Page 30 - ATD29NOV2016

A30 PEOPLE & ARTS
Tuesday 29 November 2016
28-year-old becomes 17 again in Zhang Mo’s directorial debut

LOUISE WATT Yimou, Zhang said return-
Associated Press ing to China after years of
BEIJING (AP) — Differing study in the United States
Chinese and Western ex- felt like “a reverse culture
pectations over marriage shock.” Then 26 and view-
provided the inspiration ing a life full of possibilities,
for Zhang Mo’s directorial Zhang was startled that
debut, “Suddenly Seven- people thought she should
teen,” which she says is already be married and
about encouraging young planning a family.
women to “explore a little “Women in the West, by
further” before they settle the age of 28 ... they still
down. feel like they’re still young,
The daughter of Chinese they still want to pursue
cinematic great Zhang their career maybe, and

In this Nov. 16, 2016 photo, Chinese director Zhang Mo smiles during an interview at her office in
Beijing. Zhang, the daughter of Chinese cinematic great Zhang Yimou, releases her directorial
debut on Dec. 2, 2016.
Associated Press

(find) out who they are, but want to express emotions, “People immediately
in China it’s almost like the so I decided maybe ar- (think) you must have way
opposite,” said Zhang, now chitecture wasn’t the best more resources, and you
33 and married to an Amer- choice for me.” can have way more short-
ican who works for the Hol- After studying filmmaking cuts, but actually it’s not
lywood agency represent- at New York University’s true. If anything it’s the op-
ing her. Tisch School of the Arts, posite because the fam-
Set for release next month, she returned to China to ily aspect casts such a big
“Suddenly Seventeen” is work as an editor on four of shadow, you have to be
based on a novel pub- her father’s films, including extra creative, or working
lished on the internet. It’s “The Flowers of War” star- extra hard, to gain the au-
part of a hugely popular ring Christian Bale. dience’s approval.”
genre among young Chi- “It’s really a privilege, be- Despite basing her direc-
nese that focuses mainly on cause editing’s really the torial debut on an inter-
fantasy and romance tales best way to learn how to net novel, Zhang says that
and has spawned movies become a director,” Zhang movie genre may have
and web series. said. already peaked, with au-
In Zhang’s film, the 28-year- “Whatever he shot I saw, diences now looking for
old protagonist, Liang Xia, and I made that into a sto- fresher and more personal
played by Ni Ni, is unhappy ry, and so through that pro- stories rather than some-
in love and eats a magical cess you really learn how thing that has amassed a
chocolate that wipes her to cut the movie, how to huge online fan base.
memory and turns her back tell the story, or even how “I think original content
into a 17-year-old. Zhang to shoot the film to make it right now is the key for the
says she seized on the short great.” future of Chinese filmmak-
novel’s premise and char- Emerging as part of the Chi- ing, to tout original stories,
acters, but rather than nese post-Cultural Revolu- not something (remade),
keeping Liang at 17, her tion avant-garde, Zhang not some internet novel,”
heroine flips back and forth Yimou gained international she said.
in age every five hours, cre- acclaim in the 1980s for “Suddenly Seventeen,”
ating conflict and drama. art films such as “Red Sor- whose Chinese title trans-
After moving to the U.S. at ghum” before turning to lates as “28-year-old Mi-
15, Zhang studied archi- more commercial fare. His nor,” will be widely released
tecture at university but felt first English-language mov- in China and given a lim-
stifled by an internship at a ie, “The Great Wall” starring ited release in cinemas in
New York firm. “Everyone Matt Damon, comes out the U.S., Canada, U.K., Aus-
was in a box ... because next year. tralia and New Zealand on
they don’t want to steal Being the offspring of a fa- Dec. 2. It will be released
each other’s ideas,” she mous director isn’t always later in the month in South
said. “For me, I still want to an advantage, Zhang Mo Korea, Thailand and other
connect with people, I still says. Asian countries.q