Why this award-winning Singaporean director took 6 years to finish his 2nd movie
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CNA Lifestyle
Why this laurels-winning Singaporean director took 6 years to end his 2nd film
"I tin't come across myself making a Marvel movie" said Anthony Chen, whose highly anticipated follow-upwards Moisture Season opens the 30th Singapore International Picture show Festival today (November 21).
Singapore film managing director Anthony Chen holds his trophies after winning the Best New Manager and the Best Original Screenplay at the 50th Golden Equus caballus Film Awards in Taipei. (AFP PHOTO/Sam Yeh)
An infrequent debut characteristic picture is key in putting a director on the map, but anybody knows information technology's the second pic that is central in determining whether or non said director is the existent deal or just a i-hitting wonder.
Perfecting the art of the sophomore endeavour is mayhap every aspiring great filmmaker'south biggest challenge and – as proven many times over – non every one succeeds.
Singapore's very own multi-award winner Anthony Chen knows this all also well.
In 2013, Chen made history when he became the get-go Singaporean to not only win the Cannes Film Festival Camera d'Or, but also take habitation four Golden Horse Awards including the coveted Best Picture show with his debut characteristic Ilo Ilo.
The homegrown auteur was then signed on by United Talent Agency (UTA), i of the largest talent agencies in the earth whose clients include A-listers Johnny Depp, Harrison Ford, Anthony Hopkins, Barbra Streisand and Benedict Cumberbatch.
And then how does anyone top such a glorious start? For Chen, it was a second moving picture titled Wet Flavour that took a long just worthwhile half-dozen years to make.
He told CNA Lifestyle he can't await to show everyone the movie.
"It took me three years to write the script and it took me another one year to cast. And so, I won't brainstorm filming until I tin can really empathise the globe I created, along with the tone, emotions and the relationships of every character," he said.
And it most certainly has paid off.
Wet Flavour, which follows the human relationship between a Chinese linguistic communication secondary school teacher (Yeo Yann Yann) who finds solace from her troubles at work and at habitation with her educatee (Koh Jia Ler), has garnered half dozen Gold Equus caballus nominations.
READ: Singapore films Wet Season and A Country Imagined nominated at Golden Horse Awards
The awards, frequently been heralded as the Oscars of Chinese-linguistic communication movie theatre, will be held this Saturday (Nov 23) in Taipei. In addition to the two Best Supporting Histrion nominations, the film also gained nods in the Best Narrative Feature, All-time Director (Chen), Best Original Screenplay (Chen) and Best Leading Actress (Yeo) categories.
Wet Flavor is also the opening film of this year's Singapore International Moving-picture show Festival (SGIFF), on its very special 30th ceremony. The festival will screen the film on Th evening (Nov 21) at Capitol Theatre to a sold-out crowd.
SGIFF's executive director Yuni Hadi told CNA Lifestyle that having Chen'southward sophomore moving-picture show open the festival was the most natural choice.
"Having followed Anthony's career over the years, we are glad to be office of his journeying... We are confident that Wet Season, with its sensitive portrayal of the intricacies between homo relationships, will resonate with the Singapore community and enable more than to witness the growth and talent of our local filmmakers," she said. "As a discovery ground and champion for Singapore motion-picture show, SGIFF is committed to giving a vocalism to our own stories that reveal the texture of life locally."
Only what say Chen to naysayers and critics who volition undoubtedly harp on the fact that it took him this long?
"But information technology ever takes very long," he replied with a laugh. "The writing procedure is very long. I recall almost writer-directors take a long time, which is why at present I'thousand trying to develop a few more projects where I'm non just writing information technology myself.
"I hope it won't exist another six years before my side by side moving-picture show, I'd be in my 40s!" he added.
The London-based Singaporean always knew he wanted to write and direct his second moving picture, even as bigger opportunities to straight big names in big projects came a-knocking.
"Yeah, I knew I wanted to write this. There were other stuff in the UK that I was developing ideas on but somehow this came together. And really, I'm quite pleased that this is the follow-upward motion picture. I remember it's a very nice progression. I retrieve people would see that it makes sense."
What surprised him was the fact that he ended up using the aforementioned two actors – Yeo and Koh – from Ilo Ilo.
"That wasn't the plan!" he revealed. "But you know, I might really go that director, y'all know? There'due south a proficient gamble that I might make a trilogy and I might really bring at least i of them dorsum."
"That'll be a function iii to this," he said. "We'll come across, we'll encounter."
He added, every bit the thought came to his mind: "And if and then, it'll exist called the Growing Up Trilogy. Because we shot Jia Le in a main schoolhouse, and and then in a Secondary School. And so the next 1, he'll be in the army! After all, in real life, he'south going into the ground forces on January 6."
So volition the tertiary picture show be in the same arthouse vein?
To answer that, Chen reveals a conversation he had with his UTA amanuensis after she watched Wet Flavour. "She said, 'It's such a good second film! It's and then mature, it's a step up and it's and so exquisite. But are you lot going to make small films all your life?'" he said with a laugh.
Echoing his agent, we're guessing the meg-dollar question is: "What'south the large film you're going to make?"
"I'm not sure if I would ever make a large commercial film. I tin can't see myself making a Curiosity film. I'thou merely not that sort of filmmaker," he replied thoughtfully. "Merely interestingly, recently, I saw a special screening of Ad Astra and I thought, maybe ane solar day I can make this. It'southward a large film. It costs a lot, it's set in outer space, but it's really such a delicate portrait of a male parent-son relationship. And that'south the near delicate and nuanced performance from Brad Pitt ever. To me, it's similar, it's really an arthouse motion picture you know, it'southward not a commercial film."
READ: Singaporean manager Anthony Chen'due south latest film to premiere at Toronto festival
So would he be able to do a film like The Joker which managed to bring together the indie and blockbuster world in one tidy global box-office juggernaut packet?
"I don't make films that are dark. I don't call up I've got that. I remember there'southward always a lot of warmth and humanity in my work. Will I brand the Joker? I don't think so, not because I don't want to merely I just don't have that sort of darkness, y'all know?"
The 30th SGIFF will run from Nov 21 to Dec 1. The festival'southward full line-up and ticketing details will be announced on October 22. For more data, go to world wide web.sgiff.com.
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