[2009.09.12] JIA ZHANGKEI CONSIDERS SHANGHAI LEGEND

Famous director Jia Zhangke yesterday held a forum at the Baptist University to talk about his film 24 CITY. Nearly 100 students attended, some came from the Mainland. Director Jia will be a course consultant of the Baptist University film academy.

Director Jia said, before he made 24 he wanted to make a movie called GUNG CHONG DAI MOON (FACTORY MAIN GATE). Although he had enough funding, the screenplay was less than perfect and finally he did not make it. Lately he buried himself into another film SHANGHAI LEGEND (SEUNG HOI JUEN KEI). He expressed that the film will be about Shanghai's changes after 49, thus earlier he interviewed Rebecca Pan (Poon Dik Wa) because she in the 50s came to Hong Kong from Shanghai with her mother. She coordinated with the film subject well.

During a student question and answer segment, a male student asked whether Director Jia was able to quit smoking successfully? The question was awkward for him. He expressed that originally he did but because after work he was too tired, finally he smoked again. His addiction was rather enormous before as he smoked three packs a day. Now he controlled himself to only half a pack. Director Jia expressed that he became addicted when he was young. Now he is trying not to smoke because it has health impact.