The Chinese romantic epic The Knot (Yun Shui
Yao) premiered in Beijing today. The director said hopes were
high that the movie would win audiences' hearts in this cold winter
season.
This movie is co-presented by China Film Group Corporation, Hong
Kong's Emperor Classic Films Company Ltd. , Taiwan's Long Shong
Entertainment Multimedia Co.,Ltd. and CCTV's Movie Channel. It is
directed by Yin Li, who was famed by making several TV series and
movies, including Zhang Side which recently swept the best
film, best director and best leading actor awards at China's
leading Hundred Flowers Awards weeks ago.
The story of a pair of lovers separated by the Taiwan Straits in
the 1940s is a co-production between filmmakers from the mainland,
Hong Kong and Taiwan.
Two mainland rising stars, Chen Kun and Li Bingbing, have
leading roles in the movie alongside famous names such as Vivian
Hsu, Chang Gua Ahleh, Isabella Leong, Yang Kuei Mei and Chin Han
from Taiwan.
The movie was shot across China, including Tibet which the director and actors said was
the hardest and most challenging part for them, Fujian, Beijing, Shanghai, and Hong Kong.
The plot is based on Taiwan's Zhang Kehui, the movie's original
script writer, and some of his Taiwan friends' true stories. Zhang,
born in 1928 in Taiwan's Penghua, is also the vice chairman of the
national committee of CPPCC and chairman of central committee of
Taiwan Democratic Self-government League.
To reproduce the 1940's Taiwan, the crew asked for experts'
ideas and advices on the local customs of Taiwan and chose the
Antic Street of Zhangzhou of Fujian as the principal location,
because this street has retained part of the Taiwan local
customs and flavor. It is also the first Chinese movie to
fully use digital intermedia to complete its post-production,
generating ideal effects for the local street conditions.
"The story is very touching," director Yin Li said. "Nowadays
love is like fast-food. But I hope this movie can remind people
what love really is and move those audiences who have their own
love stories to cherish true love."
The movie is scheduled to hit Chinese cinemas on December 1.
According to the movie company, this movie will send 500 copies
to cover cinemas in China, just a little shy of Zhang Yimou's
much-anticipated Curse of the Golden Flowers. Several
previous testing screenings collected the audience's cheers and
tears.
(China.org.cn by staff reporter Zhang Rui, November 27,
2006)