Wong Kar Wai's Redux

[summertime]

Wong Kar Wai's Redux

2006-11-13 09:05:09 hkfilmart.com

Wong Kar Wai is notorious for tinkering with the editing of his films right until their world premiere, and sometimes even afterwards, as in the case of "2046". Now, Wong has returned to tinker a much older film dating back 12 years.

Wong's sole venture into the Hong Kong genre of martial arts cinema was the obscure "Ashes of Time". He has returned to this film and created a director's cut. Wong hopes that he can bring this film closer to his original vision. 　　

The film, shot by Christopher Doyle, and based on a novel by the legendary Louis Cha, starred Brigitte Lin, Maggie Cheung, Tong Leung Chiu Wai, Tony Leung Ka Fai, Jacky Cheung, Li Bai, Carina Lau, and the late great Leslie Cheung. 　　

The film is set to be released in 2007, after Wong finishes shooting "My Blueberry Nights". The shoot for this film has received high coverage on Internet gossip pages, but is still shrouded in a good deal of mystery. Doyle is not working with Wong on his current film, and the re-release of "Ashes" will be a bittersweet memory for his fans of a golden partnership that many thought would never end. 　　

Cha is one of the most influential modern Chinese authors, and co-founder of the Ming Pao daily. He is regarded as one of the best writers in the wuxia genre, and his novels are now becoming more widely available to Western readers thanks to the work of Graham Earnshaw. Cha also wrote "Return of the Condor Heroes", which has been adapted many times, perhaps most memorably by TVB in the 1980's in the series in which cemented Andy Lau's career. 　　

International sales for the director's cut of "Ashes of Time" will be handled by Fortissimo Films. "Ashes" was the first that the Wong worked on together with Fortissimo. 　　

http://en.chinabroadcast.cn/3086/2006/11/13/60@162011.htm