Theory of Ambitions / Where the Wind Blows

[yitian]

An English article in "Variety"
https://variety.com/2019/film/news/dadi-where-the-wind-blows-tony-leung-chiu-wai-aaron-kwok-philip-yung-1203245703/
June 17, 2019 4:53PM PT

Hong Kong film director Philip Yung and his cast were in Shanghai on Monday to promote their upcoming film �Where the Wind Blows.� ......

The film, which used to be titled �Theory of Ambitions� in English, stars Hong Kong�s Tony Leung Chiu-Wai, Aaron Kwok, Patrick Tam and Michael Chow and Chinese actress Du Juan. The actors play four notoriously corrupt police officers who rose to power in 1960s Hong Kong, and Du one of their wives. The stylish crime thriller covers a particularly long time span, said Kwok, saying he had to play officer Lui Lok from age 20 up until around 80.

�As a born and bred Hong Konger, this Hong Kong story had a different kind of meaning for me and aroused different kinds of feelings. The colors, the events � I have a deep connection to them, so to act in this sort of Hong Kong tale is meaningful in a different way,� Leung said at a Dadi press conference and gala on the sidelines of the Shanghai International Film Festival.

......

Yung also spoke of his pride in his Hong Kong identity. �I grew up in Hong Kong and like to shoot Hong Kong films� I have a lot of feelings for Hong Kong,� he said, before stating obliquely: �I hope Hong Kong films can be well, and I hope Hong Kong can be well. Many things have happened� but well, I won�t talk about it today.�

......

Leung said he was drawn to the project because he loved Yung�s last film �Port of Call,� but a big challenge was that to do so he�d been ask to accomplish what he imagined would be an �impossible task� � learning to play the piano.

�I have to play in the film � and not just one song, but three. The first two are alright, because they�re classical, but the last one is jazz. It seemed impossible to learn to do it in such a short time. In the end, I asked them to put a piano out for me to practice on wherever we were shooting,� he said. The crew used an old instrument that had the right sound to fit the time period.

Yung laughed that Leung �wanted to kill me,� calling every evening in frustration during the three months he was practicing for up to ten hours a day. Kwok said he �truly admired� Leung�s efforts to learn to play, saying �all that time he spent to get this right really shows his commitment to his job.� When asked why the two hadn�t collaborated together before, he laughed and chalked it up to �fate.�

Du had to learn Cantonese for her role, and Kwok teased her about her proficiency before admitting that eventually �she really held her own� with the dialect.

......

Yung also announced another feature that he will direct, starring actress Yao Chen, who is sometimes referred to as China�s Angelina Jolie. The true life crime drama due in 2020 has a title that that poetically translates as �Osmanthus Flowers Floating Through the Village.�

[img]https://pmcvariety.files.wordpress.com/2019/06/img_0051.jpg?w=1000&h=563&crop=1[/img]

(Well, I can't see this pic ）

[yitian]

Try these pix from http://slide.ent.sina.com.cn

[Safran]

So happy you posted this nice little article with interesting background news....and excellent pics, dear Yitian

[ham]

16/6/2019

[ham]

[img][/img]

[ham]

17/6/2019

[Safran]

Thank you for posting even more of these nice Tony pics, ham

[yitian]

Thanks ham

Videos: thanks to all Tony fans

June16th 2019
Tony all : https://www.bilibili.com/video/av56109333/

June 17th 2019
Tony all :
https://www.bilibili.com/video/av56119178/
https://www.bilibili.com/video/av56053503/

Some videos from media:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yO7KxJs6giU (interview)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t13zyMzhrGg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubBDGRhOJkQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4wmkyUVLenw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IL41QrtWqo0

[yitian]

Here is a story during the 6/17/2019 DaDi Event.
Hugely anticipating the pianist Tony in the movie

Why Tony Leung scolded his director every night for three months
https://entertainment.toggle.sg/en/entertainment/asianbuzz/article/why-tony-leung-scolded-his-director-every-night-for-three-months-11648370

By Toh Zi Yi
Posted:21 Jun 2019 12:26 Updated:21 Jun 2019 12:30

Grievances were aired aplenty during a press conference for upcoming movie, Theory of Ambition, starring Hong Kong actors Aaron Kwok and Tony Leung Chiu-wai.

At the press conference, Tony shared that he had been �given an impossible task� by the film's director, Philip Yung.

As it turns out, as Tony�s character in the movie is particularly skilled at playing the piano, he had to master the piano within three months. In one particular scene, Tony�s character has to play an exceptionally fast song on the piano, which was a very daunting task indeed.

Tony shared that at point, he wanted to give up. However, he eventually decided to practise like mad instead. Whenever he had free time during filming, he would head over to the piano on set to practise. No matter how busy he was, he made sure to fit in at least eight hours of piano practise. Within three months, the actor managed to master the piano, and was able to complete the scene smoothly without any hitches.

Philip also chimed in, adding that while he was editing the scene, he realised that Tony had hit every note perfectly. The scenes were not dubbed over or overlaid with a separate music track, as Tony was able to play all the pieces required whilst filming.

But, during the three-month shoot, Philip shared that Tony had called him every night to scold him for giving him such a demanding task.

�However, he�s thankful now. (Tony) even has a piano at home now, playing the piano has become his hobby,� the Hong Kong director shared.

[Safran]

Tony

Thanks for your effort, yitian (posting the article and numerous up-to-date-links)

[yitian]

Oscars: Hong Kong Submits Crime Thriller ‘Where the Wind Blows’ To International Feature Race...
By Zac Ntim International Reporter September 27, 2022 5:22am
https://deadline.com/2022/09/oscars-hong-kong-submits-where-the-wind-blows-to-international-feature-race-estonia-picks-kalev-1235127693/

Hong Kong has selected the crime thriller Where the Wind Blows as its official submission to this year’s International Feature Oscar race.

Directed by Philip Yung, the film follows four corrupt police officers who rose to power in 1960s Hong Kong played Tony Leung Chiu-Wai, Aaron Kwok, Patrick Tam, and Michael Chow.

With a reported budget of $38m, the crime epic is one of the most expensive Hong Kong films of all time.

The film was set to open the 2021 edition of the Hong Kong International Film Festival, but it was pulled from the lineup shortly before its world premiere with festival organizers citing “technical reasons.”

Vague technical issues have increasingly become a common euphemism for last-ditch censorship efforts by Chinese film regulators. Similar “technical issues” were cited when the Shanghai film festival yanked the Huayi Brothers’ big-budget Chinese war drama The Eight Hundred from its lineup on the eve of the event’s opening night. Where the Wind Blows was re-selected for this year’s Hong Kong International Film Festival and opened the event in August.
......

[Safran]

Great News !
Let's keep our fingers crossed for the movie... and for our dear Tony ! GOOD LUCK !