[2011.01.13] JOHNNIE TO FIRMLY DENIES PLAGIARISM

Johnnie To Kei Fung two nights ago attended the Israel Film Festival 2011 opening ceremony party with the Israeli Hong Kong consulate General Amikam Levy, the Secretary for commerce and Economic Development Mrs. Rita Lau Ng Wai Lan and Lau Siu Ming. Recently the To Kei Fung directed new film DON'T GO BREAKING MY HEART (DAN SUN NAM NUI) was accused of copying an Australian independent short film. Ah To said, "If you say it's copied then it's copied." He honestly said that he knew about and saw the film. He felt that now people would find similarities in anything, he did not feel it was a big deal. He said that while he created DON'T GO BREAKING MY HEART, he already knew about that short film. After completing the script someone once asked him why it was so similar. He felt that filmmaking was like that, for example gun fights were always pointing back and forth in the same way. He said, "He has the world he comes up with, I have mine. If you ask me of course they aren't similar. I don't need to copy someone else's stuff."

Ah To said that earlier he was working on LIFE WITHOUT PRINCIPLE (DUET MING GUM), which will wrap up soon. Then he will work on the Louis Koo Tin Lok and Sammi Cheng Sau Man starred new film, which he planned to shoot on location in Shangri-La, 40 kilometers above the sea level. He pointed out that Goo Jai and Sammi back then worked on LOVE FOR ALL

SEASONS (BAK NIN HO HUP) in Emei, so he was not worried about Sammi's physical condition. Instead he would be more concerned with Goo Jai because he has not been in great health lately. He was afraid that his leg injury would keep him from getting there. He also said that the team will stay one day at 2 kilometer above the sea level for everyone to adjust to the environment before going higher to shoot.