Movie Box Review

The Agan directed first Asian 3D fantasy film DON QUIXOTE held its premiere two nights ago. Director Agan attended the premiere and shared the production experience. Actress Karena Lam Ka Yun's junior colleagues Theresa Fu Wing and Annie Liu (Lau Sum Yau) also attended and assisted with the film promotion. Other guests included Cissy Wang, Wang Yuanyuan and others. Fu Wing who sang DON's theme song INVINCIBLE (MO DIK) due to her recovering vocal cord yesterday half "lip synch" her performance. On stage he asked the crew to raise the volume of the music. Fu Wing pointed out that her vocal cord has not recovered. The doctor pointed out that she for now could not sing and had to rest for two or three months before complete recovery. Fu Wing said, "Lately I can't sleep constantly. Because I can't record, the pressure is enormous. I can't sing when I perform on the stage. The company told me to 'lip synch', I don't know to pretend to sing so I can only 'half lip synch'." Fu Wing said that earlier she completed her beach volleyball film. She hoped to be able to work on many different characters. As for elder Lam Ka Yun who just gave birth, Fu Wing said, "Ka Yun should rest more, luckily we have Sum Yau in support."

Lau Sum Yau said that lately she put on more pounds and is working on losing weight. She is also preparing for the marathon in February or March. Sum Yau said that lately she has been very busy. She said about Ka Yun becoming a mother, "I too have fantasized about being Mommy, but I never thought about when to get married and have children because the order can't be rearranged. Although I don't have to get married first, I have to have a boyfriend first." As for Lam Ka Yun bravely giving up work for her baby, Sum Yau said, "I don't feel that's daring, maybe at this moment family and baby to Ka Yun are very important."

Karena Lam Ka Yun's contract with Filmko came to term last year. Reportedly she has decided to retire from show business, has already returned to Canada to be with her parent and would never take another role. Thus she was absent from even the DON QUIXOTE promotion. The film might be her final one. Yet Filmko issued a statement to deny her retirement.

The Filmko management director issued a statement, "Starting at the end of last year, Ka Yun and Filmko switched to an exclusive agent format. The company as in the past will continue to provide a degree of freedom to Ka Yun and respect her. Friends who know Ka Yun should know that she is an artist who loves film passionately but not exposure. Our understanding is if she runs into a film script and work she will continue to accept it. As for her absence from the recent DON QUIXOTE film promotion, Ka Yun has already notified the company early on that she would be traveling and studying."

However, according to those around Lam Ka Yun. She has been studying photography and architecture in Canada and France. She also has become interested in pottery and wanted to switch from show business to development in the art world. Dressed simply and not demanding of a materialistic life, she has never fit in with show business. With her career stalling, she thought about retirement. Last year she even fired the assistant who has been with her for years.

Currently 31, Lam Ka Yun grew up in Canada. At age 15 Taiwan music professional Chang Hung Liang discovered her. She ignored her family's objection, signed a five year contract and went to work in Taiwan alone. In 2001 she switched to work in Hong Kong and signed with Filmko to join the film industry. Her first film was JULY RHAPSODY (NAM YUN SEI SUP) with Jacky Cheung Hok Yau. The film won her Hong Kong Film Award and Golden Horse Award Best Supporting Actor and Best New Actor awards. Since then she has made over 20 films. With INNER SENSES (YI DOH HUNG GAN), FLOATING LANDSCAPE (LUEN JI FUNG GAING), KOMA (GAU MING), HOME SWEET HOME (GWAI MUK) and CLAUSTROPHOBIA (CHUN MUK), she competed for the Hong Kong Film Award for Best Actress five years in a row, but she has never won. Only with CLAUSTROPHOBIA last year she won the third annual Chungmuro International Film Festival Best Actor in Korea.