| Username |
Post |
| Biswo |
Posted
on 25-Sep-00 06:46 PM
Movies and from China? You will probably feel
that I am prescribing a bad medicine.But over
some years,they are making really good movies.
I understand Chinese very well, so probably I
am in better position to relish them than
some of our readers.But even if you get some
movies with English subscript,try to watch that.
The director I recommend from China is, surely, the great Zhang Yimou. I had an
opportunity to listen to him in 1999 in
Shanghai when he was there for the release
of his most recent movie.(Sadly I forgot the
name of that movie.Though I remember the song
of that movie that was very famous in China
that time.)Yimou is a patient,studious
director who directed movies like "To Live"
and critically acclaimed "Hong Gaoliang"(I am
so sad I don't know the English name of that
movie).Yimou reads the best novels of Chinese
literature which are devoid of communist
propoganda and tries to be objective and
honest in his portray of the characters.
The actor he introduced to us, and his former
wife, Gong Li, is also one of the most
important persona to mention here.A fixture
as judge in Cannes Film Festival,Gong Li was
the only Asian actor to feature in Time
magazine's list of twenty top actors of this
century.Time magazine reporter once said that
Americans should learn Chinese so that they
can understand her movies(she reportedly
turned down Hollywood offers.)Her good movies
includes "the temtous moon" and "To Live".
Chen Kaige is also a good director to
mention. I have found that we know a lot
about Chinese society if we watch those
movies.I am a great fan of both Gong Li and
Zhang Yimou.If we can appreciate Italian
"life is beautiful", we can't we love the
Chinese stuffs!!
But when you watch Chinese Movies,be sure
you are not watching the propoganda movies.
The only propoganda movie (I mean state
funded) I liked was "Red River Valley"("Hong
He Gu" in Chinese which was shot in Tibet).
Biswo.
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| ashu |
Posted
on 25-Sep-00 09:52 PM
Biswo-ji,
A friend of ours Anup Subedi is an
expert on Chinese movies. He's getting
some Chinese movies from a friend in
Banepa for the Kathmandu Film Club.
So, rest assured that the KFC will play good Chinese movies from time to time.
You are right: Chinese movies, i.e. those
made in the Mainland as well as in
Hong Kong, have become all the rage
in international film festivals these
days. Ang Lee has become a big director
in the US.
Some of my favorite Chinese movies
include:
"Raise the Red Lantern"
"Xu Dou" (sp?)
Ang Lee's "Man Woman Eat Drink".
"Chung King Express"
"Farewell, My Concubine"
"Red River Valley"
And so on . . .
If you can recommend more such excellent Chinese movies as well as possibly tell us
where to get them in Nepal or elsewhere,
that would be great.
Good to know that you too appreciate
good movies.
oohi
ashu
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| Biswo |
Posted
on 25-Sep-00 11:53 PM
Ashuji:
Oh,how come I forgot those famous movies like
Chung King Express, Farewell my Concubine and
,wasn't it really, Xu Dou? And it was also
great oversight in my part to forget Ang Lee.
I know there are couple of Chinese directors
that I am trying to remember but unavailingly
rightnow and all the day,which hopefully we
can find out if we sit down and earnestly
look for.
I really don't know where those movies can
be found in Nepal.I know some guys in Arniko
Society who have strong ties to China (family
or acadamic),Sudhir Timsina and Kedar
Shrestha,but I am no longer in contact with
them.Kedar was in executive committee last
year,but I am not sure about that also.
Actually,I have found the ambassador and all
embassy officials of the People's Republic
of China more than eager to help any
Nepalese citizen who approach them with
reasonable cause.The only problem is that
they may not be able to provide with the
movies that matters most to us:the rebellion
movies with provocative themes and artistic
appeal.As of everywhere,the state doesn't
sanction those movies in China also,I mean
movies like "The temptous moon" etc.(The
reason is generally sex and violence rather
than political content of those movies,I am
sure.)But still,you can try the cultural
attache or the ambassador directly for those
movies.
The latest funny thing is : pirated VCDs have
been rampant in China thesedays.And there is
Shanghai-KTM flight twice a week.For your
information,there are a lot of Nepalese out
there in Shanghai, and RNAC has station
manager (Mr Khadka, a nice person) there.If
you know of some pilot operating in that
sector,you can directly get 1 movie VCD for
a dollar.(If not properly checked,you could
end up with horrible VCD though.)As a
computer science student,I shouldnot be
advising you about that shady part of
business,but,ok,just take it as information .
Good Luck.Good wishes to KFC(This name sounds
little bit chicken from Kentucky..).Looking
for joining you guys in future:
Biswo.
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| ashu |
Posted
on 26-Sep-00 01:11 PM
Biswo-ji,
We have changed the name of the Kathmandu Film Club to The Kathmandu Film
Archives.
This KFA will not only show good movies from around the world twice every month
in Kathmandu, but will also, as time goes on, promote film-related festivals, discussions,
write-ups and collections.
This KFA is now a regular joint-venture activity between the GAA
and the Martin Chautari, and will benefit from the impressive brains that are at work
at both places.
Special thanks to Mahendra "Honda" Shakya, the president of the GAA and GBNC's
former president, and architect Biresh Shah (who's a great conversationalist when
it comes discussing world cinema) and other friends for their support in getting this idea off the ground.
My interest is in taking an old idea of starting a Film Club, then attracting, motivating and retaining
top-notch Nepalis (who can either older or younger) who can help build the KFA into a viable institution of its own.
This is important because I know of two previous attempts by some of my friends at
starting Film Societies that sadly ended up failing in Kathmandu.
So, the focus now is on building up the institution first. After all, people like me can come and go and therefore should
be dispensable after some time. But it's the institution, the KFA, that must go on -- like The Kathmandu Post Review of Books -- continuing, in coming months and years, to be much better than what I started with.
Thanks for the info on the the Arniko Society and the RNAC ko Sanghaii connection.
We will contact them to look into the possibility of getting good Chinese films.
On another note, don't you think that MICHELLE YEOH (the Chinese Bond girl who is
also in John Woo's latest "Hidden Dragon; Crouching Tiger" or did I get that title
backward?) and GONG LI are two of the most luminously beautiful stars on the
planet? :-)
Meantime, may I recommend Spanish director Pedro Almodovar's movies to
you?
Such as:
Live flesh;
Women on the Verge of Nervous Breakdown;
Tie me up, tie me down;
All about my mother,
and so on . . .
oohi
ashu
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| Biswo |
Posted
on 26-Sep-00 03:33 PM
Really good decision:that you guys changed
the movie club name from becoming chicken
house.The idea that everything should be
institutionalized is most welcome.I wish
we had same creed in all Nepalese
institutions so that we feel assured of
everything.Don't want to drag politics in
this article,but it is analogical to compare
present Congress leadership for what happens
when you don't bring new people to leadership.
Sadly,we diverged on one thing:the Malayasia
born Michelle Yeoh is good,but I never
thought her in par with Gong Li.I am equally
smitten by the pulchritude,the riveting
demeanor, the gait and the posture of Gong Li
who has got quintessence of oriental girl
in her.
Some of the movies that now I feel compelled
to recommend here.All are directed by Zhang
Yimou and starring (except Keep Cool) Gong Li:
1.Red Sorghum(Hong Gaoliang):I forgot this
english name in my last posting.
2.Ju Dou(Duel):It is not Xu dou,but Ju Dou.
Ju Dou was nominated for Oscar.
3.Raise the red lantern:nominated for oscar.
4.The story of Qiu Ju
5.To Live: Winner of grand Jury prize in Cannes.
6.Shanghai Triad:Cannes official selection
7.Keep Cool:A really really nice funny movie.
Besides you can see old "Two stage sisters"
of Xie Jin, and The Yellow Earth by Chen
Kaige. I am sure you guys will relish them.
Pedro Almodovar? Is he the same guy who won
Oscar this year? Frankly,I don't remember
watching any Spanish Movie.(Never thought
they make good movies!!)I will.Blockbuster
/Premiere video here only house award winning
foreign movies, so it is not very easy to
find all the movies you recommended.
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