, that money might stretch further.

That means the story will focus on an American who falls in love with a Chinese woman but tragically loses her in the turmoil, then reminisces over a cup of Earl Grey.

Bingo. "This fall...The Weinstein Company invites you to share the joy... the sorrow...the heartbreak...all over again..."