The Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg and its counterpart in Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Film Development Council invited ten Hong Kong directors during the Berlinale for an exchange.
The Hong Kong contingent and Medienboard Berlin Brandenburg's Teresa Hoefert de Turégano and Christiane Raab
The Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg had actually invested in my film The Drummer through my producer, Twenty Twenty, in Germany. They are an important film funding entity for films throughout the world.
They had arranged a tour for us at the Studio Babelsberg where such classics as Metropolis, the Marlene Dietrich films, and modern classics like Polanskis The Pianist, Ghost Writer, and Tarantinos Inglorious Basterds were made.
Marlene Dietrich and Brad Pitt
Alfred Hitchcock made films in Studio Babelsberg and learnt about German Expressionist cinema there
Derek Tsang, Saville and Adam Wong in the prop shop
Adam Wong, Saville, Derek Tsang and Clement Chang looking at a piece of the Berlin wall
This backlot was built in the 80s. They change the façade to accommodate the film. Polanski shot The Pianist and Kevin Spacey shot Beyond the Sea here.
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Quentin Tarantino shot Shosannas, played by Mélanie Laurent, cinema exterior of Inglorious Basterds at the end of the street on the left
And a street in the huge studio is dedicated to him
We also visited the Holocaust museum
Mélanie Laurents new film was selling at the European film Market.
The Girls of GIRL$ handed out gifts and "gratitude" tickets at Langham Place cinemas at 9pm tonight (9 September, 10) as the film is gathering momentum...
Despite being shown on only 11 screens across Hong Kong, the local audience is claiming GIRL$ as their “Hong Kong” film. It was my intention to make a film about Hong Kong for Hong Kong people. I always believed it would work because there aren't any fake romance or fake love in this film like in most co-production hybrid films we see today. The audience has been starved of anything genuine from their real lives for a long time.
I hope they keep coming out to enjoy GIRL$ as it heads towards the second week which is beating films that have more than double the number of cinemas GIRL$ has.
“A DARING and BOLD HONG KONG FILM” Hong Kong Film Magazine
“A look at Hong Kong's modern social issues” Ming Pao Daily
“Solid performances from the four actresses" Sing Tao Daily
"New generation of neo-realism, especially in the depiction of sexual encounters on the internet." Local preeminent film critic Shek Kei from Ming Pao daily
"Documentary style - realistic" Apple Daily
"It's been a long time a Hong Kong film has stayed so true to Hong Kong." New Monday
GIRL$ is attracting a lot of audiences and critics.
“New generation of neo-realism, especially in the depiction of sexual encounters on the internet.” Local preeminent film critic Shek Kei (Ming Pao daily)
“Documentary style — realistic” Apple Daily
“It's been a long time a Hong Kong film has stayed so true to Hong Kong.” New Monday
I think it's a brilliant idea to show such empowered girls. I think society itself struggles to understand girls who go into paid dating and its kin so they try to make it out that every girl is forced into it some way or another as they don't want to face the facts that many of the girls are just having fun,find it easy and getting paid to do so. I'm really pleased to see such a subject as paid dating being treated in a completely different manner.
Not to worry Kenneth, I will have more time next trip I hope. It went especially well on that day of shoot. Very impressive how much you put into 3 minutes. I will have to try my hand at that someday.
Hey Kenneth, didn't get you this trip but I'll catch you next time I'm in HK or let me know if you come to Beijing.
I loved the idea for your 3 minute, so many set ups, how long did it take you to shoot?
Looking forward to seeing girl$ as well.
I have some old 7inch vinyl of your mom. I have scanned the images into my blog in AnD. Please have a look and see if you would like to have them. These are just a small portion there are more, I have to dig into my collection. I have so many that I would like to find the right person to send to. Please let me know.
Feature film Writer/Director. Studied theatre in Canada. Have acted, written, art directed, composed music in film, TVC and music video. Nominated for Best Original Music for Fruit Chan’s Longest Summer. Won Oustanding Screenplay award for Rice Rhapsody in 1999 in Taiwan and most recently won Best New Director at the Hong Kong Film Awards in 2006.