“Restrepo” director among civilians killed in Libya

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http://sg.news.yahoo.com/restrepo-director-killed-libya-doctors-193528315.html

(Reuters) – Fighting in Libya’s besieged rebel city of Misrata killed at least 10 civilians including an Oscar-nominated British filmmaker, and NATO urged non-combatants to avoid troops so it could step up air strikes.

Among the dead were British photojournalist Tim Hetherington, co-director of Oscar-nominated war documentary “Restrepo”, and American photographer Chris Hondros, killed when a group they were in came under mortar fire.

Seven Libyan civilians and a Ukrainian doctor were also killed during fierce fighting in Libya’s third largest city, medics said.

France promised the insurgents on Wednesday it would intensify air strikes on Libyan government forces and dispatch military liaison officers, echoing a move by Britain, to help organise poorly trained insurgents.

Rebels said they were battling for control of a major road in Misrata, a port of 300,000 people and the insurgents’ last bastion in the west of the country, where civil war ignited in February over demands for an end to Gaddafi’s 41-year rule.

Around 120 people were wounded, including the wife of the Ukrainian doctor who lost both of her legs, according to Khalid Abufalgha, a doctor on the Misrata medical committee that tracks civilian casualties.

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Experimental director soars again

By Chu Meng

Experimental-theater director Wang Chong will present the China premiere of Hamletmachine, the most popular postmodern work of the 1970s, at the 2010 Youth Theater Festival next Tuesday.

The highlight of his latest work, Wang says, is the interpretation of the spirit of a surrealist Western drama through Peking Opera.

“I am directing a performance that explores the physicality of Peking Opera in a postmodern way,” the 28-year-old Beijing native said during his troupe’s final rehearsal at Fengchao Theater last Friday. “Both of my actors are Peking Opera performers, who are contributing something new to experimental theater.”

Thanks to his English skills, Wang himself translated most of the original script, written in 1977 by Germany’s Heiner Müller, described as “20th century theater’s greatest living poet.”

The drama, loosely based on Shakespeare’s Hamlet, does not possess a conventional plot. The story is tied together through sequences of monologues, where Hamlet steps out of his role and reflects on being an actor.

Though difficult to understand and even harder to interpret into contemporary theater, Wang chose to take on one of Müller’s “enigmatic, fragmentary piece” as it resonated with him.

Besides, Wang says, translation is never word-to-word replacement; rather, it is reproduction. “As an experimental-theater director, original scripts for me are just words,” Wang says. “They are only platforms from which to launch myself. I can fly high and wild, with great flexibility and in different forms … and since no other person knows me better than myself, I enjoy doing (the translations) myself.”

Wang is acknowledged as one of the most prolific artists of contemporary Chinese theater. His company Théatre du Rêve Expérimental, established in 2008, has staged the Chinese versions of plays such as Sara Kane’s Crave, Peter Handke’s Self-Accusation and the mainland premiere of Eve Ensler’s The Vagina Monologues.

Wang’s e-Station, which debuted at the 2008 Beijing Fringe Festival, toured North America last summer, making Théatre du Rêve Expérimental the youngest Chinese theater group to tour internationally.

Hamletmachine
Where: Fengchao Theater, 200 meters east of Oriental Ginza, 12 Shizipo, Dongzhimen Wai Dajie, Dongcheng District
When: September 14-15, 7:30 pm
Admission:120 yuan, 80 yuan
Tel: 8836 8265

Director John Woo to head Shanghai film fest jury

(AFP) – – Hong Kong filmmaker John Woo will head the jury at next month’s Shanghai International Film Festival, one of the largest in Asia, organisers said Wednesday.

The nine-day festival, which runs from June 12 to June 20, will feature both local and international films. Details on those selected to compete for the Golden Goblet were not yet available.

Woo, 54, was born in southern China and raised in Hong Kong, where he made his name as a director before moving to work in Hollywood and directing a number of action hits including “Mission: Impossible II” and “Face/Off.”

Woo’s last two Chinese projects, “Red Cliff” and “Red Cliff 2″, smashed mainland box office records by taking in more than 600 million yuan (90 million dollars).

The Shanghai festival will feature a retrospective of films by US director Woody Allen, organisers said.

Last year’s Shanghai jury was headed by Danny Boyle, the Oscar-winning director of “Slumdog Millionaire”. Hong Kong director Wong Kar-wai, best known for “In the Mood for Love” starring Maggie Cheung, presided in 2008.

http://sg.news.yahoo.com/afp/20100512/tap-entertainment-china-film-festival-sh-8d4ea94.html

All about reality – Zhang Yuan and his movies

By Wang Yu

Who is Zhang Yuan?

Different people have different ideas.

He has been written into Chinese film lore as an icon among “sixth generation” directors who have bui their reputations underground. On the other hand, some think he is “over-commercialized” because he has made suspense films, music videos and even advertisements.

All his works show the cruel aspects of the world while stopping just short of their emotional peaks. Regular moviegoers may not be used to his style; to most of them, Zhang is known only as the director who was caught last year taking drugs at home. In addition, he is much more famous outside this country.

“My films recreate the reality of this country from the underground to the surface,” the director says. “I hope more of a native audience will see reality throuthese stories.”

Zhang Yuan is sitting on the sofa in a Thai restaurant just inside his residential community. Dada’s ance, his 16th film, has just opened in local cinemas and the director is busy accepting promotional interviews. His signature hairstyle is still the up-do, and instead of coffee or soft drinks he orders a whiskey. It is four o’clock in the afternoon.