Xu Jinglei goes from actress to director

(City Weekend)
Updated: 2004-09-06 14:10

Xu Jinglei goes from actress to director Actress Xu Jinglei took time out to discuss how movies have inspired her.

Actress Xu Jinglei in currently in post-production for her second film as a director Letter from an Unknown Woman slated to premiere at the upcoming San Sebastian Film Festival. She took time out to discuss how movies have inspired her.

C: Can you remember the first movie you ever watched?
X: When I was young, our school arranged for us to watch many movies with political messages like Jiao Yu Lu and Shao Nian Fan.

C: Of your favorite movies, are there any you've watched many times?
X£º I have watched The Godfather and Schindler's List several times, but actually there are few movies I've watched more than once.

C: Your new movie is a re-make. Did the original influence you?
X: The original was shot a long time ago, back in the 1940's. Actually, I don¡¯t like the original. I made the decision to shoot the movie based on the novel that I read many years ago.

C: How has your view of this story changed since then?
X: When I re-discovered the story and re-read it after 10 years, I was still very much moved, but for completely different reasons. When I was young, I disliked the guy and sympathized with the woman. Now I feel pity for the guy and see the woman as in control of her destiny.

C: Has your taste in movies also changed?
X: Of course, some movies I couldn¡¯t stand to watch for 10 minutes I now like very much. Wong Kar-wai¡¯s film Happy Together is one example. I couldn¡¯t handle the homosexual topic before, but now I can really appreciate and enjoy the film.

C: Any plans to direct a film without acting in it?
X: I think I will continue to act in the films I direct for a few more years!

C: What¡¯s in store next?
X: I have another film in the works. The story takes place in the city. I plan to finance it myself on a very small budget. For acting, I¡¯ve signed a contract with a Japanese production company to shoot a film at the beginning of next year. The script is still being written, so the shooting dates aren¡¯t fixed yet. I¡¯m interested in many different kinds of films. Besides American films, I especially like English and French films. I just began to direct so there are many directions for me to take. After you have directed many movies, you might think what can I do next, but I¡¯m just starting, so there are many things I want to try, musicals, war stories, you name it¡­